The ESA's Mars Express shown with its failed Beagle 2 lander.
Ammonia on Mars could mean life
"There are two possible sources: either active volcanoes, none of which have been found yet on Mars, or microbes."
Mars Scoop: You Heard it Here First
"Ammonia has been discovered on Mars, and because it survives for only a short time in the Martian atmosphere, it must be constantly replenished. Only living microbes can do this, so the conclusion is inescapable: there is life on Mars."
My own thoughts? The conclusion is indeed inescapable: There is life on Mars.
I somehow doubt there will be a definitive announcement for some time; the issue of extant life on Mars is hopelessly mired in the politics of "fact management," and it's likely the only reason we've heard about the ammonia discovery at all is because of the efforts of the European Space Agency. From NASA/JPL's viewpoint, conceding Martian life -- however primitive -- is almost as heretical as SETI pundits admitting that UFOs pose a legitimate challenge to science.
For a plausible preview of where we go from here, you could probably do worse than read "After the Martian Apocalypse."
No comments:
Post a Comment