Is There or Was There Ever Life on Mars?

1. Is There or Was There Ever Life on Mars? What Does This Idea Contribute to Modern Society Tyler Washburn

2. Introduction • Life on Mars is a Controversial Theory. • It deals with Religious, Scientific and Social Indifferences. • Religious: The Idea of a Divine Being Creating everything, and playing the role in life. • Scientific: Some Scientists believe that Earth is rare, and life was created merely by circumstance. • Social: Some People refuse to believe in life for it gives them a sense of uncertainty.

3. Early Debate • The Basis of Life on Mars has been debated by Early Theologians. • Those Who Believed it was impossible was: • Plato [400 B.C] • Aristotle [350 B.C] • Those who believed it was possible included: • Lucretius [75 B.C]

4. The Battle Continues • Currently there are still many who deny life on other planets. • Many Universities (such as those of California) are strong proponents of searching the skies. • However NASA continues to research other planets that just might have or once had life. • One of their actions is the Rover Mission.

5. On Mars Itself… • Fourth Planet from Our Sun. • Similar to Earth in sense, it has crust, mantle, and core. • Atmosphere currently too thin, and temperatures too cold to support liquid water.

6. Fundamentals of Life • Humans on Earth Need Oxygen to survive, though some organisms do not (e.g. bacterium) • However, all known living organisms on Earth need liquid water in some form. • This being said, it is believed by scientists, that all living things need liquid water.

7. 1971 - 1972 • The first of the Mars Probes was conducted in the above timeframe. • This was that of Mariner 9. • Mariner 9 was the first up close look at Mars, that visibly showed us prescense of Gullies and Basins of what looked to be dried up water, the most necessary ingredient for life. • This led to the Question, was Mars once wet?

8. On The Past: Was Mars Once Wet? • It is known that today Mars is dry and barren. • However in its past, it is believed by some to have been wet. • For from the air, one can see what looks like channels, and bays, and oceans, or their beds after being dried out.

9. Continued On The Past: Was Mars Once Wet? • NASA sent two more probes named Spirit and Opportunity to Mars to look more closely at these remnants. • The gullies and such have changes in sedimentary levels, just as done on Earth around water.

10. 1976! • NASA sent Vikings 1 and 2, probes, onto Mars. • These probes orbited Mars, and sent crafts on the planet to gather data. • They thought they found evidence of life, but it was later deemed incorrect, after finding that the evidence could also been the result of Chemical Reactions.

11. 1984 – 1996 : The Meteorite • In 1984 a meteorite from Mars was discovered in the Antarctic. • After being studied closely, in 1996, a breakthrough discovery was found. • Long, egg shaped microscopic structures were found. • These structures were evidence of life on Mars, from around 16,000,000 years ago.

12. 1996: The Debate • Some however countered that these egg shaped fossils could have been the result of something non life created. • The debate is still in the air, but NASA has sent another probe onto Mars, to gather more data…

13. Rover Mission • NASA has launched rovers to Mars to scour the planet. • Moreover, these devices are within NASA’s control. • They send Satellite Pictures back to Earth to be researched. • First Rover Landed on 1/4/04, and the second on the 25th of that month. • A new rover has recently landed on mars.

14. Rover Mission Map

15. Liquid Water? • It is known at the present time that no liquid water can occur on Mars because of two reasons • The Atmosphere is too thin • The Temperature is too cold • However, the polar caps have glaciers, of route in nature to that of water.

16. If not Mars… Where Else? • Other places nearby that could have life include: • Europa [moon of Saturn, cracks are visible from space, cracks believed to have been in ice, making it believed to have liquid water]

17. Hollywood Perceptions… • Hollywood has played up to entertaining crowds, but their ideas are clearly implausible. • First off, it would be highly unlikely that life would be humanlike in appearance.

18. Effects on Society • If Life was disproved in the Universe it would give the impact: • It would give life on Earth it’s own uniqueness, and it’ own significance. • If Life was found on Mars it would have impacts such as: • Being able to realize Earth’s Position in the Universe is not exactly unique in the sense of life. • It would give us more data to see how life is truly defined.

19. In Requiem • To the date, no evidence has truly proven life on Mars. • However: No evidence has disproved such either. • Some areas have yet to be explored, such as the Valles Marineris, a trench of sorts, 6 or 7 times deeper than the grand canyon. • Furthermore, evidence of life could be in the Meteorite, but, it could just be a coincidence. Until we gather more data, this will just be, another, unsolved mystery…

20. Works Consulted “National Geographic: Mars Map” National Geographic Company. 2008. National Geographic Company.. 3 June 2008 <http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ng m/0507/feature3/map.html > “Man Made Warming On Mars?” The Deniers Diary. 2008. 3 June 2008. http://thedeniersdiary.blogspot.com/2007/03/man-made-warming-on-mars.html “CONTACT: Searching for Life Beyond Earth.” Todd Halvorson and Robyn Suriano. Florida Today. SIRS RESEARCH GROUP. 3 June 2008. http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SME0014-0-3606... Physical Science with Earth Science. McGraw-Hill Companies. 2006.