Exploring the Possibility of Life on Mars: A Scientist's Perspective

[Chris_Gottschal]

What exactly does everyone here think on Martian life, and the existence of water on Mars.

 

[tony873004]

How about microscopic organisms under the surface?

 

[NeoDevin]

I think more likely than life developing by itself on Mars in the future, we will bring life with us and then there will be life there.

 

[Chronos]

Microscopic subsurface life at the polar caps appears a possibility. More likely, Mars was fairly Earth-like in its youth. Judging by the rapid appearance of life on Earth [within the first billion years], micro-organisms had a somewhat reasonable chance to emerge on Mars before its atmosphere bled off.

 

[FeynmanMH42]

Yes, there could be microscopic organizams on surface.
No, but there could have been life in the past.

As you can choose more than one option I decided to pick both. I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that there could have been life in the past. It hasn't really had chance to evolve, and life could never evolve now, but knowing how tenacious life on Earth is I'd be surprised if there's no life left on Mars.

 

[Chronos]

Agreed. Conditions on Mars were too similar to the early years on Earth to rule out that possibility. Finding the proof in fossil evidence, however, will probably be more difficult than here on earth.

 

[TripleS]

There probably was no life on Mars as i trust NASA and they couldn't find any..
but there could be if they somehow gets plants that can convert the CO2 to O2

 

[Nanook]

Life on Mars

Formaldehyde and methane present in the Martian atmosphere argue strongly for the present day existence of life on Mars. I believe the seasonal changes in color, as well as some of the features seen near the south pole when it retreats also make this argument.

 

[E=mc²]

What if humans were to somehow kick start Olympus Mons on Mars?

 

[DaveC426913]

There probably was no life on Mars as i trust NASA and they couldn't find any..

Well, they haven't exactly done an extensive search.

Imagine if a half dozen probes from an alien race had come to Earth, but they had all landed in the middle of the Sahara, and searched the top few inches in the surrounding few yards...

 

[russ_watters]

Well, they did make an effort to land the probes in places where life would be likely...

Still, I wouldn't consider the search over.

 

[dilletante]

No one has mentioned several meteorites from Mars which some scientists claim may indicate past life on Mars:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martian_meteorite

(scroll down to "Possible Evidence of Life")

 

[AFG34]

i think that there is definitely going to be life on Mars in the future...(i mean humans migrating)

 

[B. Elliott]

No one has mentioned several meteorites from Mars which some scientists claim may indicate past life on Mars:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martian_meteorite

(scroll down to "Possible Evidence of Life")

Just a few weeks ago (possibly longer) there was a special on the Science channel about ALH84001. Very informative. What it boiled down to is that the structures appear too small to be able to house RNA. The nanobacteria idea is still theoretical as the structures can easily be confused with other non-living nano-sized objects... ie. crystalline structures. Then, you start to dig deeper into what you define as living or alive. Akin to the classic question on weather a virus is alive, or simply an infectious particle. The contamination aspect also plays a big role.

IMO, I doubt there is life present on Mars... at least on the surface due to solar radiation though the ice that's present on Mars may act as a decent radiation shield. The current methane replenishment on Mars is an interesting study. Weather it being a byproduct of microbial life or just simple outgassing, the source of the methane is still intriguing... could Mars still be somewhat active, or is it just a geological byproduct of an internally dead planet?

We need to dig a little deeper

 

[B. Elliott]

NASA Orbiter Finds Possible Cave Skylights On Mars

Very dark, nearly circular features ranging in diameter from about 100 to 250 meters (328 to 820 feet) puzzled researchers who found them in images taken by NASA's Mars Odyssey and Mars Global Surveyor orbiters.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070921163609.htm

 

[BulletRide]

At the rate at which our technology and knowledge of Mars is growing, I feel humanity is going to have a ball digging through the virgin soils of the red planet as we slowly start our migration as a race. Our ideas of how to define and search for life will exponentially grow; limited only by the diligency of our civilization. As of now, I feel making a guess on whether or not life presently exsits on the mysterious planet that dwells just beyond the reach of our footsteps, would be nothing more than a premature hypothesis. Sure, we've gathered information throughout the past half century on Mars; such as the meteorites that contain, what some people feel, are bacteria, and theories of where life can exist nowadays; but I still feel that we haven't gathered enough data to make a strong case for either side. All in all, my stand on this case is just to have patience. As humanity finally leaves that cradle that is Terra, we will make discoveries that will revolutionize how we look at Mars and ourselves as a sentient race.