27 replies to this topic

[bison]

The second article wouldn't link automatically, as usual, so I did it manually:http://news.discover...lts-121102.html

Edited by bison, 03 November 2012 - 11:34 PM.

[White Unicorn]

bison, on 03 November 2012 - 05:19 PM, said:

These are still very early days for Curiosity. There are several reasons for the non-detection of methane that do not rule out current life on Mars. Among these are: Seasonal variation in the production of methane, a lower level of methane than the current threshold of detection, chemical reactions believed to exist on Mars that could quickly destroy methane, and issues around the functioning of the methane detecting instrument on Curiosity.

I agree with you. I remember when they said Mars didn't have water now or in the past when Lowell spoke of the canals.  Then they found more evidence that it did. I tend to believe the natural law of evolution to the state of life is everywhere. Even if it didn't give off methane like on earth, it doesn't mean that life doesn't exist. Look at the life forms in our volcanoes, not really like us but still a life form. Life still strives to evolve no matter how alien or harsh the enviroment. My question is, would we know a martian life form if we were looking right at it?

[ShadowBoy86x]

they'll hide anything important, we will just see rocks and other boring crap

Edited by ShadowBoy86x, 04 November 2012 - 04:56 AM.

[pallidin]

ShadowBoy86x, on 04 November 2012 - 04:56 AM, said:

they'll hide anything important, we will just see rocks and other boring crap

I understand what your saying, but I think that some type of "extraordinary" find would help elevate NASA's budget, so I think NASA would in fact release interesting findings.

Of course, if, for example, some ancient base was found, perhaps that WOULD be kept secret, and further missions to examine it would go under a "black" budget.

[bison]

White Unicorn, on 04 November 2012 - 02:29 AM, said:

I agree with you. I remember when they said Mars didn't have water now or in the past when Lowell spoke of the canals.  Then they found more evidence that it did. I tend to believe the natural law of evolution to the state of life is everywhere. Even if it didn't give off methane like on earth, it doesn't mean that life doesn't exist. Look at the life forms in our volcanoes, not really like us but still a life form. Life still strives to evolve no matter how alien or harsh the enviroment. My question is, would we know a martian life form if we were looking right at it?

We might *not* recognize Martian life. The Viking probes of Mars, in the 1970's, seemed to detect life. The head of the life detecting experiments for those two missions *still* believes that life was detected then. The objections to this conclusion, which finally ruled out life, as far as most scientists were concerned, were as follows:  1.) No organic material, which in our experience is inevitably produced by living things, was found.  2.) When samples were exposed to additional water, they either failed to respond again or did so only very weakly. This was not the expected response of living things. Since then we have learned that Martian soil contains chemicals that very quickly destroy organic compounds, and that organisms adapted to very dry conditions on Earth respond very much as the Martian samples did.

[DONTEATUS]

THeres going to be a lot of drugies very sad to know that Mars has no Meth !

[HMS Dreadnought]

DONTEATUS, on 05 November 2012 - 11:39 PM, said:

THeres going to be a lot of drugies very sad to know that Mars has no Meth !

Coming Soon: Breaking Bad - MARS

[Tesla II]

"Scientists have detected methane in Mars' atmosphere before, using a variety of instruments on the ground and in space. But measured concentrations of the gas have been quite low, ranging from 10 to 50 parts per billion or so."

They did found traces and i find it very funny our way of thinking... Do you think that aliens will be using methane, maybe some,maybe none, anyone here familiar with any alien biology at all?
Thought so...
We simply don't know what will we find untill it finds us..

[bison]

Given the fact that such a wide range of organisms on Earth, from simple to complex, release methane by the workings of their metabolisms, it isn't such an unreasonable possibility that this might hold true for living things that might exist on Mars.  Until we learn of some alternate form of biology, searching  for methane, and the lighter isotopes of the elements that it contains, the ones associated with life, is among the best strategies.

[Tesla II]

Yeah but you know only that.. We're all limited to only that, that organisms on earth contain methane particles, they adapted, evolved to our athmosphere and air composition... Not every planet out there has the same properties than ours...

We only know what we CAN know, we are very limited since we haven't found any other lifeform to compare their biological structure to ours.

[R4z3rsPar4d0x]

Nuke_em, on 07 November 2012 - 04:40 PM, said:

Yeah but you know only that.. We're all limited to only that, that organisms on earth contain methane particles, they adapted, evolved to our athmosphere and air composition... Not every planet out there has the same properties than ours...

We only know what we CAN know, we are very limited since we haven't found any other lifeform to compare their biological structure to ours.

I agree with this statement

[psyche101]

pallidin, on 03 November 2012 - 03:34 PM, said:

Does ALL microbial life release methane?
I don't know, just wondering.

Methanogens produce methane, the ones that live in the gut, but Methanotroph's metabolise methane as their only source of energy.

[psyche101]

Curiosity killed the cat.


What the hell the cat was doing on mars in the first place I have no idea.

Thanks to Boon for my new Avatar. The first time I have ever changed it.

Edited by psyche101, 08 November 2012 - 04:42 AM.