This is not specifically a debate on whether life is present on the red plannet, but more a debate on whether life is contained within it, locked away in the ice, or whether life could be integrated. NASA landed on Mars in 1975, and since there have been countless missions by US, and one by the UK that didn't go very well. After 40 years of exploration, we are only discovering how much more alike our planet is to Mars, but how unexplainably no proof of life can be found. What do you think? BBC iPlayer Youtube
No but their might be fossilized past living animals found in the ice caps. Microorganisms are the most likely to be found if any. The planet has baren conditions with constant storms which could have easily hidden any life that once lived on Mars.
However recent discoveries in our polar icecaps have found bacteria deep in the ice, locked away, frozen for tens of millions of years. These same parameters are present on Mars, so essentially can't bacteria be locked away in their ice caps too?
Right now, there's no conclusive evidence of life on Mars, either today, or in the past. Let's hope that changes in the next few years. Do I want to think there is life on Mars, who doesn't? But in reality, it's not looking so good. There have been some indications of the possible presence of life, on Mars, such as the presence of methane in the Martian atmosphere. Many scientists consider this planet too "salty". However, if I remember right there was a time on earth that we could have been considered a "dead planet" by others? We don't know exactly know what happened with the surface or atmosphere of our own planet to knock out the life form we know as dinosaurs, so I don't rule out life on other planets!
Here dude. It's a slightly different video but it bears the same facts, probably more, i'll watch it tomorrow. YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.
i remember hearing they found some fossils and water a while ago. its bound to of had life at 1 point in time. we cant be the only planet in the universe with life
I remember reading in an article some bacteria managed to escape being cleaned off a lander while NASA was preparing it for a mission to Mars, and when it landed the bacteria started reproducing, and when NASA launched another lander they found out the bacteria survived. I believe that there was life on Mars, whether that life would be micro-organisms, advanced, primitive, or otherwise, and I believe that they are still there, hidden away in the ice caps or deep in the surface, where they don't have to face the harshness of the surface.
Europa If there is any life, it's microbial and in some sort of dormant state frozen beneath the surface. The other question that's raised if there is life of any kind there is: Should we attempt to colonize and terraform the planet or even continue sending missions there if doing so may kill off native life? I realize the life we would be destroying on Mars, if it exists, would only be bacteria, but it would set a precedent for future space exploration. Any alien invasion Sci-Fi flick will tell you that the main objective and motive for the invasion usually involves using us or our planet as a resource to further their own species. We have to decide if we want to be that type of alien when looking for places to visit beyond our planet. Killing some ancient bacteria on Mars in the name of human expansion may not be that bad ethically, but there has to be a line somewhere. When do you decide that a planet should not be explored or settled because the native life would be compromised? What about a planet with fully developed plant life? Would the life need a face in order to be considered sacred? Or, is human survival and prosperity the first priority over any of these considerations? On a side note, the place most likely to support life in our solar system is a small ice moon of Jupiter called Europa: It has a layer of solid ice 50 to 100 miles deep, but because of tidal heating caused by the pulling from Jupiter the interior of the moon is much hotter. Because of the heating Europa contains a saline liquid water ocean that contains more water than all of Earths oceans combined. If life is in our solar system it will most likely be there. Jupiter's Moon Europa: What Could Be Under The Ice? NASA - Europa
True, we don't know, but we definitely know that dinosaurs existed, because their remains leave fossils for us to study. Right now, there is no poof (yet) that there was life on Mars, multi-cellular, bacterial, single-cellular, whatever.
Actually we do know what killed the dinosaurs. We have known for many years. It was a six mile wide asteroid that hit the earth 65 million years ago. I am surprised that most people don't know that.
Sci-Fi is usually the first place to broach questions like these. Long before we've discovered a planet with life on it, we should be thinking about what the proper way to handle it would be.
The asteroid theory has a good argument In the layer of rock that is 65 million years old, there are unbelievably large amounts of iridium in the rock. Iridium is a very uncommon element, and most of it on earth comes from meteorites and other space matter. Source On the second sentence in that paragraph. And this is a non wikipedia source that confirms wikipedias accuracy. (for all you wiki haters out there)
Are you sure it's still a theory. Last I heard it became a science fact. You might want to read up on it.
Asteroid Broke Up, and Then it Killed the Dinosaurs | Universe Today This says that most patheologists believe in the ateroid theory but this was from September, so I'm not sure if it is proven yet.
Re-read my original post. Exploring and settling worlds with native life on them puts us in the roll of alien invaders. I was raising the ethical issue of contaminating others planets that already harbor life.