Did NASA just ADMIT to extraterrestrial life?

reply to post by Ross 54


Once again, thanks for supplying some really interesting info ross! Youve been a great asset in this thread.

You seem to know a lot about potential life on mars.
Are you sure your not mckay playing with us!

Thanks for that, VonDoomen. Almost wish I were McKay, then I'd know the answer to to the question: Did he actually mean to indicate that he and his associates know that there was life on Mars, and if he did, what prompted that (presumably scientific) certainty. Ross

reply to post by Ross 54


I guess we will find out if mckay ever emails us back.
I'll try sending him another email maybe jan 5th.
Im sure when he comes back from vacation his inbox will be fairly full and our emails will be deeply buried.

Originally posted by VonDoomen
reply to post by Ross 54

 

I guess we will find out if mckay ever emails us back.
I'll try sending him another email maybe jan 5th.
Im sure when he comes back from vacation his inbox will be fairly full and our emails will be deeply buried.

He may also be in Antarctica, where it is summer.

This doesn't mention McKay, but it does discuss one astrobiology
expedition to Antarctica that is wrapping up:


Happy Holidays From Antarctica
www.onorbit.com...

Hey guys, I actually Just received a response from Dr. Mckay!

(name witheld) this a misquote (or I messed up). Here is what I think:

1. We have direct evidence of fluvial features on Mars.

2. These strongly imply the stable flow of liquid water on the surface for extended periods of time early in Mars' history.

3. It seems to us that for liquid water to flow the pressure must have been higher. maybe 100x the present.

4. We also surmise that the temperature might have been higher too. Maybe as warm as -10C average. (today is -60C).

5. Together these suggest that life may have been possible.

6. When we look at the history of life on Earth we see evidence for life very early in the fossil record. So even a short window of habitability on Mars may have been enough for life to get started.

Hope this clarifies things
-Chris

So there we have it, a misquote?
Wasnt exactly the answer I was looking for, but still pretty cool to actually get a response from McKay.

reply to post by VonDoomen


NASA said there USED to be live on Mars ages ago..... They shown a photo of a rock with dead micro- organisms on it.

VonDoomen; Thanks for sharing Dr. McKay's interesting remarks on Mars. It does seem that he was either misquoted or misspoke, where the 'Mars did have life' remark was concerned. It seemed odd that he was playing a part in missions to Mars intended to search for evidence of past life, if he already firmly believed that it had existed. Ross

Mars is riddled with life,does anyone recall the name of the ex Nasa employee who said she witnessed a live camera from Mars and a humanoid walked right past the screen.

All her credentials checked out I recall.

Originally posted by paperface
Mars is riddled with life,does anyone recall the name of the ex Nasa employee who said she witnessed a live camera from Mars and a humanoid walked right past the screen.

All her credentials checked out I recall.

Donna Hare

Originally posted by Ross 54
VonDoomen; Thanks for sharing Dr. McKay's interesting remarks on Mars. It does seem that he was either misquoted or misspoke, where the 'Mars did have life' remark was concerned. It seemed odd that he was playing a part in missions to Mars intended to search for evidence of past life, if he already firmly believed that it had existed. Ross

Congrats on going to the original source -- you set an example that many others ought to follow. Kudos.

What most Mars scientists I talk to hypothesize is that if life originated 'early' on Mars, it would have done so BEFORE Earth's surface had cooled sufficiently for liquid water to exist. Life on Mars could have retreated underground or into rocks, as it has in Antarctica here on Earth. Occasional big impacts could knock pieces of Mars into space and some eventually fall onto the Earth. Once Earth's surface had cooled to habitability levels, life could have arisen here separately, OR could have been seeded with the falling Mars rocks.

Back on Mars, it is postulated that there is a 'habitability zone' still there, under the permafrost at the surface and above the solid bedrock. Life could persist there, even thrive, to this day [the methane fluctuations may be a clue to that].

It's all very exciting. Good work in bringing this to the thread's attention.

As far as I know, NASA has always had a very guarded "they suspect" life did exist once on Mars, along with flowing water. There's been no secret on this guarded position.

From the meteorite with suspected microbes, to the apparent action of water on the sides of craters, NASA has always suspected (and stated that supposition) that water flowed on Mars.

As for someone seeing a humanoid walk by a camera...well, we'd have to have a LOT more corroboration on that one....

Originally posted by paperface
Mars is riddled with life,does anyone recall the name of the ex Nasa employee who said she witnessed a live camera from Mars and a humanoid walked right past the screen.

All her credentials checked out I recall.

Donna Hare is another annal in the stupidity of American lexicon. Mars had water, more realistic and the quote from Discover is like the Conspiracy folks who show audio tape of Gene Cernan claiming that "American astronauts were on Mars." People are too intimidated by believing real truth, always need the magical "Alien" admission. Obama is supposed to give us Change, maybe he will be the president that resurrects the Space Program and creates some job growth.

Humans built like tanks, with natural thermal insulation against the sub below 100 freezing temps.

Originally posted by VonDoomen
reply to post by mjp54

 

went into the school today to scan in the article in question.
I had to really cut down the picture though due to the image size limit by ATS. anyways, here is a scan off the blurb.

The deterrent to getting to Mars is not having a culture capable of knowing how to fix it's broke economy to build spaceships that can get astronauts there. We might have to sacrifice some instant gratification and pleasure and getting on video game boxes for eight hours a day and playing foolish Croesus games of rhetoric. In other words arguing why we need to go invade this country.

We don't know much about much because we send robots there on average once every eight years. In the meantime Von Doomen is giving us 1800's Jules Verne speculation about canals built by aliens that NASA officials are keeping from us. That there is water and breathable atmosphere on Mars.

I actually think we have no right to just take over Mars and declare it ours.

We will only wreck the place and develop American Idol within a few years.

reply to post by Ross 54


I think what may be going on is this-

McKay probably feels very strongly that there was Life there at one time. However, Mckay is NOT the official mouthpiece for NASA, so it is not his right to say definitively whether or not there was life there. And he may not even have direct proof that life once existed. But as we know, mars had the right conditions at one time for liquid water. If there is liquid water, then many conditions for life are met(temp, pressure, atmosphere, ect.)

So that is my opinion. Mckay believes there was life there, but he does not have the right or ability to openly say that, as an official stance.

still, I was just happy he even bothered to respond! I really enjoy watching him on discovery/science channel when hes on.

reply to post by MarkScheppy


Lol was this post a joke?

I never said anything of the sorts in this thread. I just brought this article to everyone's attention.
Other people have said a few kooky things here, but I dont control what they post

Id suggest re-reading the thread.

reply to post by Gazrok


I agree with you. Based on what we know, It is very likely that mars had basic microbial life at one time.
However, they may not have the smoking gun proof yet of this, Just a lot of data backing up the idea.
So this may be why is a "closely guarded secret".

to terraform mars would be nice and all, but we still have room on this planet and have not yet overcome the problems we have.

the ONLY excuse if they KNOW that something is going to happen to earth that will likely destroy it but NOT mars. even if that was likely, we would still never get that far under the current conditions if we can't give people on earth clean energy even though they have the technology.

NASA BUDGET FAIL

Have just heard back from Dr. McKay. He makes the same points about the past habitability of Mars that he mentioned in his reply to VonDoomen. In addition, he states that he is 'not sure' of the origin of the much discussed quote, wherein he supposedly said that: 'From what we know, Mars did have life.' This suggests the possibility that he was misquoted. My inquiry to Discover magazine on this point has not been answered, nor after this much time has passed, do I expect a reply. Ross