NASA Rover Finds Conditions Once Suited for Ancient Life on Mars

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the findings of NASA's Curiosity rover regarding the chemical composition of Martian rock samples and their implications for the potential of ancient life on Mars. Participants explore the significance of these findings in the context of Mars' geological history and the conditions that may have supported life.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants highlight the identification of key chemical ingredients for life in Martian rock samples, suggesting that ancient Mars could have supported living microbes.
  • Others express skepticism about the confidence in Mars' primordial atmosphere and the implications of low methane levels for the evolution of precellular life.
  • A participant notes the geological processes that may have led to the formation of sedimentary rocks on Mars, indicating past water activity.
  • There is a mention of the hope for discovering clay minerals and other indicators of prebiotic conditions, although doubts remain about the overall evidence for life.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the significance of the chemical findings but express differing views on the implications for the existence of ancient life and the conditions necessary for life to evolve on Mars. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the confidence in the environmental conditions of ancient Mars.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include uncertainties about the primordial atmosphere of Mars, the significance of low methane levels, and the incomplete understanding of the geological history that may affect interpretations of the findings.

Greg Bernhardt
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An analysis of a rock sample collected by NASA's Curiosity rover shows ancient Mars could have supported living microbes.

Scientists identified sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon -- some of the key chemical ingredients for life -- in the powder Curiosity drilled out of a sedimentary rock near an ancient stream bed in Gale Crater on the Red Planet last month.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/msl20130312.html
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Good article thanks for posting it
 
Greg Bernhardt said:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/msl20130312.html

Rich. Hope they'll find clay minerals, primordial tidal lagoons and pools somewhat indication of prebiotic stage but doubt still lingers since we don't have much confidence of its primordial atmosphere and also that low methane. Or does it have enough criteria for precellular to evolve.

But it do raises the probability even better. TFS
 
curiosity sees signs of water on Mars -

The sedimentary rocks at Yellowknife Bay likely formed when original basaltic rocks were broken into fragments, transported, re-deposited as sedimentary particles, and mineralogically altered by exposure to water.

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=1446
Close-up View of Broken Mars Rock 'Tintina'. This is very interesting

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21340279
PIA16797_MAHLI_of_Tintina-br2.jpg
 

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