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Post by N on Jan 17, 2009 18:13:27 GMT -5
POWERFUL evidence that life may exist on Mars has been presented by NASA following the discovery that huge plumes of methane are being spurted into the planet's atmosphere.
Detection of the gaseous emissions fell short of offering proof of life but indicated to astronomers a distinct possibility that it not only evolved on Mars, but is still there. Most of the gas on Earth is created by animals and plants.
NASA announced the findings at its headquarters in Washington, with Lisa Pratt, of Indiana University, suggesting it was time "to think in terms of present-day life holding on in the subsurface".
Bursts of methane were first detected by the NASA team in 2003 and in an analysis of the phenomenon it was concluded that tiny organisms could have been responsible. Microbial organisms are known to exist more than a kilometre underground in South Africa and would provide a perfect model for similar microscopic life-creating methane on Mars.
Professor Pratt said the overall quantities of methane were small, so if life existed on Mars it would most likely be in a "thin invisible film". However, she added: "It's time to start thinking about active processes as well as extinct processes. It's such an exciting discovery. We have evidence we need to think about in terms of the possibility of life on Mars."
Methane was detected using infrared spectrometers in Hawaii but it was impossible to determine whether the gas had been created biologically or geologically.
Such detailed analysis, said Michael Mumma, of the Goddard Centre for Astrobiology, the lead author for the research, would be possible on Mars Science Laboratory mission to the planet, which is planned for launch in 2011. The robotic craft that lands on the surface of the planet will be equipped with technology that will allow it to measure the isotopic content of the methane and indicate whether the gas was formed biologically or geologically.
Dr Mumma was also hopeful of using Earth-based equipment to seek out other gases on Mars that are associated with biological chemistry.
The Times
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Post by N on Jan 17, 2009 18:23:39 GMT -5
So why do they waste money on this rubbish!!! Even if NASA did find life, We are the last people they would tell!Now they want another 2 billion dollars to go sniff farts on another planet!
Jezz why give them money when all they do is distort information!!!
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Post by Cosmic Castaway on Jan 17, 2009 20:31:54 GMT -5
Hey all you marshian aliens!! Stick em up ,I know your in there I can hear you fartin!!!! One giant wiff uh step for mankind. roflmao!!!
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Post by alie N on Jan 17, 2009 20:41:02 GMT -5
Hehehe good one katz! Hell I send one of my farts in a jar and all it would cost is $10 for postage! Is it just me or NASA becoming just lame! Why don't NASA stop dicjking around and just open secret photo files and justifie there money!
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Post by Cosmic Castaway on Jan 18, 2009 12:46:54 GMT -5
Nasa is a super cool place. I have been to , I think it was the Smithsoneon ? in Washington about 30 years ago. I went through the air and space museum while I was there and it was so cool. I got to walk into a Saturn C-5 Capsule. Tiny , Saw real suits etc. I went to Nasa also when I lived in Texas ,but for some reason can't remember much of it. That's weird.I was super stressed out at that time in my life. Anyway, they know a bunch of stuff they are afraid if they tell the world we will go nuts,that is one theory. Another is its all spfx. I have heard that we , the human race is not native to this planet, that the thing one of the prophets saw was a space ship . A wheel in a wheel ? There are supposed to be stone carvings of Christ on the Maya ruins. Or Aztecs. One of them also has carvings of a space man , man in a space suit helmet. The stuff is endless and some make sense and some do not. Now it is beleived that the moon is a part of earth that a large asteroid hit the earth and split that part off of this planet and that was eons ago. My brother when he was in the Marine Corps. said they showed him some kind of film about an opening in the ice caps that space ships were seen going into and out of and the gov. was watching them. Some people think that the aliens people see on earth are just other humans that are the remains of the race we used to be. You name it or think of it and its out there and someone will believe it. And Nasa not telling no one nothing.
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Post by N on Jan 18, 2009 21:25:11 GMT -5
I don't doubt for a second that NASA is a wonderful place and has done amazing things!But I still think they are hiding stuff! I understand that they kept information quiet to save the stupid from some sort of culture shock.
But after 40 years of manned space flight isn't time to let this information out to the public. But then again there are just so many conspiracy theory's out there that if you tried to study them all I pretty sure you would go crazy. What makes matters worse is when people try and take all these theory and try to weld them into a consistent whole, Then things start to look really nutz!
I sometimes wonder if UFOoligist are there own worst enemy when they come up with little grey men or reptilliods ext. It's like a NEW AGE game of endless speculation and very little basis in fact for any of it. But there is something going on.
So I think UFOologist should stick to the fundamental question "IS there other sentient life other than our selves and who are they?"
I think anything other than that is just useless speculation. But on the other hand I have always thought that governments are far to dumb to hold onto a secret of this magnitude.
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Post by Cosmic Castaway on Jan 19, 2009 18:08:31 GMT -5
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