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[Woodsy]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,577814,00.html

NASA scientists have produced the most compelling evidence yet that bacterial life exists on Mars.

It showed that microscopic worm-like structures found in a Martian meteorite that hit the Earth 13,000 years ago are almost certainly fossilized bacteria. The so-called bio-morphs are embedded beneath the surface layers of the rock, suggesting that they were already present when the meteorite arrived, rather than being the result of subsequent contamination by Earthly bacteria.

"This is very strong evidence of life on Mars," said David Mackay, a senior scientist at the NASA Johnson Space Center, who was part of the team of scientists that originally investigated the meteorite when it was discovered in 1984.

In a 1996 study of the sample, Dr Mackay and others argued that the microfossils were evidence of life, but sceptics dismissed the claims, saying that similar-shaped structures might not be biological. The new analyses, the product of high resolution electron microscopy, make a strong case for the Allan Hills 84001 Meteorite having carried Martian life to Earth. The microscopes were focused on tiny magnetite crystals present in the surface layers of the meteorite, which have the form of simple bacteria. Some argued that these could be the result of a carbonate breaking down in the heat of the impact.

The new analyses show that this is very unlikely to have resulted in the kinds of structures seen in the rock. Close examination suggested that about 25 percent of the crystal structures were chemically consistent with being formed from bacteria.

"We feel vindicated. We’ve shown the alternate explanation is absolutely incorrect, leading us back to our original position that these structures are formed by bacteria on Mars," Dr Mackay said.

Dennis Bazylinski, an astrobiologist from the University of Nevada who peer-reviewed the findings, said: "Until now I was on the fence but this paper has really thrown out the non-biological explanation." However, he added that the study was not a "smoking gun" for life on Mars. "One meteorite is never going to answer such a complex question," he said.

 

[mckmas8808]

Very cool.

 

[diunxx]

Deja vu.

 

[SnakeswithLasers]

biomorph = xenomorph?

 

[Zozz]

Nice

 

[Veidt]

Life on mars on earth

 

[Talamius]

It's all fun and games till we bring back something that starts the zombie apocalypse.

 

[ToxicAdam]

Hell yea, what are we waiting for? Let's get to Mars and start setting up tourist resorts!

 

[Stinkles]

What's even cooler is that it proves life is common.

 

[liquid_gears]

But have they felt the love of Jesus?

 

[Snytbaggen]

I, for one, welcome our new bacterian overlords.

 

[dyls]

will be so happy.

edit: goddammit

 

[ToxicAdam]

Any way we can blame the extinction of this species on Man yet?

 

[ultron87]

Awesome.

Hopefully this new version ends better than the recent remake that was on ABC.

Spoiler

Tee hee

 

[cruets]

Life on mars on earth

this. come back when they find life on mars on mars

 

[Bisnic]

Alien bacteria life is so meaningless.

I want real aliens dammit.

 

[Woodsy]

Any way we can blame the extinction of this species on Man yet?

:lol :lol :lol

 

[Solaros]

http://i49.tinypic.com/2sbkfwn.jpg[IMG]

What's even cooler is that it proves life is [I]common[/I].[/QUOTE]
2 out of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000... is common?

 

[Leatherface]

It's only a matter of time until the bacteria is found, brought to Earth and the destruction of our planet begins. 2012.

 

[Walshicus]

It's all just a Guild conspiracy. Bowie is in on it.

 

[alterno69]

Boring, report back when they find something that looks mildly interesting

 

[ultron87]

2 out of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000... is common?

Finding evidence of life on the other planetary body (besides our own) that we have had the opportunity to study the most certainly says something.

 

[Ferrio]

I want real aliens dammit.

Me too... me too

 

[agrajag]

biomorph = xenomorph?

Better nuke Mars from orbit to be sure.

 

[elektrixx]

Look out Miss Universe contestants, you've got some new enemies!

 

[kingkitty]

I thought the show got canceled.

 

[Keyser Soze]

"That's life? More like a great... soft... sissy... girlie... nancy... French... bender... Man United supporting POOF!!"

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Bacteria? What a God-awful small affair.

Spoiler

maybe no one will notice i was beaten

 

[ronito]

This discovery brought to you by a wasteful, evil, wealth distributing government program.

Perhaps we should get a few Hawaiians to do this in 8 days.

 

[turnbuckle]

2 out of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000... is common?

2 out of 2 thus far. Life on other planets within our solar system is still very possible. That Mars is the most accessible of them all while being the most comparable to earth and we're just now finding what looks to be evidence of life on it shows that we have a long way to go before finding life on other planets. Doesn't mean it didn't exist nor does it mean that it necessarily does, but if this proves life is on Mars we're batting a thousand so far.

It was(is) a big jump for many to believe there's life outside of our planet, but once we're able to prove life exists on planet 2 then it'll likely be a foregone conclusion to even most skeptics that life must be common. I wouldn't want to live forever, but knowing the mysteries of the universe will still be barely cracked within my lifetime is both fascinating and depressing.

 

[AmICoolYet]

2 out of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000... is common?

Not common as in abundant; common, as in, when it occurs, it functions the same way.

 

[liquid_gears]

2 out of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000... is common?

Or 1/4 of the planets in the Solar System.

 

[Coins]

Wow. How did a meteor from Mars hit Earth? Imagine the odds of a large enough object, hitting Mars hard enough to jettison part of the planet into space AND THEN the odds of a piece of the debris hitting Earth!

 

[Mindlog]

Space Pollen

big sweeping vistas
pan out to interstellar space
giant space dandelion
Adam and Eve

-Fin

 

[Kaako]

Only a matter of time and human curiosity. This is very interesting news.

 

[Woodsy]

This discovery brought to you by a wasteful, evil, wealth distributing government program.

Perhaps we should get a few Hawaiians to do this in 8 days.

Branson's already working on it :lol

 

[KittenMaster]

Just colonize Mars, then there will technically be living beings on Mars.

 

[Messypandas]

this is just the start

 

[dyls]

Or 2/9 of the planets in the Solar System.

Pluto 4 Life!

 

[jacket320]

2 out of 2 thus far.

Bam!

 

[PantherLotus]

This is the same thing from a decade ago, but cool for the update.

The important thing to take from this isn't just that life elsewhere is possible, it's probable. The universe is teeming with life, and we are but dust upon dust in the vast ocean of space.

I simply cannot wait until we come in public contact with other civiliations.

 

[ronito]

Branson's already working on it :lol

well tell him to hurry it's been 40 years and he still hasn't gotten to moon let alone Mars.

 

[Atlagev]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,577814,00.html

This film is a saddening bore.
I've heard it ten times or more.
Wonder if we'll ever know.
Is there life on Mars?

 

[Solaros]

2 out of 2 thus far. Life on other planets within our solar system is still very possible. That Mars is the most accessible of them all while being the most comparable to earth and we're just now finding what looks to be evidence of life on it shows that we have a long way to go before finding life on other planets. Doesn't mean it didn't exist nor does it mean that it necessarily does, but if this proves life is on Mars we're batting a thousand so far.

It was(is) a big jump for many to believe there's life outside of our planet, but once we're able to prove life exists on planet 2 then it'll likely be a foregone conclusion to even most skeptics that life must be common. I wouldn't want to live forever, but knowing the mysteries of the universe will still be barely cracked within my lifetime is both fascinating and depressing.

Semantics, but I would hardly call 2 planets with life common. I also don't see how having life on two planets in the same solar system would be common. This is great though for seeing how life operates on other planets, but my main argument was with how life was being called common throughout the solar system, when all current evidence suggests the opposite (Again, I don't consider 2/8 common). I will give credence to the other side of the coin with there being such a large number of possibilities for life that the probability of their being life in many places rises, but that is conjecture and not science.

Or 1/4 of the planets in the Solar System.

And we call know how common our single star solar system is.

 

[Woodsy]

This is the same thing from a decade ago, but cool for the update.

The important thing to take from this isn't just that life elsewhere is possible, it's probable. The universe is teeming with life, and we are but dust upon dust in the vast ocean of space.

I simply cannot wait until we come in public contact with other civiliations.

We'll be dead :lol

I think that life on other planets is something even most sceintists can't think outside the box enough on - they all tend to look for life "as we know it" and even the crazy shit that lives at the bottom of the ocean near volcanic vents is hard to fathom in a traditional oxygen/CO2 consuming ecosystem.

 

[Woodsy]

Semantics, but I would hardly call 2 planets with life common. I also don't see how having life on two planets in the same solar system would be common. This is great though for seeing how life operates on other planets, but my main argument was with how life was being called common throughout the solar system, when all current evidence suggests the opposite (Again, I don't consider 2/8 common). I will give credence to the other side of the coin with their being such a large number of possibilities for life that the probability of their being life in many places rises, but that is conjecture and not science.

And we call know how common our single star solar system is.

There are thousands/millions of planets. The fact that two of them right next to each other where we happen to live makes it far more probable that life is common than to assume the opposite.

 

[ChoklitReign]

If bacteria life is common on rocky extrasolar planets, our chances of finding intelligent life could be as small as 1 in a thousand.

 

[Dever]

This is awesome. Times Online had some interesting extra info:

The team has also been studying two other Martian meteorites — Nakhla, which landed in Egypt in 1911, and Yamato 593, which was found by a Japanese expedition to Antarctica. In research due to be published shortly, the scientists claim that both of these fossils also show evidence of microbial life.

 

[Solaros]

There are thousands/millions of planets. The fact that two of them right next to each other where we happen to live makes it far more probable that life is common than to assume the opposite.

Again, our solar system is unique. It is not common to find a single starred system.

I'm not trying to trvialize the finding, but I disagree with saying life is common. It is more common that it was before, but not common in my book, which doesn't mean shit to anyone else.

 

[abstract alien]

Everyone thinks it is so ridiculous for life outside of earth to be possible, and come to find out, it just might be on the very first planet we looked at :lol