Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Study: Martian Soil Has Signs of Life

Posted by samzenpus on from the look-again dept.

geoffrobinson writes "Reuters is reporting that a scientist from Germany believes Viking probe data shows signs of life. From the article: "Joop Houtkooper of the University of Giessen, Germany, said on Friday the spacecraft may in fact have found signs of a weird life form based on hydrogen peroxide on the subfreezing, arid Martian surface. His analysis of one of the experiments carried out by the Viking spacecraft suggests that 0.1 percent of the Martian soil could be of biological origin.""

22 of 382 comments (clear)

  1. Alien! by BWJones · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who are we kidding, he's gotta have privileged information. With a name like Joop Houtkooper, he has *got* to be an alien. :-)

    (Just kidding there Joop)

    --
    Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
    1. Re:Alien! by Hardhead_7 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Perhaps he works for the Democratic Order Of Planets.

    2. Re:Alien! by BJD3 · · Score: 5, Funny

      1. Move to Earth
      2. 'Discover' Alien life.
      3. ???
      4. Profit!!

    3. Re:Alien! by chthon · · Score: 2, Funny

      And having been exposed to them too often, I think all of them are aliens.

    4. Re:Alien! by richie2000 · · Score: 5, Funny

      So, how much hout would a houtkooper koop if a houtkooper could koop hout?

      --
      Money for nothing, pix for free
    5. Re:Alien! by MS-06FZ · · Score: 2, Funny

      Joop Houtkooper is Dutch. "Isn't dat veird?"

      Actually, from his name I figure he may be one of Bowser's minions...
      --
      ---GEC
      I'm but the humble pupil, seeking to snatch the scratchbuilt pebble from the master's fully articulated hand
    6. Re:Alien! by Traa · · Score: 2, Funny

      Hey, I am from Holland and live in America making me a legal alien....oh, nm.

  2. Well... by VE3OGG · · Score: 2, Funny

    I for one welcome our hydrogen-peroxide breathing overlords...

    1. Re:Well... by chromozone · · Score: 5, Funny

      "I for one welcome our hydrogen-peroxide breathing overlords" You live in LA?

    2. Re:Well... by sconeu · · Score: 4, Funny

      No, I doubt that it's Kathy Ireland posting on Slashdot.

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
  3. Hang on... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Viking probe data shows signs of life.

    So the Viking probe data is ALIVE?!!!

  4. Tubular by Climate+Shill · · Score: 5, Funny

    Mars is one big beach, so peroxided organisms are to be expected.

    1. Re:Tubular by rrohbeck · · Score: 4, Funny

      Ok, where are the silicone based life forms?

      --
      thegodmovie.com - watch it
    2. Re:Tubular by jonfr · · Score: 2, Funny

      Not on Mars, it's too cold. Maybe on Venus if we have bad luck.

  5. On the other hand by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 2, Funny

    I react very badly with them.

    --
    Engineering is the art of compromise.
  6. Re:Take with a whole shaker-full of salt by Gabrill · · Score: 2, Funny

    I find your lack of faith . . . disturbing.

    --
    Always going forward, 'cause we can't find reverse.
  7. Re:Take with a whole shaker-full of salt by dontthink · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ah shit, now Joop's gonna strangle me all the way from Germany.

  8. Re:IF its proven.. by shaitand · · Score: 5, Funny

    'The Bible doesn't say anything at all about life forms on other planets. Intelligent life I might have issues with, but microbes? No problem there.'

    No worries, if it were intelligent life it wouldn't believe in the bible either.

  9. Democratic Life? by HalimCMe · · Score: 5, Funny

    It is clear that we must promptly launch an investigation on whether this "life" believes in a democratic system of government. If not, we should immediately impose sanctions, inform the public their WMDs, and begin planning a military invasion to begin approximately 18 months from now. If the terrorists possess oil and make attempts to trade it under the Euro currency, we must accelerate this plan, using any means possible to defeat this threat to America. It is clear this life poses a terrorist threat to America. We must preemptively strike against us before they bring their War on Terror to our soil.

  10. Martian soil showing signs of life! by tenyearsgone · · Score: 2, Funny

    Fine, as long as I don't have to mow it.

  11. Slashdot User Has Awesome Sex! by jollyreaper · · Score: 2, Funny

    Actually, the cute girl from marketing made eye contact and winked so this is conclusive evidence that sex may have or will happen at some point in the fullness of time. Or not.

    Sheesh, could we give the sensationalist headlines some rest?

    --
    Kwisatz Haderach
    Sell the spice to CHOAM
    This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
  12. Of Course, Martian Soil Has Signs of Life... by okmijnuhb · · Score: 2, Funny

    That's where mankind came from before he destroyed Mars and landed on Earth.