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Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2019 12:32 am
by Gfamily
Probably not, but this is interesting...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-50419917
[Researchers}... discovered that the amount of oxygen in Martian "air" rose by 30% in spring and summer.
...
While the changes are most likely to be geological in nature, planetary scientists can't completely rule out an explanation involving microbial life.
The results come from nearly six Earth years' (three Martian years') worth of data from the Sample Analysis at Mars (Sam) instrument, a portable chemistry lab in the belly of the Curiosity rover.
Paper
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com ... 19JE006175
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2019 8:33 am
by JQH
Methane content shows considerable variation as well. Since that and oxygen are produced by biological processes on Earth the implications are interesting but I presume geological (or should that be areological?) processes can't be ruled out.
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2019 10:24 am
by Gfamily
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2019 10:36 am
by Martin Y
It's not April 1st, and it's not funny enough to be a spoof.
"These rocks, which are clearly rocks, look a bit like a bee if you squint a bit"? I don't get it.
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2019 10:40 am
by Gentleman Jim
Of course there is.
Why else would the BBC be showing a documentary about it*
*Sunday; 9pm, I believe
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:11 pm
by JQH
That documentary seems to be focussing on the dangers presented by invasive species.
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:22 pm
by dyqik
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:52 pm
by cvb
Martin Y wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 10:36 am
It's not April 1st, and it's not funny enough to be a spoof.
"These rocks, which are clearly rocks, look a bit like a bee if you squint a bit"? I don't get it.
Pareidolia much?
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:19 pm
by rockdoctor
But he's a professor, so it must be true!
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:38 pm
by Gfamily
rockdoctor wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:19 pm
But he's a professor, so it must be true!
Professor Emeritus: tick
working in area outside his speciality: tick
interested in diseases carried by insects: ticks
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2019 4:07 pm
by tom p
cvb wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:52 pm
Martin Y wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 10:36 am
It's not April 1st, and it's not funny enough to be a spoof.
"These rocks, which are clearly rocks, look a bit like a bee if you squint a bit"? I don't get it.
Pareidolia much?
That 2nd "insect" looks much more like a cannon
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2019 4:23 pm
by jaap
tom p wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 4:07 pm
That 2nd "insect" looks much more like a cannon
So how big are those "insects" anyway? There is no scale given with those photographs, so they could be as large as a cannon. They'd probably need to have relatively large wings to be able to fly in the thin Martian air. If we ever get to Mars they'd be a great local source of protein, given that there seems to be no other plant or animal life to subsist on.
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2019 4:25 pm
by tom p
jaap wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 4:23 pm
tom p wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 4:07 pm
That 2nd "insect" looks much more like a cannon
So how big are those "insects" anyway? There is no scale given with those photographs, so they could be as large as a cannon.
I was thinking exactly the same thing
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2019 5:28 pm
by basementer
Gfamily wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:38 pm
rockdoctor wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:19 pm
But he's a professor, so it must be true!
Professor Emeritus: tick
working in area outside his speciality: tick
interested in diseases carried by insects: ticks
Nicely done
but ticks are arachnids.
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2019 10:54 am
by Little waster
basementer wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 5:28 pm
Gfamily wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:38 pm
rockdoctor wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:19 pm
But he's a professor, so it must be true!
Professor Emeritus: tick
working in area outside his speciality: tick
interested in diseases carried by insects: ticks
Nicely done
but ticks are arachnids.
Fixes clocks in his spare time?
Only provided minimal feedback when marking his students' work?
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2019 11:48 am
by shpalman
Little waster wrote: Thu Nov 21, 2019 10:54 am
basementer wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 5:28 pm
Gfamily wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:38 pm
Professor Emeritus: tick
working in area outside his speciality: tick
interested in diseases carried by insects: ticks
Nicely done
but ticks are arachnids.
Fixes clocks in his spare time?
Only provided minimal feedback when marking his students' work?
Nervously repeats the same small movement?
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2019 12:20 pm
by dyqik
shpalman wrote: Thu Nov 21, 2019 11:48 am
Little waster wrote: Thu Nov 21, 2019 10:54 am
basementer wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 5:28 pm
Nicely done
but ticks are arachnids.
Fixes clocks in his spare time?
Only provided minimal feedback when marking his students' work?
Nervously repeats the same small movement?
Obtains goods on credit from Peter Serafinowicz?
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 9:44 pm
by jimbob
cvb wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:52 pm
Martin Y wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 10:36 am
It's not April 1st, and it's not funny enough to be a spoof.
"These rocks, which are clearly rocks, look a bit like a bee if you squint a bit"? I don't get it.
Pareidolia much?
It reminded me of this thread on what was JREF by someone calling themselves "Buzz Lightyear" who seemed to think that sandstone was created by giant silicon snakes (or something like that)
http://www.internationalskeptics.com/fo ... hp?t=75675
Re: Is there life on Mars?
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 9:48 pm
by dyqik
Surely that's whatever drug Elon Musk is on this week, rather than sandstone.