Comments on: Are we all Martians? The curious hunt for life on Mars http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:59:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Glen Kiltz http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1498741 Glen Kiltz Sun, 05 Aug 2012 12:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1498741 Some sort of life,  most likely bacterial, no doubt existed there ONCE ! When Mars had a magnetic field, and therefore an atmosphere.  No doubt it died out when the magnetic field, and with it the atmosphere went away. The only question is "did it leave enough evidence in enough places that we'll ever PROVE it??" Some sort of life,  most likely bacterial, no doubt existed there ONCE ! When Mars had a magnetic field, and therefore an atmosphere.  No doubt it died out when the magnetic field, and with it the atmosphere went away. The only question is “did it leave enough evidence in enough places that we’ll ever PROVE it??”

]]> By: Jake0748 http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1498184 Jake0748 Sat, 04 Aug 2012 03:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1498184  Ahem... metaphorically speaking.    Ahem… metaphorically speaking.  

]]> By: Jim Saul http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497514 Jim Saul Fri, 03 Aug 2012 15:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497514 I doubt it's subtle, objectively. It's just that we're doing science through an exceedingly tiny keyhole, with remote devices and optics that, while astoundingly clever in design, are limited by the distance to which they must be safely tossed. The particular flavor of methane visible in the atmosphere of Mars is unlikely to be geologic in origin. A century from now, that flavor will be probably be called "obvious." Just like the chemistry results from Viking, and the PAHs and mineral structures in ALH-84001, and the organic compounds in the Enceladus geysers. They're all obvious signs of life. We're just not yet ready to go from obvious to indisputable. When we do (probably quite soon) have observations of an oxygen rich atmosphere in an exoplanet, I bet we'll come up with all kinds of ways to explain it as "not life", and that's appropriate. Better to be skeptical than too easily convinced of the results most of us probably expect and hope for. I doubt it’s subtle, objectively. It’s just that we’re doing science through an exceedingly tiny keyhole, with remote devices and optics that, while astoundingly clever in design, are limited by the distance to which they must be safely tossed.

The particular flavor of methane visible in the atmosphere of Mars is unlikely to be geologic in origin. A century from now, that flavor will be probably be called “obvious.” Just like the chemistry results from Viking, and the PAHs and mineral structures in ALH-84001, and the organic compounds in the Enceladus geysers. They’re all obvious signs of life. We’re just not yet ready to go from obvious to indisputable.

When we do (probably quite soon) have observations of an oxygen rich atmosphere in an exoplanet, I bet we’ll come up with all kinds of ways to explain it as “not life”, and that’s appropriate. Better to be skeptical than too easily convinced of the results most of us probably expect and hope for.

]]> By: AnthonyC http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497502 AnthonyC Fri, 03 Aug 2012 15:16:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497502 "Why do we keep going there?" Because it is an entire planet to explore, and we've barely scratched the surface. Because it's the only planet we can readily send things too (nothing survives long enough on Venus, and the others are too far. Because there is water on Mars, we have reason to believe that it was once liquid, and on Earth life formed pretty quickly in geological history.  “Why do we keep going there?”

Because it is an entire planet to explore, and we’ve barely scratched the surface. Because it’s the only planet we can readily send things too (nothing survives long enough on Venus, and the others are too far. Because there is water on Mars, we have reason to believe that it was once liquid, and on Earth life formed pretty quickly in geological history. 

]]> By: Michael Smith http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497399 Michael Smith Fri, 03 Aug 2012 12:09:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497399 <blockquote>Life is in your face</blockquote>Yeah. Life in Earth will be obvious from light years away because of our free oxygen. Why is life on Mars so subtle?

Life is in your face

Yeah. Life in Earth will be obvious from light years away because of our free oxygen. Why is life on Mars so subtle?

]]> By: IamInnocent http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497384 IamInnocent Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497384  Martians ?  Martians ?

]]> By: Nathan Hornby http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497335 Nathan Hornby Fri, 03 Aug 2012 08:08:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497335 Soul? What? Soul?

What?

]]> By: SmokingHeartDesigns http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497307 SmokingHeartDesigns Fri, 03 Aug 2012 06:58:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497307 No it's just that this doesn't interest me.  It once did. I'm a huge follower of developments in AI, and I like designing electronic circuits.  I'm really trying to push the boundaries of rhythm in my music studies (metric modulation).  I'm very curious about how to proceed, it seems like I've hit a wall despite some minor breakthroughs.   I investigated the Chapman Stick because I was curious, now I play a different brand of touch guitar.   Trying to push the envelope in what I do.(seems like everything I do) No it’s just that this doesn’t interest me.  It once did.

I’m a huge follower of developments in AI, and I like designing electronic circuits.  I’m really trying to push the boundaries of rhythm in my music studies (metric modulation).  I’m very curious about how to proceed, it seems like I’ve hit a wall despite some minor breakthroughs.   I investigated the Chapman Stick because I was curious, now I play a different brand of touch guitar.   Trying to push the envelope in what I do.(seems like everything I do)

]]> By: Jake0748 http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497292 Jake0748 Fri, 03 Aug 2012 06:15:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497292  Really?  Are you serious?  If you have no curiosity in your soul, I feel sorry for you.  Maybe you should just go watch the Kardashians or something.  Really?  Are you serious?  If you have no curiosity in your soul, I feel sorry for you.  Maybe you should just go watch the Kardashians or something.

]]> By: robuluz http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497207 robuluz Fri, 03 Aug 2012 03:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497207 <i>Is anybody else just getting tired of hearing about Mars?</i> No. <i>The more missions, the less people care about it.</i> What? <i>Why do we keep going there?</i> Because it is nearby, relatively easy to explore, and suitably positioned to support or have once supported life, and we are almost certain liquid water once flowed on the surface, indicating good conditions for life. Because finding extraterrestrial life or evidence of its past existence will answer some of the most basic questions human beings have posed about the nature of the universe and our place in it. We may be poised, in our short lifetimes,  to have certain knowledge of something our species has fantasised and philosophised about since we left the caves. Sorry if we're keeping you up. Is anybody else just getting tired of hearing about Mars?

No.

The more missions, the less people care about it.

What?

Why do we keep going there?

Because it is nearby, relatively easy to explore, and suitably positioned to support or have once supported life, and we are almost certain liquid water once flowed on the surface, indicating good conditions for life.

Because finding extraterrestrial life or evidence of its past existence will answer some of the most basic questions human beings have posed about the nature of the universe and our place in it.

We may be poised, in our short lifetimes,  to have certain knowledge of something our species has fantasised and philosophised about since we left the caves.

Sorry if we’re keeping you up.

]]> By: Jim Saul http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497194 Jim Saul Fri, 03 Aug 2012 03:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497194 But should we crush his sweet hands? But should we crush his sweet hands?

]]> By: SmokingHeartDesigns http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497186 SmokingHeartDesigns Fri, 03 Aug 2012 02:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497186  More power to ya!  More power to ya!

]]> By: Jim Saul http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497184 Jim Saul Fri, 03 Aug 2012 02:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497184 Why explore at all? Why leave the town you grew up in? Why leave the yard? Why leave the house? Why ever get out of bed? Why bother breathing? One can distill one indisputable idea out of the history of philosophy: the meaning of life must be the perception and articulation of being in the universe. All of it. We've barely peeked over the edge of the nest just yet. Soon we'll soar. Why explore at all?

Why leave the town you grew up in?

Why leave the yard?

Why leave the house?

Why ever get out of bed?

Why bother breathing?

One can distill one indisputable idea out of the history of philosophy: the meaning of life must be the perception and articulation of being in the universe.

All of it.

We’ve barely peeked over the edge of the nest just yet.

Soon we’ll soar.

]]> By: tristan eldritch http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497182 tristan eldritch Fri, 03 Aug 2012 02:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497182 My bet is that they'll find the fossils of androgynous spiders with GLAM DNA up there. Bowie was like a human SETI antenna back in the seventies.  My bet is that they’ll find the fossils of androgynous spiders with GLAM DNA up there.
Bowie was like a human SETI antenna back in the seventies. 

]]> By: Smash Martian http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497173 Smash Martian Fri, 03 Aug 2012 02:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497173 Dunno about all of us, but yeah. Some of us are. Dunno about all of us, but yeah. Some of us are.

]]> By: lecti http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497164 lecti Fri, 03 Aug 2012 02:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497164 Nope, I'll never tire of it.  Bringing back samples from an asteroid and having a football-stadium sized structure flying in our orbit are fascinating enough - imagine having people live on another planet! Oh, and if we do find martian life, it will have real consequences about what we understand about our universe. We need to get our asses to Mars. Nope, I’ll never tire of it.  Bringing back samples from an asteroid and having a football-stadium sized structure flying in our orbit are fascinating enough – imagine having people live on another planet! Oh, and if we do find martian life, it will have real consequences about what we understand about our universe.

We need to get our asses to Mars.

]]> By: SmokingHeartDesigns http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497159 SmokingHeartDesigns Fri, 03 Aug 2012 02:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497159 Is anybody else just getting tired of hearing about Mars?  The more missions, the less people care about it.  Why do we keep going there? Is anybody else just getting tired of hearing about Mars?  The more missions, the less people care about it.  Why do we keep going there?

]]> By: grimc http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497156 grimc Fri, 03 Aug 2012 01:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497156 I take the Bradbury view: Not yet, but we will be. I take the Bradbury view: Not yet, but we will be.

]]> By: Anthony Schultz http://boingboing.net/2012/08/02/are-we-all-martians-the-curio.html#comment-1497144 Anthony Schultz Fri, 03 Aug 2012 01:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174637#comment-1497144 Just because life is not "in your face" on Mars (eloquently put, by the way) does not mean that it is a requirement for life to exist.  The logical fallacy in that sentiment is blatant.  Life will be found in varying quantities depending on the conditions --our own oceans and desolate regions are proof of this.  What we need are governments and the people behind these sorts of endeavors, and we need the funds to be able research these things in their entirety.  Sporadically sending rovers when the budget allows can only get us so far.  It is a shame to see these kinds of frontiers be carelessly thrown aside for trivial political debates and squabbles. Just because life is not “in your face” on Mars (eloquently put, by the way) does not mean that it is a requirement for life to exist.  The logical fallacy in that sentiment is blatant.  Life will be found in varying quantities depending on the conditions –our own oceans and desolate regions are proof of this. 

What we need are governments and the people behind these sorts of endeavors, and we need the funds to be able research these things in their entirety.  Sporadically sending rovers when the budget allows can only get us so far.  It is a shame to see these kinds of frontiers be carelessly thrown aside for trivial political debates and squabbles.

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