4 ms·
I would argue that there is very little value to us of a few bacterial cells who might exist down some cracks on mars. There will never be a time we have fully
by londons_explore 3y ago
I would argue that there is very little value to us of a few bacterial cells who might exist down some cracks on mars.
There will never be a time we have fully searched for life there, and even if there was something there to find, I think we could probably identify it even with contamination from us.
- politician 3y agoNot to mention that periodic mass transfers between planets have already contaminated it; the OP is mistaken that Mars is somehow a pristine environment.
- jfengel 3y agoThe existence of a second kind of life somewhere in the universe would be extraordinary. It would double the number of life-creating events we'd be aware of. It would take the number of off-earth origins of life from 0 to 1. To the degree that it's different from ours, it would vastly expand the scope of what we understand "life" could be. Or to the degree that it's similar, that would tighten the boundaries a bit. Even if it turns out to be just meteorite-driven contamination from earth, it would be hugely informative to know it could work. Of course there's no need for us to look forever. A century would more than do it. Even a decade of really concerted effort would be hugely informative; we'd either find it or not.