Posthuman Blues

Good news on the Mars front:

Methane Producing Bacteria Found in the Desert

Evidence of methane-producing organisms can be found in inhospitable soil environments much like those found on the surface of Mars, according to experiments undertaken by scientists and students from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the University of Arkansas and published online in the journal Icarus.

The results, they said, provide ample impetus for similar "biodetection experiments" to be considered for future missions to Mars.

But wait! There's more!

Mars Express PFS spectrometer back at work

The Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) on board ESA's Mars Express spacecraft is now back in operation after a malfunction, reported a few months ago.

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PFS was the first instrument ever to make direct 'in situ' measurements of methane in the atmosphere of Mars, and provided first indications of traces of formaldehyde, both candidate ingredients for life.