Life on Mars: Evidence of Ancient Life?

[derro]

Life on Mars? The question is not whether there is life on Mars, but whether life existed on Mars long ago.

 

[Borek]

 

[DaveC426913]

The face on Mars is crackpottery. It does not belong here on PF.

P.S.Borek has received a warning for posting non-PG-rated material. But it's balanced out by him being 'first!' to post mockery.

 

[derro]

can you explain what is crackpottery?

 

[DaveC426913]

can you explain what is crackpottery?

Crackpots are people who get a pet idea into their head and then cannot let it go. They completely lose sight of the science in what they're doing (if they ever had any) and it becomes a religion. They actively deny and turn away from any possible evidence that might falsify their pet idea.

(I am not calling you a crackpot; I am simply pointing out that you are relying on false information from crackpots.)

The face on Mars is nothing more than a hyper-photoshopped illusion. The illusikn is dependent on viewing and angle and angle of shadow, and goes away if those are not must right. There is no actual shape on Mars that is shaped like a face.

The resemblance to a face in some of our images is a result of the resolving and sharpening techniques of our earlier attempts at mapping Mars' surface. With higher rez, sharper images, the illusion has been competely debunked.

Today, the "Face" is generally accepted to be an optical illusion, an example of pareidolia.[24] After analysis of the higher resolution Mars Global Surveyor data NASA stated that "a detailed analysis of multiple images of this feature reveals a natural looking Martian hill whose illusory face-like appearance depends on the viewing angle and angle of illumination".[25] Similar optical illusions can be found in the geology of Earth;[26] examples include the Old Man of the Mountain, the Pedra da Gávea, the Old Man of Hoy and the Badlands Guardian.[27]

I don't hear any of these guys screaming that the Old Man of the Mountain in New Hampshire

is a sign of alien life on Earth...



You sound like an intelligent person. Don't be fooled by these nutbars.

 

[derro]

ok i understand, just wondering about another thing? it looks like trees and small shrubs. what is it then? there are similar things on earth

 

[Borek]

Had to say what looks like trees and small shrubs... But I would guess it is just rocks, there was nothing else but sand and rocks on all Mars pictures I have seen so far.

That is, if you exclude protesting Martians.

 

[DaveC426913]

it looks like trees and small shrubs. what is it then?

What looks like trees and small shrubs?

 

[Sniperman724]

I believe that there really may have been extra terrestrial life on Mars at one point in the past. There are several observations and samples that contain fossils of microbial life living on Mars at some point.

 

[Borek]

I believe that there really may have been extra terrestrial life on Mars at one point in the past. There are several observations and samples that contain fossils of microbial life living on Mars at some point.

You mean meteorite ALH 84001. It is interpreted by some as containing fossils, but there is no general agreement about it.

 

[Chronos]

I believe that there really may have been extra terrestrial life on Mars at one point in the past. There are several observations and samples that contain fossils of microbial life living on Mars at some point.

So what? I consider it highly likely Mars spawned microbial life billions of years ago when it had a habitable environment [liquid water, atmosphere, etc.] as do many scientists.

 

[DaveC426913]

So what? I consider it highly likely Mars spawned microbial life billions of years ago when it had a habitable environment [liquid water, atmosphere, etc.] as do many scientists.

So you're agreeing with him...

 

[TheTechNoir]

That made me laugh. I think he meant to quote both posts though probably, saying 'so what?' to the:

You mean meteorite ALH 84001. It is interpreted by some as containing fossils, but there is no general agreement about it.

part.

I agree in thinking it probably existed, but as said ALH 84001 is in no way concrete evidence as of yet. I don't think he was saying he did or didn't believe they existed either, just pointing that fact out that ALH 84001 isn't usable evidence yet.

 

[rustynail]

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/moonmars/features/kids_find_cave.html"

 

[Chronos]

Water and undersea vulcanism are the magical ingredients for abiogenesis. It appears both conditions were present on Mars a billion or so years ago. It also appears probable in the case of venus, albeit the prospects of recovering fossil evidence from venus are dim.