August 12, 201214 yr If Curiosity finds a single cell of life on Mars, does that count as proof of life?
August 12, 201214 yr Well...yes. Life is life. However, I think that those that want to doubt will say that that cell was brought there by Curiosity or another space probe.
August 12, 201214 yr It's life, Jim, but not as we know it. not as we know it. not as we know it. It's life, Jim, but not as we know it. not as we know it, Captain.
August 13, 201214 yr I was under the impression that we've already found signs/proof of life on Mars....:confused:
August 13, 201214 yr I was under the impression that we've already found signs/proof of life on Mars....:confused: No. We've found evidence of past conditions that used to favor life. There was a rock found that could possibly be fossilized life, but there are equally supportive explanations that it might not be.
August 13, 201214 yr No. We've found evidence of past conditions that used to favor life. There was a rock found that could possibly be fossilized life, but there are equally supportive explanations that it might not be. Okay thanks, that's what I remember reading about. That, to me, is proof of life.
August 13, 201214 yr What if a country with a struggling economy had spent the $2.5 billion on something else?
August 13, 201214 yr ^ Someone would have a problem with what it was spent on. How bout spending it to pay down the deficit then?
August 13, 201214 yr No. We've found evidence of past conditions that used to favor life. There was a rock found that could possibly be fossilized life, but there are equally supportive explanations that it might not be. My exact understanding too. I am glad we have you on top of these issues TBG, that way I don't have to research them, I can just listen to you!
August 13, 201214 yr How bout spending it to pay down the deficit then? $2.5 billion represents, at best, about two days worth of interest payments on the debt. There are a lot of things causing the national debt to grow at an unsustainable rate. Sending a mobile, robotic laboratory to the surface of planet that's somewhere in the range of 175,000,000 miles away in preparation for manned exploration all for the cost of about two years of total Congressional salaries isn't even close to being among the things to fix first.
August 13, 201214 yr Author How much difference would there be in finding fossilzed life form vs finding a current living cell?
August 13, 201214 yr $2.5 billion represents, at best, about two days worth of interest payments on the debt. There are a lot of things causing the national debt to grow at an unsustainable rate. Sending a mobile, robotic laboratory to the surface of planet that's somewhere in the range of 175,000,000 miles away in preparation for manned exploration all for the cost of about two years of total Congressional salaries isn't even close to being among the things to fix first. It's a start. Quit spending money we don't have.
August 13, 201214 yr How much difference would there be in finding fossilzed life form vs finding a current living cell? I think that it would be harder to debate against a fossil. We've only been sending probes to Mars this past century, of course, so no one could argue that the "life" was brought with this or other probe. Now, that won't stop those who think that it was a farce in denouncing it.
August 13, 201214 yr What if a country with a struggling economy had spent the $2.5 billion on something else? Sounds like a great topic for another thread.
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.