Nasa THINKS they have proof of martian life

[CaptainChewbacca]

Link

ALIEN microbes living just below the Martian soil are responsible for a haze of methane around the Red Planet, Nasa scientists believe. The gas, belched in vast quantities in our world by cows, was detected by orbiting spacecraft and from Earth using giant telescopes. Nasa are today expected to confirm its presence during a briefing at their Washington HQ. And the find is seen as exciting new evidence that Martian microbes are still alive today. Some scientists reckon methane is also produced by volcanic processes. But there are NO known active volcanoes on Mars. Furthermore, Nasa has found the gas in the same regions as clouds of water vapour, the vital “drink” needed to support life.

Will be nice if it turns out to be true.

[Kitsune]

I thought I remember reading that the "Sun" is basically a "Rag"

[Stark]

The thread title is retarded; someone THINKS NASA has a THEORY involving Martian life based on some observations.

[Mayabird]

I'll believe it when I see it in a source that doesn't suck harder than a hooker with two kids and a mortgage.

A quick search of my usual science news listings has nothing. Nothing in the space geek news where this would be headline news. Not a thing.

[PeZook]

Despite the lousy source, I'm already seeing conspiracy nerds elsewhere going on and on about NASA preparing us for fake alien invasion/NWO takeover/World War III (chose one) with such news, as if it was some incredible new revelation that Mars probably has some primitive microbes living under the surface somewhere...

[Sky Captain]

That`s interesting, hopefully NASA`s next robot missions will be capable of drilling few meters deep and analyze stuff they drill out for presence of microbiological life.

[Shroom Man 777]

PeZook, what kind of shitty web communities do you go to?

This will be ultimately cool if it turns out to be true. What will the religionists say then, I wonder?

[The Romulan Republic]

This will be ultimately cool if it turns out to be true. What will the religionists say then, I wonder?

They'll deny it, of course.

[Count Chocula]

That's an easy one. If God created all of, um, creation, then of course He, in His Infinite Wisdom(TM), created ALL life everywhere.

Be nice if NASA could field Mars rovers with a little more range. Their coverage of the Martian land mass is just sad - like examining a few dozen square miles of the Mojave and reaching conclusions about the entire planet.

IF they found microbes, possibly, just maybe, there are other more advanced forms of life elsewhere on the planet.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

That's an easy one. If God created all of, um, creation, then of course He, in His Infinite Wisdom(TM), created ALL life everywhere.

Be nice if NASA could field Mars rovers with a little more range. Their coverage of the Martian land mass is just sad - like examining a few dozen square miles of the Mojave and reaching conclusions about the entire planet.

IF they found microbes, possibly, just maybe, there are other more advanced forms of life elsewhere on the planet.

The rovers aren't set up for that kind of work. They're robotic geologists, not robotic exobiologists. And no, if Martian life exists at all, it's likely not evolved beyond the level of bacteria.

[CaptJodan]

What will the religionists say then, I wonder?

I know in the quaint little religion that I grew up in, it was always taught that it's likely there are other forms of life out there, but that we, meaning those of us on Earth, are the only ones that sinned against god. As a result, we would be isolated from the rest of the universe's life, and not ever allowed to make contact with it till after rapture yadda yadda.

Of course, instead of outright denying such things, they generally focus on moving the goalposts. My mom once said that her mother told her that we would never make it to the moon because god wouldn't allow our sin to travel to other worlds. When we did, it was because that was the moon, not an actual planet, so that didn't count. Probes to Mars doesn't count either, and now it's backed up all the way to "he won't let us land on any planet that has life". Which, if any life is ever found on Mars or Europa, would undoubtedly change to either complex life, or intelligent life.

If only they'd have the good sense to move the goalposts on things like Evolution. At least then, they would accept part of it.

[PeZook]

PeZook, what kind of shitty web communities do you go to?

Conspiracy ones, obviously. I have one board I visit sometimes to read and amuse myself. Especially when news like this show up, and its denizens start commenting and contradicting each other with every post, but still somehow manage to congratulate themselves on knowing The Truth

In other news, space.com doesn't seem to have this story. What gives?

[Kanastrous]

My money is on vast subsurface Martian caverns, filled with flatulating cows.

[cosmicalstorm]

My experience is that whenever you have a scientific discovery which could have two explanations, where one would be amazing- and the other one kind of boaring, it is usually the boaring one that is the correct answer. I.e. I'd put my money on some kind of geologic process.

[Lord of the Abyss]

What will the religionists say then, I wonder?

I know in the quaint little religion that I grew up in, it was always taught that it's likely there are other forms of life out there, but that we, meaning those of us on Earth, are the only ones that sinned against god. As a result, we would be isolated from the rest of the universe's life, and not ever allowed to make contact with it till after rapture yadda yadda.

For an example of the opposite religious attitude on such matters, I was taught as a child that since we are created in God's image, any aliens would by definition be created by the Devil. UFOs ? Real, but piloted by demons they told me.

[Sarevok]

My experience is that whenever you have a scientific discovery which could have two explanations, where one would be amazing- and the other one kind of boaring, it is usually the boaring one that is the correct answer. I.e. I'd put my money on some kind of geologic process.

Indeed. Albert Einstein was a boar himself.

On topic the media needs to cut down on sensationalist reporting. At a time when funding for space program is hard to come by it is not helpful when those in charge of reporting the findings behave like that boy who cried wolf. If this keeps up next time something really interesting happens it might be hard to ask for a billion or two for a follow up mission because the public had been hearing about water and life on mars being discovered every few weeks. Now if this finding is proven to be the real deal then it's ok. But more than likely it will quickly become forgotten bbc.co.uk space news story #2456.

[Mayabird]

A methane belch like that sounds to me more like geologic activity, which would be a pretty big discovery of its own to space geeks. Nobody ever laid down stone tablets proclaiming that Mars is geologically dead, but it just looked that way. From the surface. During the short time the planet has been monitored.

Anyway, English nitpicking time: A boar is a wild or feral male pig, which can actually be a very scary beast with lots of cunning (pigs are rather smart) and tusks that'll disembowel a human. "Bore" and "boring," as in dull and uninteresting, doesn't have that a.

[Prometheus Unbound]

My experience is that whenever you have a scientific discovery which could have two explanations, where one would be amazing- and the other one kind of boaring, it is usually the boaring one that is the correct answer. I.e. I'd put my money on some kind of geologic process.

And no doubt the Creationists will take it as "proof" of no other life.

[Serafina]

What will the religionists say then, I wonder?

Well, the pope already said that god could have created live elsewhere - he is (supposed to be) omnipotent, after all!

Of course, this only affects catholics.

[PeZook]

Of course, this only affects catholics.

According to some crazy protestants, the Catholic Church is actuall run by the Antichrist in preparation for world takeover after a fake alien invasion makes people disbelieve in God and turn to Luciferanism (which disguises itself as catholicism, of course) making NWO a reality.

So answering the question, religious nutters will say all sorts of crazy shit, and ultimately won't matter one bit, because for all their insane screeching, they would have no idea where to start when tasked with sending out a thing like a satellite - but still need their cable TV. And I strongly suspect that deep down, they know that.