Life on Mars? Fossil find shows it's possible

reply to post by dtrock78


Thanks for posting that, it was a very intresting read and raises some good points -

4. The depletion of hydrogen, acetylene, and ethane, is due to a new type of liquid-methane based life form as predicted

In this case I see it being a process of elimination, and knwoing science we will start at option 1 and end on option 4 with option 4 being correct.

Methane based life form, just the thought, is exciting, at least to me anyways. It actually reminded me of the Star Trek: TNG episode where they were terraforming a planet and didnt realize the crystal structures just under the surface was an intelligent life form.

I think this serves as a good mental check hat we need to quit looking through blinders when searching for life. Just because it doesnt look like a duck, or quack like a duck, doesnt mean its not sentinent.

Yet even more recent evidence that shows ever more possibilities of life on Mars, not to mention the recent story claiming that actual liqued water may be present on Mars.

www.msnbc.msn.com...

Imagine if we could finally prove that life existed on Mars and what that would say for chances of life elsewhere. If two planets with very different atmospheres and make up in one solar system could support like than likely things like the drake equation may have to be refigured to allow for even more chances than already assumed.

It is possible but not probable...

I doubt there was ever, or is life on mars..

Such a harsh eniroment would have to be
made to support life.

Originally posted by obummerdeception
It is possible but not probable...

I doubt there was ever, or is life on mars..

Such a harsh eniroment would have to be
made to support life.

The point of the thread and article is to point out that the universe most likely supports life that we could not conceive exists. Our search for life is based upon our standards fo what life is, and whats required for it to take hold and surive.

Its based on oxygen / nitrogen, water, a planet that is not to hot or not to cold and go from there.

We tend to dismiss the possibility of life from occuring in areas that we would view as unable to support life, because on our planet, it doesnt happen. The paper is a reminder as well as an eye opener that we must open our eyes and minds to the possibility that we dont know nearly as much as we think.

reply to post by obummerdeception


That actually goes against a lot of scientific evidence, it is looking more and more like Mars was once much like Earth. There is evidence of past oceans making extremely likely there was even higher life forms. I would not be surprised if we found fossilized remains of higher life forms once we can really do some serious exploring there.

Everything we keep finding in science increases the possibilities of life on Mars lately. I don't see how anypne can have an educated opinion so firmly against the possibility of even lower life forms now, let alone possible life historically on Mars.

Looking at "ObummersDeception" screen name, I'm pretty surprised he's not open minded to this

It's a well established fact that Mars contained liquid water for many millions of years based on the sedimentary rock formations observed by both rovers. In order to have water maintain a liquid form on Mars, the atmosphere would have to have been much thicker and warmer.

It's a great cocktail to start, plus couple that with the fact that it's becoming pretty obvious just how many instances of cross planetary "contamination" have occurred as more and more Martian meteorites are being discovered on Earth, the same would be true for Mars.

If you guys want a great read, I suggest picking up Ben Bova's "Mars" in B&N. It's a sci-fi story about humanity's first manned expedition to the planet, and just what we might find.

For many of us with the religous background to be lumped in the "there CANNOT be other life" category, we often get erroneously lumped in there. It's a "where's the beef" issue. For every piece of evidence that "this is life from another plannet!!1!" there's an issue of contamination, left-handed proteins in the same test as right-handed proteins, and a whole host of assumptions we question. Very few of us argue that there can't be extraterrestrials because our religion, but because there is no evidence FOR them being FACTUALLY there. Maybes and perhapses are not facts. This is where their stance stops. They don't want their imagination to run wild without concrete evidence that is irrefutable...and they'll be off to convert the sentient aliens as soon as they find them.

I love science fiction, and am aware how much science fiction has become fact. I welcome it. But as long as it is still in the realm of fiction, I'm going to keep it there.

reply to post by CynicalDrivel

Out of curiosity, how do you think Evangelicals would react if we found intelligent life? Or even bacteria, for that matter?

Personally, I think the world would start going @pe$hit.

It depends on which Evangelicals we're talking about. There's honestly a wide range of reaction. Generally the reason that aliens are not accepted as even plausible by many is due to most models for aliens existing require evolution to work--that and why should a sentient alien die for Adam's sin? The whole reason for Christ's death on the cross is that blood (inheritance) requires blood (sacrifice) as payment. Many people will lose their faith over this all because they set conditions to their faith that are not practical for a foundation of belief. Both reasons are why I find it unlikely...well, besides a huge lack of enough evdence for this to be confirmed fact.

I'm more of the wait-and-see type, and so are a lot of others of my mindset. But I'm not setting conditions either--my faith does not depend on whether or not there aliens don't exist. A lot of non-evangelicals believe in the existence of aliens solely for the purpose of putting another "nail in teh Christian Koffen!!1!". The problem is that they'll mostly hurt those who were easy to pluck off anyway.

Then there's the selfish approach. Since Aliens have nothing to do with my salvation, who cares if they exist?

As I said, whole host of possible behaviors.