NASA news conference reveals new findings regarding life on Mars

[Goshin]

The "leopard-spot" rocks were found and subjected to full instrumental scan a year ago. After a year of attempting to find an alternate explanation other-than-life, scientists announce a high probability that this is a signature of past microbial life on Mars.

IMHO if this continues to be confirmed, it is huge news. We've never yet found conclusive proof of life on another planet... we're now >this< close. There is clearly a high level of confidence and excitement at the confab on the part of the scientists, who are normally very conservative and skeptical of such finds.

Previous life on a nearby planet would be a strong indicator that life may be common in the galaxy, something that previously was "no data".


https://www.space.com/astronomy/mar...-of-ancient-red-planet-life-the-plot-thickens

 

[Gordy327]

The "leopard-spot" rocks were found and subjected to full instrumental scan a year ago. After a year of attempting to find an alternate explanation other-than-life, scientists announce a high probability that this is a signature of past microbial life on Mars.

IMHO if this continues to be confirmed, it is huge news. We've never yet found conclusive proof of life on another planet... we're now >this< close. There is clearly a high level of confidence and excitement at the confab on the part of the scientists, who are normally very conservative and skeptical of such finds.

Previous life on a nearby planet would be a strong indicator that life may be common in the galaxy, something that previously was "no data".


https://www.space.com/astronomy/mar...-of-ancient-red-planet-life-the-plot-thickens

This discovery certainly increases the chances that microbial life existed on Mars once. Actually finding microbial life itself would be the 'smoking gun' evidence.

 

[Jetboogieman]

I mean personally, I don't think we needed this to know where is other life in the Galaxy.

There clearly HAS to be.

Having the proof yes, it is important, to empirically prove it exists/existed.

But the vastness of our own galaxy, before we get to other galaxies...

There is simply no way there isn't other life out there.

It's just, impossible for it not to be the case.

 

[mrjurrs]

The "leopard-spot" rocks were found and subjected to full instrumental scan a year ago. After a year of attempting to find an alternate explanation other-than-life, scientists announce a high probability that this is a signature of past microbial life on Mars.

IMHO if this continues to be confirmed, it is huge news. We've never yet found conclusive proof of life on another planet... we're now >this< close. There is clearly a high level of confidence and excitement at the confab on the part of the scientists, who are normally very conservative and skeptical of such finds.

Previous life on a nearby planet would be a strong indicator that life may be common in the galaxy, something that previously was "no data".


https://www.space.com/astronomy/mar...-of-ancient-red-planet-life-the-plot-thickens

Wow.
A significant part of America will believe science has been lying to us...

Others will exclaim...Science rocks!

 

[Loulit01]

I mean personally, I don't think we needed this to know where is other life in the Galaxy.

There clearly HAS to be.

That's illogical.

Having the proof yes, it is important, to empirically prove it exists/existed.

But the vastness of our own galaxy, before we get to other galaxies...

There is simply no way there isn't other life out there.

Sure there is. We don't know how life first began here on earth. You can't go from that to a dead certainty that there is extraterrestrial life. I would agree the chances are good according to our theories. But nothing is proven yet.

It's just, impossible for it not to be the case.

No it isn't.

 

[Gordy327]

That's illogical.

Sure there is. We don't know how life first began here on earth. You can't go from that to a dead certainty that there is extraterrestrial life. I would agree the chances are good according to our theories. But nothing is proven yet.

No it isn't.

Nothing illogical about it. Given the biodiversity we observe and the myriad of environmental conditions for life to arise and even thrive, it is mathematically probable exo-life in some form exists in an infinite universe. The Miller-Urey experiments gives a good idea and credibility to abiogenesis as the start of life on this planet. Panspermia is another idea.

 

[Loulit01]

Nothing illogical about it. Given the biodiversity we observe and the myriad of environmental conditions for life to arise and even thrive, it is mathematically probable

Probable.

exo-life in some form exists in an infinite universe. The Miller-Urey experiments gives a good idea and credibility to abiogenesis as the start of life on this planet. Panspermia is another idea.

Good ideas. Not proof of extraterrestrial life.

I agree there's a good chance. But a good chance is not...

There is simply no way there isn't other life out there.

It's just, impossible for it not to be the case.

 

[Goshin]

Studies in recent years had begun leaning towards the idea that life might be very rare, "astronomically" so.
That is, that the odds might be so low that the number of living biospheres in the universe might be a single digit number, if certain "bottleneck" issues in biology were as unlikely as the worst-case scenario, trillions-to-one or worse. If this line of speculation proved to be true, then regardless of the number of stars in the visible universe, we might be alone.

Finding strong evidence of past life on Mars is a game changer, flipping this script to a considerable degree. If there was past life on Mars (and at this point, despite skepticism on my part for the past decade, I think we're approaching 99% certainty), that changes everything. It may well mean that life tends to form wherever conditions are right for even a short (geologically short) time period.

It is very exciting and I look forward to further research into this.

 

[noonereal]

The "leopard-spot" rocks were found and subjected to full instrumental scan a year ago. After a year of attempting to find an alternate explanation other-than-life, scientists announce a high probability that this is a signature of past microbial life on Mars.

IMHO if this continues to be confirmed, it is huge news. We've never yet found conclusive proof of life on another planet... we're now >this< close. There is clearly a high level of confidence and excitement at the confab on the part of the scientists, who are normally very conservative and skeptical of such finds.

Previous life on a nearby planet would be a strong indicator that life may be common in the galaxy, something that previously was "no data".


https://www.space.com/astronomy/mar...-of-ancient-red-planet-life-the-plot-thickens

I don't see how this is big news


Life is a natural state
We will find it all over the universe in time

 

[Gordy327]

I don't see how this is big news


Life is a natural state
We will find it all over the universe in time

When one thinks about it, "life" (including humans) are basically made up of the most common elements (formed in stars) in the universe. It makes sense those elements would combine to form life elsewhere in the universe.

 

[iliveonramen]

Studies in recent years had begun leaning towards the idea that life might be very rare, "astronomically" so.
That is, that the odds might be so low that the number of living biospheres in the universe might be a single digit number, if certain "bottleneck" issues in biology were as unlikely as the worst-case scenario, trillions-to-one or worse. If this line of speculation proved to be true, then regardless of the number of stars in the visible universe, we might be alone.

Finding strong evidence of past life on Mars is a game changer, flipping this script to a considerable degree. If there was past life on Mars (and at this point, despite skepticism on my part for the past decade, I think we're approaching 99% certainty), that changes everything. It may well mean that life tends to form wherever conditions are right for even a short (geologically short) time period.

It is very exciting and I look forward to further research into this.

"Two possibilities exists: either we are alone in the universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying" - Arthur C Clarke

I love that quote because it's so true.

 

[bythoughts]

I'm not buying it. These features are already known to be capable of forming on Earth without the involvement of life. The frequent involvement of life is an inference: most of the time they correlate with other signs of life in the fossil record.

Also, NASA seems to be showing understandable signs of doom and desperation. The U.S. government no longer has much of a reputation to protect!

 

[Goshin]

I'm not buying it. These features are already known to be capable of forming on Earth without the involvement of life. The frequent involvement of life is an inference: most of the time they correlate with other signs of life in the fossil record.

Also, NASA seems to be showing understandable signs of doom and desperation. The U.S. government no longer has much of a reputation to protect!

This one in particular is normally associated with life, on Earth.

The possibility of non-bio formation is being considered, but after a year of analysis and theorizing a non-life explanation has not been determined.

 

[Sabre]

Estimates suggest there are between 100 billion and 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe, with studies suggesting the number is even higher.

Astronomers have discovered more than 3,200 other stars with planets orbiting them in our galaxy.

In the 50 billion galaxies in the observable universe, there may be as many as a hundred quintillion Earth-like planets.

In my opinion, the chances that in all this our little planet is the only one with life forms on it is '0'.

 

[Goshin]

Estimates suggest there are between 100 billion and 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe, with studies suggesting the number is even higher.

Astronomers have discovered more than 3,200 other stars with planets orbiting them in our galaxy.

In the 50 billion galaxies in the observable universe, there may be as many as a hundred quintillion Earth-like planets.

In my opinion, the chances that in all this our little planet is the only one with life forms on it is '0'.

Part of the problem is we don't know the odds. The odds of life starting on a planet, for starters, as well as the odds of something like Eukaryotes coming into existence, multicellular life, etc.

If life tends to form readily where conditions are favorable, even "briefly" (geologic time) as on Mars, then the odds of life in various stages goes up considerably.

There's still other stages, particularly the eukaryote/mitochondria stage, that might make advanced life extremely rare, but again we have limited data.

 

[Linc]

Part of the problem is we don't know the odds. The odds of life starting on a planet, for starters, as well as the odds of something like Eukaryotes coming into existence, multicellular life, etc.

If life tends to form readily where conditions are favorable, even "briefly" (geologic time) as on Mars, then the odds of life in various stages goes up considerably.

There's still other stages, particularly the eukaryote/mitochondria stage, that might make advanced life extremely rare, but again we have limited data.

Thank you for the article, and I’d use it in class if not retired.
My 71-yo self dreams of an earth already past Mars and inhabiting Titan.
The waste of a quadrillion by this planet since WWII on ‘defense’ stopped it.
No fusion, no planetary travel, with ITER especially and the W 7-X stalled for years to come.
Forever toxic pollution. forever wars, every world economy is based on their MIC.

 

[Goshin]

Thank you for the article, and I’d use it in class if not retired.
My 71-yo self dreams of an earth already past Mars and inhabiting Titan.
The waste of a quadrillion by this planet since WWII on ‘defense’ stopped it.
No fusion, no planetary travel, with ITER especially and the W 7-X stalled for years to come.
Forever toxic pollution. forever wars, every world economy is based on their MIC.

"In a perfect world..." - but obviously it isn't.

Without a strong defense the world would likely have been dominated by the USSR, or the CCP, or other undesirable actors.
I'd also note that the Defense budget is only 18% of the Federal budget... so it's not just the military spending that's the problem.

I'd certainly agree that I wish science was more of a priority.

 

[Linc]

"In a perfect world..." - but obviously it isn't.

Without a strong defense the world would likely have been dominated by the USSR, or the CCP, or other undesirable actors.
I'd also note that the Defense budget is only 18% of the Federal budget... so it's not just the military spending that's the problem.

I'd certainly agree that I wish science was more of a priority.

This is where I thought Musk could have really worked together with NASA, meshing both platforms and technology.

Musk (science) still has Trump’s ear, especially if a profit is involved.

Physical Geography fun course (showed economics) taught about the important minerals and ‘where they are’.

So, maybe the moon is worth mining, but it would take a world-wide venture.
From that base, it’d be nice to see a base on Mars studying before I leave this planet.

 

[Deuce]

I don't see how this is big news


Life is a natural state
We will find it all over the universe in time

This is substantial evidence that we are right about the idea that it's all over the universe.

 

[Peter]

We know life evolved here so it isn't impossible and the number of planets in the universe makes the idea that life only started here pretty silly.

The only question is will we ever discover life outside our solar system.
Even if we are the only life in this galaxy that still says nothing about the wider universe.