Chris McKay is not on the Curiosity science team, and is very probably not in a position to know of the latest discovery on Mars, information of which
is being held very closely, for the moment, by those who *do* know. He says nothing new has been found. Hmmm.
James Garvin *is* on the Curiosity team and says they
*have* found something important. I don't think it should be too hard to decide which of these contradictory accounts is more likely to be correct.
They've apparently found organic compounds on Mars. This may not sound like 'one for the history books' but it could be.
If complex enough, the best explanation for these materials could be life on Mars. If they contain mostly the light carbon isotope, carbon 12, this
also points to living things, which use the lighter instead of the heavier carbon.
Organic material in general, and so quickly found, tends to support the positive life findings of the Viking probes, some 36 years ago. These were
dismissed when organic matter could not be found in the soil. It is believed that organic matter should be found if life is present. The Viking test
procedures probably destroyed the organics in the soil, it has now been realized. We might have found life on Mars a generation ago, and are only now
about to realize it.
edit on 29-11-2012 by Ross 54 because: improved paragraph structure
edit on 29-11-2012 by Ross 54 because: improved paragraph
structure
edit on 29-11-2012 by Ross 54 because: inserted qualifying phrase