Congressman Asks NASA if There's Evidence for an Ancient Civilization on Mars

In yesterday's congressional hearing on NASA's upcoming planetary-science missions (with a focus on the 2020 Mars rover and Europa Clipper), rep. Dana Rohrabacher opened Pandora's box and asked the question of all questions: Do we have evidence for an ancient civilization on Mars? Listen and watch for yourselves:

Source article (space.com)

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., asked a panel of planetary scientists to speculate about [the possibility of an ancient civilization on Mars] during a hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Science, Space and Technology's Space Subcommittee.

The inquiry followed testimony by panelist Ken Farley, the project scientist for NASA's Mars 2020 rover mission, stating that the Red Planet had lakes and rivers, and perhaps even a huge northern ocean, until about 3.6 billion years ago. So it fell to Farley to answer the question of whether Mars was perhaps once home to intelligent aliens.

Obviously Rohrabacher got the time frames slightly wrong, but he does IMO deserve respect for publicly asking that question in such a direct manner. Or did he just do his grandson a favor? Another good question he could have asked would be: why is it that we haven't equipped a single rover with science experiments capable of detecting Martian life since the Viking landers in the 1970s did the labeled release experiment (with results, by the way, that would have justified further investigation)?

All this also seems to tie in with recent topics on here about CIA remote viewing experiments on Mars and other threads related to ancient ruins on Mars.

Since I haven't seen this posted anywhere, I thought I'd just put it out there for further discussion!



Sources and links:
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01. Space.com: Source article mentioned in this thread
02. Newsweek: Congressman Asks NASA if There’s an Ancient Civilization on Mars

Oh!! S+F

In drive thru, will comment later. Dbl chz, dollar menu at Mc, heheh

Congressman Rohrabacher: Any chance there was a civilization on Mars?
Dr. Farley: That is extremely unlikely.

a reply to: Arnie123

Im told micky d's dbl cheese burgers kill martians. Stock up bro.

I would think finding evidence of a civilization that died 3.6 billion years ago would be nearly impossible.
Especially with a remote control rover just skimming the surface.

Dr. Farley's answer is a reasonable one, but he answered a very specific question: "Was there a CIVILIZATION on Mars?" It would have been a very different answer had he asked, "Was there ever LIFE on Mars." Despite claims of everything from pyramids to faces to Sasqatches on Mars, there is no credible evidence of any of that--just wishful thinking. But life itself? That's MUCH more likely.

a reply to: Snarl

That's the short version of the thread!

But it does serve as a basis for many questions related to Mars exploration and life on other planets. I don't even know where to begin, perhaps one could ask what caused the Cambrian explosion on Earth leading to a vast diversification of terrestrial life.

How long does evolution need to bring forth an intelligent species? Unfortunately we currently only have on example to study. But does the time span ("Mars was different billions of years ago") exclude all other possibilities?

originally posted by: Arnie123
Oh!! S+F

In drive thru, will comment later. Dbl chz, dollar menu at Mc, heheh

Quite the honor to get a thread reply despite that tricky situation!

Bon appetit!

a reply to: jeep3r

According to some theories, the last time a politician probed the alien question he was shot in the head in Dallas.

a reply to: MRuss

I have always wondered about that.Maybe someday we will know but not holding my breath.

Mars has always been referred to as the planet of war, since the most ancient of times here on Earth. Always Red, with Earth seen from afar as the Blue planet. Mars was never described as anything but Red, for what that's worth..... ie. vegetation on Mars surface. Which in my opinion leaves room for doubt that it was ever alive, as we define it with surface growth.

The mainstream answer is that they would be trading the life checking equipment space for some other equipment..

Also the life test was very basic and obviously do to the controversy prone to being unreliable.

I'm assuming accurate enough equipment to confirm the test for life would take up the entire rocket when needing equipment able to test for ANY kind of life.

If they devoted a whole mission to ONL testing for life.. if there is none then the whole mission is a waste. a reply to: jeep3r

a reply to: jeep3r

In the scope of conspiracies, if NASA told the world mars had the ruins of a civilization. Their budget quadruples and there is a global race to investigate..

NASA becomes the most powerful branch of the government likely..

So that is a hell of a payoff to throw away by hiding it.

There is no evidence that I'M AWARE OF. Direct quote from Dr. Farley. Could be nothing but it also could mean everything. My online expertise tells me that he is lying or not entirely telling the truth.

originally posted by: Plotus
Mars has always been referred to as the planet of war, since the most ancient of times here on Earth. Always Red, with Earth seen from afar as the Blue planet. Mars was never described as anything but Red, for what that's worth..... ie. vegetation on Mars surface. Which in my opinion leaves room for doubt that it was ever alive, as we define it with surface growth.

Our species has only been around for a quarter million years or so and hominims themselves 1.5 million tops. There's no way "WE" know what color Mars was billions of years ago. It could have been as blue as Earth, but with no one else to see it, it hardly matters. That we have celled Mars "The Red Planet" for the last few thousand years says absolutely nothing about whether Mars was "alive" in the distant past.

originally posted by: Plotus
Mars has always been referred to as the planet of war, since the most ancient of times here on Earth. Always Red, with Earth seen from afar as the Blue planet. Mars was never described as anything but Red, for what that's worth..... ie. vegetation on Mars surface. Which in my opinion leaves room for doubt that it was ever alive, as we define it with surface growth.

But this was billions of years ago so we would never know. There is nothing we have that would collaborate that.

The statement,

"As far as I am aware", may be telling and that means he is not actually telling the whole truth.. It leaves open a door to that fact that something may indeed be there and he has taken himself away from the question with justification.. A known response when someone does not want to reveal everything they know some would say??...

NASA= Never a straight answer



RA

a reply to: jeep3r

Well, that is one guy that isn't part of the 'in-crowd' in D.C. I love the way he asked that question with genuine curiosity and actually believed he would get a real answer. His naivete is refreshing to see in someone in politics.

originally posted by: jeep3r
How long does evolution need to bring forth an intelligent species? Unfortunately we currently only have on example to study. But does the time span ("Mars was different billions of years ago") exclude all other possibilities?

A far better way of addressing the question.

If all human life died off today, it would be hard for an emerging intelligent species to recognize the extent of our civilization merely a thousand years from this moment. Maybe the only things left standing might be the megalithic structures we stare at in awe in this age ... maybe a coke bottle found intact here and there.

Was there ever an ancient civilization that inhabited Mars more than a billion years ago? Maybe. Science can neither prove nor disprove it at the moment. Are we farther along than any civilization that's preceded us? Probably ... unless there's evidence on the moon that's being kept from us.

originally posted by: slider1982
The statement,

"As far as I am aware", may be telling and that means he is not actually telling the whole truth.. It leaves open a door to that fact that something may indeed be there and he has taken himself away from the question with justification.. A known response when someone does not want to reveal everything they know some would say??...

NASA= Never a straight answer



RA

Ha my thoughts exactly as well.