NASA Invents New Technique For Finding Alien Life

RedEaredSlider writes "From the IB Times article: 'Researchers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., have come up with an idea to improve on an old standby of space exploration instruments and improve the odds of finding life, if any, on Mars. By adding a laser and an ion funnel to a mass spectrometer, it is possible to analyze the elements from the Martian surface directly, without the complex handling samples usually needed... The new version uses a two-step technique. First it shoots a laser at the sample's surface. This creates a plume of molecules and ions. To get the ions into the mass spectrometer, the new system uses an ion funnel. The ion funnel uses conductive, progressively smaller electrodes in the shape of a ring that attract the ions, effectively vacuuming them into the mass spectrometer.'"

Comments

This versus old mechanisms for sample gathering?

[intellitech]

"There are a lot of exciting discoveries about Mars that have yet to be made," Paul Johnson, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a statement. "This technique could make understanding the composition of rocks and soils on Mars -- possibly including evidence of life -- much easier."

It doesn't sound like a bad idea. How does this compare with the "RAT," which was installed on Spirit and Opportunity? I assume that it's not as likely to get jammed or clogged as the RAT, or previous "scooping" mechanisms that retrieved soil samples. Honestly, though, I feel that drilling into the sample source would give more accurate composition results than a light laser burst, which I can't imagine would be able to knock off more than a few layers of molecules.

Also, on another note, give me back my damn meta-moderation buttons on user pages.

War of the worlds in reverse...

[kipling]

Is the lander going to be a long-legged tripod?

Life going up in smoke

[michelcolman]

So in order to find alien life, we are going to hit it with a laser and look at the smoke. What if aliens were to do that to us one day?

Re:Life going up in smoke

[octal666]

NASA confirms, there WAS life on Mars.

Re:Ignore this notice

[h00manist]

Let it go, it doesnt help to keep spreading rumors about your ex, even if you say it in Martian.

Old Timey Ray Guns!!!

[Dutchmaan]

OMG! All those old timey ray-guns... with the progressively smaller rings at the muzzle were actually accurate!!!

Microscopes anyone?

[lordholm]

Why send instruments like that, why not just send up a robust microscope with a HD camera? It will never be seen as confirmed unless you see the buggers moving around.