4 ms·

Meh. It's not like there are immediate action items if they just call it and say "there was life on Mars". Might as well take their time and be as sure as they

• kadoban 5y ago
  It may change research priorities if we knew/admitted that life used to exist. If there _was_ life, we should search harder and see if it still exists and if we can find it. We could learn a lot of really exciting things from a potentially alien set of living things. As I understand it, we're really not looking that closely for life at the moment.
  • yupper32 5y ago
    > As I understand it, we're really not looking that closely for life at the moment. ??? Perseverance: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/overview/ https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/overview/ Two out of the four science objectives: - Looking for habitability: identify past environments that were capable of supporting microbial life. - Seeking biosignatures: seek signs of possible past microbial life in those habitable environments, particularly in specific rock types known to preserve signs over time. Curiosity: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/science/objectives/ https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/science/objectives/ Three of the eight science objectives: - Determine the nature and inventory of organic carbon compounds - Inventory the chemical building blocks of life (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, and sulfur) - Identify features that may represent the effects of biological processes
    • kadoban 5y ago
      That's, as I understand it, looking for markers that _may_ mean there was, at any point in the past, life. I think you'd look other places, and use other instruments if you're looking for actual, current, life.
      • Scarblac 5y ago
        Like where?
        • kadoban 5y ago
          South pole would be my bet.