Mars surface toxic for microbial life

a reply to: moebius

scientists are so closed minded I bet they are still wondering how anything managed to survive on earth with all the UV rays and all.

Life on Mars, if any exists in the present day, would be somewhere underground. UV can't reach there, and microbes can be quite good at adapting to the environment and munching on all sorts of chemicals as their source of energy.

Hell, even the Chernobyl reactor has specialised fungi that feeds off of radiation. www.foxnews.com...

originally posted by: Vector99
a reply to: moebius
We recently found that we can grow potatoes on Mars (most likely), so that means at least the first space travelers to Mars can easily make french fries...as a last meal.

Not according to this article the soil would destroy the root systems. If you brought soil from Earth maybe provided you shielded it from cosmic rays. Much more likely to grow microbes in a green house for food think algae.

originally posted by: Tardacus
a reply to: moebius

scientists are so closed minded I bet they are still wondering how anything managed to survive on earth with all the UV rays and all.

I don't think you understand how special earth is. A lot of conditions had to come about to make it sustainable for life. We don't know if these conditions exist elsewhere in the universe yet. But it seems obvious it isn't in our solar system with maybe the exception of Europa. Mars was a failed earth it is near impossible for life to exist there. Yes even under ground is unlikely unless an area of liquid water exists.

originally posted by: dragonridr
Mars was a failed earth it is near impossible for life to exist there. Yes even under ground is unlikely unless an area of liquid water exists.

Complex (non-microbial) life on Earth has survived far worse conditions than exist on Mars right now. In fact, it has survived such catastrophes numerous times. If life ever existed on Mars, it will almost certainly still be clinging on somehow.

originally posted by: wildespace
Life on Mars, if any exists in the present day, would be somewhere underground. UV can't reach there, and microbes can be quite good at adapting to the environment and munching on all sorts of chemicals as their source of energy.

Hell, even the Chernobyl reactor has specialised fungi that feeds off of radiation. www.foxnews.com...

There is a reason we use hydrogen peroxide on cuts. It kills bacteria and on Mars it's in the soil. Meaning very unlikely any bacteria could be there. Problem is the bacteria would have to adapt to those conditions. But how can any bacteria adapt if it's killed off before it can.

originally posted by: moebius
Scientists looked at the effect of certain chemical compounds detected on Mars. And it turns out that they are pretty deadly in combination with Martian levels of UV radiation.

At least to earth bacteria

www.nature.com...

It looks like this article indirectly addresses the fears that people may have when it comes to a possible terrestrial contamination through Martian organisms (especially when we start sending spacecraft back and forth on a regular basis).

Dispelling any related fears could be beneficial for those in favor of colonizing the red planet. And the timing of the publication is also quite interesting, I'm sure it helps NASA, Musk and others move forward with their plans. A related thread may shed some light on this "strategy":

Is NASA Running Away From Life on Mars

If there is life on Mars, we could of course be dealing with pathogens, infectious agents that are dangerous for humans. And proving that these would be harmless to humans (on Mars and Earth, as a precondition for manned missions) would be a highly complicated endeavour, possibly delaying the schedule of such missions for decades or even longer.

It's rather interesting that Gilbert Levin's labeled release experiment on board the Viking landers has been readily dismissed (despite some positive indications) while the Toxic Mars article is published on nature.com.

Even more interesting: For 40+ years, we haven't sent a single probe to Mars with experiments on board capable of searching for life on Mars, kind of makes you go hmmmmm...

originally posted by: dragonridr

originally posted by: Tardacus
a reply to: moebius

scientists are so closed minded I bet they are still wondering how anything managed to survive on earth with all the UV rays and all.

I don't think you understand how special earth is. A lot of conditions had to come about to make it sustainable for life. We don't know if these conditions exist elsewhere in the universe yet. But it seems obvious it isn't in our solar system with maybe the exception of Europa. Mars was a failed earth it is near impossible for life to exist there. Yes even under ground is unlikely unless an area of liquid water exists.

The strong anthropic principle is strong with this one...

Earth might be special in the Solar System, but by no means special in our galaxy or the whole universe.

Even allowing for Earth being very special, you're still placing unjustified limits on what life is and how it can adapt to various conditions. Even hydrogen perxide isn't the end-all chemical here: www.realco.be...

originally posted by: dragonridr

originally posted by: Vector99
a reply to: moebius
We recently found that we can grow potatoes on Mars (most likely), so that means at least the first space travelers to Mars can easily make french fries...as a last meal.

Not according to this article the soil would destroy the root systems. If you brought soil from Earth maybe provided you shielded it from cosmic rays. Much more likely to grow microbes in a green house for food think algae.

Well you couldn't ever grow potatoes outside in the open on Mars, it would have to be done in a controlled environment. Mars soil can be processed to be fertile, so you wouldn't need to bring your own.

They use't to show videos of space ships coming
back to be Cleaned of All microbes and bacteria!
If NON live in space why?

In the deserts of Earth do you find microbes
or bacteria on Top of the sand?
I bet you dont!
so if aliens land in the desert they would say Earth has No life!

originally posted by: buddha
They use't to show videos of space ships coming
back to be Cleaned of All microbes and bacteria!
If NON live in space why?

Scientists are quite open to the idea that there may be other life out there in the Solar System. In fact, spaceships get cleaned of all microbes _before_ their flight, in case they could interfere with those extraterrestrial life forms.

In the deserts of Earth do you find microbes
or bacteria on Top of the sand?
I bet you dont!
so if aliens land in the desert they would say Earth has No life!

I bet you do! Live on Earth is ubiquitous (now, that's a funky word!) and you'll find it in the most surprising and seemingly inhospitable places.

The thing about science is, they are like an American doctor. If it's not in their book, they don't know what to look for, so it doesn't exist.

Martians don't have plants or know what they are, so they just don't know they could be growing some killer space weed in their super space soil.

Even further out, they don't even know what the physical realm is, let alone have the desire to be infected by it. They just see these big evil things blocking out the light from time to time. You and me, the target of extra galactic exorcism rituals.