So it's beginning to look increasingly likely that there has been/still is life on mars and the proof is likely to come within a year.
I was just curious what that means to the people here. Do you care if there was life on mars? Would you be interested if there was still active life on mars? Or dont you care in the slightest?
If there was life how would that affect your view of the universe and mankind's place in it?
'Washington, Jan 16 (PTI) Is there life on Mars? The most intriguing question for everyone on the Earth would be answered by American space scientists by the end of this year, a NASA expert has claimed.
According to David McKay, chief of astrobiology at NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Houston, the fact that Mars has bred life will be confirmed this year and the historic discovery will not be made on the Mars, but here on Earth using the chunks of the red planet.'
Don't bring them here! Sounds like a bad movie, but what if they crack open the red rock and we all get sucked into a black hole due to some zany alien security system!
Madness!
It's not going to impact on my world-view, that's for sure!
Interesting stuff, though, obviously.
For a minute there I thought you were talking about the amazing UK TV show, Life on Mars starring John Simm and Philip Glenister. Shame, because that was amazing!
Also the existence of self sustaining methane clouds on mars suggest strongly that life is currently active on mars.. There are little green microbes living there right now.
Well there's life 11km under water, there's life at the edge of an acidic lake, there's life on the edge of a volcano...does that make a difference to your everyday life?
If there's like on Mars, there will be fossile fual on Mars.
I think if they can provide concrete proof of life on mars (even if only billions of years in the past) that it'll be one of the most significant discoveries in the history of man-kind.
Proof of extra-terrestrial life? Can you just imagine?
Even if it's not the intelligent ones that fly over m0ds' house at night, it will be a game changer! Hopefully then it'll get the lazy dolts in congress off their fat arses and spur them into action on the space program.
PS
Mark you know I love ya man!
Quote from: anian on Sat 16/01/2010 13:09:31
Well there's life 11km under water, there's life at the edge of an acidic lake, there's life on the edge of a volcano...does that make a difference to your everyday life?
No, but many people believe that the earth is divinely unique and that life was created here.
Doesnt make a difference to me.. i still think its awesome though.
The things i want to know:
A) how does it reproduce.
B) How is genetic information stored.
C) Does it have DNA/RNA.
D) Are we related or is this an entirely new tree of life.
Why everytime I read this topic's title , I hear David Bowie? ;)
Quote from: Dualnames on Sat 16/01/2010 14:24:11
Why everytime I read this topic's title , I hear David Bowie? ;)
See my last post! ;D
I agree, it would be a massive discovery. But it's one of those things that would be a massive discovery not for the technological possibilities, etc but just because of the concept. The concept of life elsewhere - wow. It would be a big thing for mankind because of our imagination, rather than anything else, which is great!
That last paragraph makes little sense on reflection...
Quote from: jetxl on Sat 16/01/2010 13:26:24
If there's like on Mars, there will be fossile fual on Mars.
Can you say "Red Faction?"
Great Bowie track! :) Don't want to challenge anyone's beliefs though just let you know what I think. The internet has never specifically said it but there is definitely life out there. I believe something has lived on or visited Mars, just like I believe there is more than meets the eye on the dark side of the moon. (Great Pink Floyd track!1)
It would be very exciting if NASA announced there was fossilised life but as always I get the impression they would hold back quite a lot of information at the same time, whilst leaving stupid subtle clues about the place like they have done for the past 40 years. I'm also concerned that the European Space Agency are involved with NASA and probably have to withold a lot of their findings, so I think the best confirmations, if they happen in the next few years, will definitely come from Chinese, Indian or possibly (but unlikely) Russian probes. But I don't know if any of those are going to Mars anytime soon, which means it's even less likely to come from them - and be all confuddled up nicely by NASA and the ESA in the mean time...GRR >:(
(http://pic.srv104.wapedia.mobi/thumb/f17a14625/en/fixed/68/60/Martian_face_viking_cropped.jpg?format=jpg)
We all remember the face, seen on an image in '76. It was blurry, but clearly a face. And it was clearly a tall object/mountain not a flat plain with some bad lighting/shadows. Then in later years when they got better pictures, they "flattened" the face terrain, making it virtually impossible to see. But stretching it back with photoshop proved it was definitely a big face with all the secondary features. Much like the Indian Head on Earth (listening to both tracks mentioned above on iPod ;))...
(http://robbiedevilliers.files.wordpress.com/2006/10/indianhead1.gif)
The head on Mars seems artificial. As does the Indian, to me. I think the guy in the following video sums it up well, the odds of this occuring naturally end up 1 in billions. You have to do the research yourself to decide if you believe it or not, but here's a good introductory video showing some anomolies, including the 'glass tube' thing on Mars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uckjzS0Bj8
Yes you may well think you're watching a documentary about The Dig :) But if nothing else it does open up some questions about the historic past of Mars. To me it seems the planet was possibly once an oceanic planet like ours, great marine life and stuff....and quite possibly dinosaurs too...but that's just personal speculation :)
Anyway it would be good if they just came out with it openly and quickly, then perhaps people on this planet can start to shape up a bit and stop killing each other :P American government are so hungry for control they'd certainly get a lot from a confirmed statement like "Life on Mars". I don't understand why they haven't come clean about it or other governments don't jump in and provide the proof and become the first of a new type of government power. Oh no wait yeah, that would be a faithful government. :P How do we know this NASA spokesman isn't going to say; "Conclusively no life on Mars, or in our universe, except for us." ..
Hehe, right that's enough said and thanks Darth ha! I hope it IS the intelligent ones! Apparently there are fish people! :o
I have little doubt that there is life far more intelligent than us on some planet out ther somewhere, so a few microbes on our neighbouring planet isn't really that much of a surprise. But still it would be pretty cool if they could confirm it, and it would led to a lot of well-deserved interest for our Red cousin, and as Darth suggested, could lead to a long-awaited manned mission to Mars which would be amazing.
Quote from: Calin Leafshade on Sat 16/01/2010 13:32:25No, but many people believe that the earth is divinely unique and that life was created here.
While others are actually religious followers who believe (according to their official religious doctrine) that there is extraterrestrial life and that the Earth is not solely unique in hosting it. ::)
It wouldn't change my day-to-day life if I knew there was life on Mars because I know there are lifeforms outside the realms of the Earth. I've never met one (to my knowledge) and certainly never had the
probing experiences that Mark has (:D) with them.
Even if my religious beliefs were wrong, I'd still say from a logical standpoint that there must be life elsewhere in the universe. Sure, (hypothetically) life on Earth happened entirely by chance. But we live in a universe of infinite size. In an infinitely sized universe filled with an infinite number of planets, there is an infinite possibility that life exists. Unless you're Douglas Adams. :=
Quote from: Paraphrased1. POPULATION: None. There are an infinite number of planets in the universe, but only a finite number of populated planets. Any finite number divided by infinity is so near to zero as all get out. Thereby we can determine the average population of every planet in the universe to be zero. From this we find that the total population of the universe is then also zero...
(Probably mucked that up a fair bit, but it gets the point across methinks)
In other news, there have been (unconfirmed) reports of possible life on Australia.
No word about whether they're intelligent or not.
I remain skeptical :=
Wow mods, you do love a good conspiracy, don't you? ;)
I see faces in rocks when I walk past them all the time. And in pieces of toast. The human brain has evolved to recognise features of the human face easily, and we get confused. Far better see a face or a body in the shadows and run, than see what is really there (just some texture or other) and it turn out to be an enemy tribe leader! (reference: read some Dawkins)
I have no doubt that micro-organisms have/do exist on Mars and that intelligent life is possible elsewhere. But intelligent life landing on Mars and carving a big rock that looks like a face from one of Le Woltaire's games - hardly likely! ;)
Quote from: Ben304 on Sat 16/01/2010 17:16:57
In other news, there have been (unconfirmed) reports of possible life on Australia.
No word about whether they're intelligent or not.
I remain skeptical :=
The weather conditions in australia are too extreme for life.
I just hope we don't run into some actual inteligent lifeforms, if people still think race is enough for violence, think what would difference in species do. :P Besides, anything that happens, I won't reap any of the good results of it...might be selfish but still, that's a fact.
Conspiracy? Perhaps, I don't trust the people who say there are nor the ones that say there aren't aliens and stuff.
OMG ALIENS!!!!!!....okay, now what? Have they flown over my building and actually stopped? If I was an advanced race I wouldn't, bunch of primitve hostile monkies down here, what we need is someone similar to Cochrane (just to make us look good), but first we need WW3, let's get crackin'!
Quote from: Calin Leafshade on Sat 16/01/2010 13:32:25
No, but many people believe that the earth is divinely unique and that life was created here.
People thought Sun revolved around the Earth, they were proved wrong...I still see churches around, not that much of an impact.
I'll admit, I'd like to see if for example that life is sulphur based. There's a theory that if there were different based lifeforms, the only element that has so many versions of molecules and similar properties is sulphur. Besides that, my reaction is - interesting...ok, moving on. I'm not the brightest or the richest or luckiest person in the world so I won't be sent to Mars any time soon and that alone makes me indeferent if only not to feel jealous. ;D
Final summation: planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do *cue the guitar solo*
Not a so clear face, Mark...
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Viking_moc_face_20m.gif)
I can't stop thinking about terribly bored alien teenagers on vacations.
Seriously... Look around. Highly-technological does not mean highly-enlightened.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/Happy-face1.jpg/250px-Happy-face1.jpg)
Dr. Manhattan anyone?
Quote from: markbilly on Sat 16/01/2010 17:28:10I have no doubt that micro-organisms have/do exist on Mars and that intelligent life is possible elsewhere. But intelligent life landing on Mars and carving a big rock that looks like a face from one of Le Woltaire's games - hardly likely!
I'm not so sure about this ... I mean, scientists have said frequently that if mankind (or all life) were to vanish from the planet (or go extinct) that in millions of years quite possibly the ONLY thing left that showed we were ever here would be the pyramids. So who knows? Maybe Mars had some kind of life in the past that could have carved a face into a mountain (mt. rushmore). Even billions of years on it could possibly still be there if it were not in a tectonically unstable area. Mars' core is dead/solid so there are no active plate tectonics to make mountains rise and fall.
Now, having said that, do
I think that's a face on Mars? No. I do not. But I am open minded to the possibilities!! :)
Martian anatomy has been well studied for years...
(http://globalmoxie.com/bm~pix/marvin_the_martian_001~600x600.jpg)
Ps. Already three years old, but puts David McKay's ideas and claims into some perspective: After 10 years, few believe life on Mars (http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2006-08-06-mars-life_x.htm).
There is life on Mars...That is where these Dudes came from.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/skeith2572/MARS-1.jpg)
Though not very friendly at all.
:)
Thank you for yet again bringing Tim Burton into this Dom. ;D I'm beginning to have a lot more respect for you! :-*
(notentirelysrs)
Look, whatever. You have a computer screen, you don't care - that's fine. Go out FFS and look at the sky and please see some of this shit for yourself so I don't have to be the only one who's seen something. If you believe Earth is alone and we are a miracle that can't be or is hard to replicate elsewhere - you are a very, very shallow spirit. When you die you'll probably be overcome with evil and end up in your own pre-destined hell. Fine. Still - at least you won't be releasing controversial shit like Cosmos Quest 3.
::)
Quote from: Mods on Sun 17/01/2010 00:33:05
Look, whatever. You have a computer screen, you don't care - that's fine. Go out FFS and look at the sky and please see some of this shit for yourself so I don't have to be the only one who's seen something. If you believe Earth is alone and we are a miracle that can't be or is hard to replicate elsewhere - you are a very, very shallow spirit. When you die you'll probably be overcome with evil and end up in your own pre-destined hell. Fine. Still - at least you won't be releasing controversial shit like Cosmos Quest 3.
::)
And here comes the dreamer. The man who believes we'll manage to meet aliens. Or the other way around.
Ever wondered why no shuttle has gone beyond Mars?
Because they'll DIE due to conditions!
We're not alone on this universe, but chances that on an infinite amount of space two civilizations make contact are 0! Or 2 to the power of infinity-1.
We've yet to make Shoes that tie themselves!
But yes if there is life on mars we're saved. :DNot to mention we've managed to outworse the conditions for ourselves in this planet, more in the last 20 years than the rest 3000. Imagine if we had the technology to do it!
Give me one answer, why do we still have guns? If all we care is peace?
We want to meet alien lifeforms so we can try killing them too, because we're bored killing ourselves!
EDIT: Life does exist of course in other planets. Humanlike forms are rare. (Just a note)
If there actually is (or has been) live on Mars, that'd be seriously amazing!
Of course there will be conspiracy nuts who'll accuse NASA of faking it due to being part of the global neodarwinian conspiracy, but there will also be a large group of people being on the fence right now who'll hopefully drop their stupid religion.
BAM.
I'd really like for there to be some proof of life on Mars. For humankind in general, this is very unlikely to have all that huge of an impact - until the general populace can witness with their own eyes said life, I don't imagine it very likely to even shake the faith of people who religiously believe that life is unique on Earth, since faith would likely lead most to deny that the reports are accurate.
It's as likely as not that the only life we're likely to find on Mars would be a handful of extremophiles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extremophile) which are capable of living in the hostile environment of Mars. Still no intelligent life, but it would certainly be a step in the right direction for those of us who believe that statistically, there must be life elsewhere, considering the size of our universe. I have doubts we'll ever see any that aren't microscopic, but between Mars and Titan, we may conclude that life is far more likely than originally suspected. If as many as 3 locations in our solar system alone are populated, then there are likely to be lonely primordial soups elsewhere waiting to evolve.
Assuming that space truly is infinite, and there is some way to travel on the interstellar level that doesn't mess with the theory of relativity, then it's also likely there is a species out there that has the capability to do so. Whether they would be able to find us is also very unlikely, but at least it could be inspiration and spark a little more interest in some good science fiction, which I do so love to read.
More importantly there is a smiley face in the crater there, that Mr Jack posted, what does it all mean?
Quote from: m0dsWhen you die you'll probably be overcome with evil and end up in your own pre-destined hell.
Our very own Silent Hill?
Calin, if fossils are found on Mars I will be happy.
If living life is found on Mars and it can be proven to not have been contamination from the probe, I will do back flips.
If living life is found on Mars and it does not have DNA I will flip the fuck out.
It may seem weird but I will feel like that is enough for me. Like, I'm not afraid of dying because of hell or because then I will be nothing, I just want to know things. I want to know how things turn out. If we can find even simple life on another planet I will feel like that's good enough to die with. If that makes any sense?
Then again, if we can go to a planet and find a fish like being say in Europa, I will probably explode upon seeing the picture. My guts would just PAINT the walls of my room.
I actually do completely understand what you mean. The idea of extraterrestrial life has always tantalised me. I feel it would legitimise our place in the universe and we arent just a freak accident waiting to annhilate ourselves.
With regards to europa I am DESPERATE for them to send a lander there. Europa could support life as we understand it on earth. We now know that life does not depend on sunlight and there is absolutly no reason why there could not be small aquatic animals on the sea bed of europa fuelled by undersea vents.
If they dont do it soon i'm going myself. I'm going to build a damn rocket and go to europa.
As I understand it a hurdle to getting at the sea on Europa is the kilometer of ice we'd need to dig through.
I mean I can't really argue with that but COME ON. COME-ON-COME-ON-COME-ON!
The problem with Europa is even if we can get through the ice, we can't really guarantee that we can sterilize any probe to keep from contaminating a potentially "ideal" environment for live. It would be an astounding feat if we could get below the ice, but I'm not sure NASA will ever probe Europa because of the danger of bringing organic contaminants. Hopefully other countries also appreciate the danger of affecting a literally life changing discovery.
Just imagine destroying the ecosystem on an entire planet/moon with only a few strands of bacteria. :P
meh, we've done worse.
But at least to our own planet. Can you imagine if we accidentally killed all life, possibly life more intelligent than our own, on a foreign planet, with only a few bacteria left on a tiny droid that more than likely won't give us a whole lot of valuable information? We'd for sure never get a date for Universe Prom.
That's very depressing. :(
Quote
But at least to our own planet. Can you imagine if we accidentally killed all life, possibly life more intelligent than our own, on a foreign planet, with only a few bacteria left on a tiny droid that more than likely won't give us a whole lot of valuable information?
I don't think our mere presence would wipe out an entire ecosystem, especially not one that is supposedly very intelligent. They'd probably be smart enough to put those affected by any potential bacteria or virus in quarantine, and invent medicine/vaccine to treat it.
Either way, it'd be really fun if there was a really advanced civilization living underneath the ice on Europa, just some light minutes away...
This falls under that great human presumption that we're actually wanted elsewhere in the cosmos.
There are some people I would definitely want elsewhere in the cosmos
Bottom of the sea would cost allot less, and is less time consuming.
Quote from: Arboris on Tue 19/01/2010 12:58:34
Bottom of the sea would cost allot less, and is less time consuming.
We know more about the surface of the moon then we do about the deep oceans. It would be nice if there was a sea based equivalent to NASA for exploring the depths of the ocean. Though I wouldn't mind a robotic mission to return a soil sample from Mars.
Quote from: mkennedy on Wed 20/01/2010 20:36:15
We know more about the surface of the moon then we do about the deep oceans. It would be nice if there was a sea based equivalent to NASA for exploring the depths of the ocean. Though I wouldn't mind a robotic mission to return a soil sample from Mars.
Yeah, and I consider the deep sea much more interesting than space. There are a lot of bizarre creatures down there while in space there's only.. dust. I don't want to sound like I find space boring (with its unimaginable size, giant planets with rings, nebulae, black holes and all that crazy stuff), but I would really like to
see more from down the oceans.
Quote from: Mr Matti on Wed 20/01/2010 20:44:41
Yeah, and I consider the deep sea much more interesting than space. There are a lot of bizarre creatures down there while in space there's only.. dust. I don't want to sound like I find space boring (with its unimaginable size, giant planets with rings, nebulae, black holes and all that crazy stuff), but I would really like to see more from down the oceans.
To quote Karl Pilkiington:
"Space? Well there's nowt there is there?"
Quote from: Calin Leafshade on Wed 20/01/2010 23:23:15
To quote Karl Pilkiington:
"Space? Well there's nowt there is there?"
Pilkington is a genius ;)
QuoteThere are some people I would definitely want elsewhere in the cosmos
Now don't be bashful or anything. Speak your mind! :=
Quote from: Andail on Tue 19/01/2010 09:29:03
Quote
But at least to our own planet. Can you imagine if we accidentally killed all life, possibly life more intelligent than our own, on a foreign planet, with only a few bacteria left on a tiny droid that more than likely won't give us a whole lot of valuable information?
I don't think our mere presence would wipe out an entire ecosystem, especially not one that is supposedly very intelligent. They'd probably be smart enough to put those affected by any potential bacteria or virus in quarantine, and invent medicine/vaccine to treat it.
Either way, it'd be really fun if there was a really advanced civilization living underneath the ice on Europa, just some light minutes away...
Quote from: ProgZmax on Tue 19/01/2010 11:19:26
This falls under that great human presumption that we're actually wanted elsewhere in the cosmos.
This also falls under the great human presumption that all life will tend towards human-like intellegence if given enough time to evolve; a la Planet of the Apes...
Quote from: Scarab on Thu 21/01/2010 15:31:29
Quote from: Andail on Tue 19/01/2010 09:29:03
Quote
But at least to our own planet. Can you imagine if we accidentally killed all life, possibly life more intelligent than our own, on a foreign planet, with only a few bacteria left on a tiny droid that more than likely won't give us a whole lot of valuable information?
I don't think our mere presence would wipe out an entire ecosystem, especially not one that is supposedly very intelligent. They'd probably be smart enough to put those affected by any potential bacteria or virus in quarantine, and invent medicine/vaccine to treat it.
Either way, it'd be really fun if there was a really advanced civilization living underneath the ice on Europa, just some light minutes away...
Quote from: ProgZmax on Tue 19/01/2010 11:19:26
This falls under that great human presumption that we're actually wanted elsewhere in the cosmos.
This also falls under the great human presumption that all life will tend towards human-like intellegence if given enough time to evolve; a la Planet of the Apes...
Damn, I think it's all on the human nature, we want more because we're too blind to see what we already got!
Well, I'm no particle physicist in CERN or Space-life enthusiast, but like any normal human being with the fundamental human trait of curiosity, I do hope that there IS life out there in Mars. Okay, make that wherever life can possibly spring out from in space.
Life outside the Earth is something so highly debated and highly discussed not just amongst scientists and people with the brains, but even normal world citizens like many of us here. I think the possibility that anyone of us here will live to see life being discovered in our lifetimes would likely be impossible, but if it does, it would be a breakthrough in science and technology, an era that we will live in and marvel at.
actually it seems likely we will confirm extra terrestrial life on mars *this year*
its not guaranteed but its certainly more than 50-50 at this stage.
Quote from: mkennedy on Wed 20/01/2010 20:36:15
We know more about the surface of the moon then we do about the deep oceans. It would be nice if there was a sea based equivalent to NASA for exploring the depths of the ocean. Though I wouldn't mind a robotic mission to return a soil sample from Mars.
True, but chucking someone overboard is allot cheaper then shooting him into space ;)
Quote from: Calin Leafshade on Sat 23/01/2010 15:47:33
actually it seems likely we will confirm extra terrestrial life on mars *this year*
its not guaranteed but its certainly more than 50-50 at this stage.
Oh, then wouldn't that be great for extra-terrestrial life enthusiasts like me? I just hope that I would live to see the day that life out of earth would be proven as a fact, not just a theory.
Quote from: Taeyang on Sat 23/01/2010 16:00:02
Quote from: Calin Leafshade on Sat 23/01/2010 15:47:33
actually it seems likely we will confirm extra terrestrial life on mars *this year*
its not guaranteed but its certainly more than 50-50 at this stage.
Oh, then wouldn't that be great for extra-terrestrial life enthusiasts like me? I just hope that I would live to see the day that life out of earth would be proven as a fact, not just a theory.
Chances are you don't. Why do you even consider it as a possibility? It's not possible. At least not with the speed of light and all the natural laws we know. Not possible if they are true (the laws) EVER!
Dual what the hell are you on about now?
The speed of light has zero bearing on the likelihood of extra terrestrial life.
Quote from: Calin Leafshade on Sat 23/01/2010 16:15:48
Dual what the hell are you on about now?
The speed of light has zero bearing on the likelihood of extra terrestrial life.
What makes you think we just need an ET to colonize a planet!
It's like having Earth with just monkeys. And what if we colonize mars, what good will that bring?
NOW what are you on about?
no one is talking about putting humans on mars.. we are talking about life independently arising on mars.
I'd find it far more intriguing if we find something like a monolith (space odyssey) I'm all for mysteries, but that's just my inner geek speaking ;)
Quote from: Calin Leafshade on Sat 23/01/2010 16:35:33
NOW what are you on about?
no one is talking about putting humans on mars.. we are talking about life independently arising on mars.
And exactly my question. What good would it do? How will exactly your life get better from this?
If they did find strong enough evidence for life on Mars then a manned mission would become a lot more likely.
And then.. ?
Well and then we'd send a womaned mission because well... Mars needs women.
Clearly men are for Mars and women are for Venus.
I just watched Anacondas, which was basically an independent sequel to Anaconda. I also watched Medicine Man, and both these movies has a case of finding new kinds of medicine. How about the life forms on Mars growing with a different kind of cellular code or such and they'd work as a cure for say, HIV? Wouldn't that be something? Or just plain scifi?
Quote from: markbilly on Sat 16/01/2010 17:28:10
I have no doubt that micro-organisms have/do exist on Mars and that intelligent life is possible elsewhere. But intelligent life landing on Mars and carving a big rock that looks like a face from one of Le Woltaire's games - hardly likely! ;)
Long time ago, when my ancestors from Krypton got into the solar system they had that funny hobby to use a plasma gun and made portraits into planet surfaces. I was very young at that time and couldn't understand why it was so much fun for them. But now, that I am trying to bring this tradition into contemporary amateur adventure games, I absolutely have to say: It is a lot of fun, especially when it is really ugly.
From what I remember life on mars didn't exist at that time. My ancestors tried to find a perfectly suitable planet where they could reproduce themselves with local species. This was only possible on earth, which is one of the reason why I am stuck here, since the starcraft's warp engine has broken. I have to wait for contemporary science to be able to produce large quantities of anti-matter in order to get back home.