Life discovered on Mars

**Jenna** · 04-14-12, 12:22 PM

A new analysis of data collected by the NASA Viking mission has determined that there is life on Mars.

Two Viking probes landed on Mars in 1976 and carried out an experiment that heated soil to try and create a chemical reaction that would indicate the presence of life.

One of the three experiments, which were known as the “Labeled Release” (LR) experiment, hinted to the presence of life on Mars, while the others did not.

A mathematical analysis of the samples found that salts in the soil on Mars “threw off” initial estimates, and that the soil samples show strong evidence of microbial life.

The new analysis looked for “complexity” in the samples, which the scientists claimed to have found.

“This suggests a robust biological response,” the researchers wrote in the International Journal of Aeronautic and Space Sciences. “These analyses support the interpretation that the Viking LR experiment did detect extant microbial life on Mars.”

Source: redOrbit (http://s.tt/19gHF)

**Rhino** · 04-14-12, 03:55 PM

Interesting news. However, I'll remain skeptic until this data has undergone peer review.

**Ducky** · 04-14-12, 04:02 PM

Hubby, best friend and I were discussing life yesterday, and we came to the conclusion that life is, essentially, contagious. And microbes can be tough buggers.

**ChesCopPodz** · 04-15-12, 11:04 AM

I'm of the opinion that our planet cannot be unique in it's placement near it's star. There are billions upon billions of galaxies, each containing billions of billions of stars. No way in that enormous number can there not be another planet in the same stellar situation as ours.