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Biological Activity on Mars

Posted by Zonk on from the evil-green-things-from-outer-space dept.

visination.com writes "Recent ground based observations of Mars have confirmed the presence of water and methane. The 300 year life time of methane on Mars is short, giving scientists reason to beleive that Mars may be biologically active." From the article: "Every one of these longitudes shows a very substantial enhancement in the equatorial zone...So this is a very intense source of methane on Mars in this region. It also requires a very rapid decay of methane...more rapid than photochemistry would allow..."

22 of 489 comments (clear)

  1. Late-breaking news: by TripMaster+Monkey · · Score: 5, Funny
    Today the Council of Elders confirmed the rumours that the sinister blue planet third from our star has managed to detect traces of life upon our world.

    K'breel, speaker for the Council, stressed that there was no cause for alarm:



    "While this is truly a troubling development, rest asured that the mighty Council has forseen this, and has taken the necessary steps to deal with the situation. The asteroid the Council has set in motion is on target to strike the invaders' planet in a few short years, and its payload of biological toxin, specially formulated to destroy their disgusting cellular structure, will insure our continued safety and serenity."


    When challenged by pro-life activists present at the conference, who asserted that the invaders were living beings just as we are, and that we did not have the right to arbitrarily exterminate an entire species, K'Breel replied tersely:


    "Wrong. Watch us."

    --
    ____

    ~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey

    1. Re:Late-breaking news: by 0x461FAB0BD7D2 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Disgusting cellular structure? 3G is not that bad, honestly.

    2. Re:Late-breaking news: by notmyeye · · Score: 5, Funny

      "...will insure our continued safety and serenity."

      I hope the deductible is reasonable.

    3. Re:Late-breaking news: by geekoid · · Score: 4, Funny

      It's good to hear from our new Pope.

      by 'our' I mean your, and my 'your', I mean not mine.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    4. Re:Late-breaking news: by Vengeance_au · · Score: 5, Funny

      However what K'breel fails to understand is:

      Biological life on mars --> fossils --> oil

      therefore, I give Dubbya 5 days to declare a war on Martian WMD's, terrorism, or being anti freedom. And hey, if the above news about the asteroid comes to light, he'll have a 50% strike rate on invading for legitimate reasons!

    5. Re:Late-breaking news: by kfg · · Score: 5, Funny

      . . .he'll have a 50% strike rate on invading for legitimate reasons!

      Nah! After Mars is reduced to a giant, radioactive Christmas tree ornament it will turn out that the above letter was a "misinterpretation" by the "intelligence" community.

      It will come to light that the actual letter said:

      "A disease has wiped out most of our male population. Mars needs geeks to insure the survival of our species, and our women are HOT! Them pulp novel covers? Phhhhhhhhbt! You ain't seen nothin' yet, Earth nerd. Because our need is so pressing and so great we have converted an asteroid into a transport ship and will be sending it right over. Fill it up with everyone who knows how to root, if you know what I mean."

      Oops.

      KFG

    6. Re:Late-breaking news: by identity0 · · Score: 4, Funny

      I bet when the Martian invasion comes and Slashdot reports it, instead of panicking like the people after the Orson Welles broadcast, Slashdotters will be like:

      "Someone tell the editors it's not April fools anymore" (+3, Funny)
      "It's a dupe! Doesn't Taco read his own site?" (+2 Insightful)
      "I paid subscription rates for *this*?!" (+1 Insightful)
      "DUPE!!!" (-1, redundant)
      "I, for one, welcome our new Martian overlords" (+3, Funny)
      "Slashdot has gone really downhill lately, don't they check their sources?!" (+1 insightful)

      and while they chatter away, the Martians will take over the world and kill everyone.

      Or something.

    7. Re:Late-breaking news: by Chris+Burke · · Score: 4, Funny

      Mars needs geeks to insure the survival of our species, and our women are HOT!

      Oh, no. I'm not falling for that one again.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
  2. There it is..No, there it is! by qw(name) · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why does it feel like our scientists are just chasing after the wind when it comes to the search for life on Mars?

  3. Methane by Hatta · · Score: 5, Funny

    Great, we discover extraterrestrial life and it smells like farts.

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    Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
  4. Indeed by screwballicus · · Score: 4, Funny

    Given recent Photographic Evidence, the presence of chocolate compounds would seem to necessitate biological activity.

  5. This has been found on other planets too by The_Rippa · · Score: 5, Funny

    Scientists recently found large amounts of methane gas around Uranus.

  6. Activity by baadger · · Score: 3, Funny

    And after further investigation several single celled life forms were recovered from the martian surface. Initial test results suggest the average martian microbe is TEN TIMES more biologically active than their earthling slashdotting counter parts.

  7. Re:Just Curious by TripMaster+Monkey · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Bible pertains to humans only...God neglected to mention his other projects to us.

    --
    ____

    ~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey

  8. Re:Just Curious by nizo · · Score: 4, Funny
    Does the bible say anything about life on other planets?

    Not yet, but it might after the next major revision. From here:


    The King James Bible has undergone three revisions since its inception in 1611, incorporating more than 100,000 changes.

    I bet they could slip in something about life on Mars during the next revision.

    --
    I Am My Own Worst Enemy
  9. Half Life??? by TripMaster+Monkey · · Score: 4, Funny

    Great...now we have to design the probes to withstand headcrab attacks.

    --
    ____

    ~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey

  10. Re:methane, biological life, etc... by El · · Score: 3, Funny

    Must. Resist. Urge. To. Make. Martian. Fart. Jokes!

    --

    "Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney

  11. Wrong, by isotope23 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Martians will have to get used to saying:

    "I for one welcome our new Terra-ist overlords!"

    1. Build Mars colonial Mission
    2. Begin Terra-izing Mars.
    3. ????? (Encase resident Martian lifeforms in epoxy souvenir blocks)
    4. PROFIT!

    Woo hoo I found step three!

    --
    Service guarantees Citizenship! Questions Guarantee GITMO.... Amerika Uber Alles!
  12. Re:Just Curious by Frostalicious · · Score: 4, Funny

    The four wheels had rims and they had spokes, and their rims were full of eyes round about....

    Sound like a close encounter to you?

    Sounds like Pimp My Chariot, Ezekiel style...

  13. Bible XP by payndz · · Score: 4, Funny

    Can't wait for the next update! Hope it fixes all those contradictio... er, bugs.

    --
    You must think in Russian.
  14. all the proof of life I need by iowa119900089 · · Score: 3, Funny

    http://english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/377/12257_M artian.html According to this highly respectable news page, a Russian boy is a martian and he can tell you all about life there. Case closed. No need to spend more money going there.

  15. Re:Cows by Curl+E · · Score: 3, Funny
    Their results? Three cows. Seriously.

    Actual cows or ideal spherical cows?

    --
    Backups are for wimps. Real men post their data in comments and have slashdot mirror it