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Any life on Mars?

GazOC

By GazOC
in The Astro Lounge

It's in the title lads, what do you think?  

9 members have voted

  1. 1. It's in the title lads, what do you think?

    • Yes, but now extinct
      4
    • Yes, currently
      3
    • Never
      1
    • Yes and Ive been abducted/operated on.
      1

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Astroman

Astroman

Posted
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I'm not convinced water on Mars was clean enough or lasted long enough to support life. If there was life of any recognizable kind, it would easily be detected by trace elements basically anywhere on the planet. Think of Earth, for just a moment. Sand storms in the Gobi Desert regularly blow across the ocean to the western US. Same with Sahara sands. Traces of organic matter in those sands can easily be detected.

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GazOC

GazOC

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I'm not convinced water on Mars was clean enough or lasted long enough to support life. If there was life of any recognizable kind, it would easily be detected by trace elements basically anywhere on the planet. Think of Earth, for just a moment. Sand storms in the Gobi Desert regularly blow across the ocean to the western US. Same with Sahara sands. Traces of organic matter in those sands can easily be detected.

I think *SOME* form of life will have survived. If we widen the question a bit, what do you think the chances of life are on one of the gas giants moons?

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Astroman

Astroman

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I suppose life on one of Jupiter or Saturn's moons is a possibility, but the question really is, would we recognize it? Mars could be assumed to have a similar life cycle sometime in the past, (though I doubt it), but the conditions on Titan or Europa are very, very different from Earth. Titan shows very similar conditions, but with a radically different chemical makeup and much lower temperatures. I'd imagine the biological processes would also be radically different.

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Ant

Ant

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I've gone for the first option! Yes, but now extinct. IMO if MArs had water for any length of time (whichI suspect it did) then I reckon life at some point in the history of Mars is more than likely.

The thing that always gets me when people start talking about this type of subject is the majority of people think that life has to be just like us - they know that Titan and Europa (and many more) have completely different chemical makeup(cheers for that Astroman). Therefore life could look/behave in ways that would be beyong our comprehension.

I remember seeing a programme on the discovery Channel a few times about what life could be like on distant worlds, and one of the possibilities was life based on Silicon instead of Carbon. Life made from Silicon was very slow and brittle, if my memory serves me correctly, would we realise that this was life if we saw it.

Ant

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FLO

FLO

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I can't believe two people have voted and been too lazy to explain why?? :nono: :nono: :)

Oops ... I didn't realise I was breaking a forum etiquette rule :) 

I voted option 1 because I believe that life did find a way of getting started but that it is unlikely to have survived the Mars climate change.  Though I should say that my opinion is not based on my learned wisdom but on a recent interview on Sky at Night which involved a panel of expert's .... which is why I didn't post an explanation.

Steve :)

PS: For what its worth, I am convinced that we will have found/received evidence of life 'out there' within my lifetime.  And that everyone will then say ... but of course!

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OXO

OXO

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I have gone for YES and currently.

Sometime soon we will find it all be it in Microscopic form but it will be found IMO. Little green men No but some form of bacteria yes, i cannot see otherwise esp with the recent finds of water/ice, this heat's up and melts perfect for conditions for some none long living life\bacteria live in.

Anyway the Moon is made of cheese!

James :sunny:

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