Scientific evidence of life on Mars

Is there scientific evidence of life on Mars? If so, why are we not hearing more about it in the media?  Above Top Secret reports:

In a May 3, 2007, Carnegie dinner, Carnegie Institution Chairman, Michael Gellert, pointed out that the Institution was founded to - and does - concentrate on high risk problems.

This makes Carnegie the proper venue for exploring a major scientific paradigm change – there is life on Mars. And, most importantly, to determine whether life had more than one origin, as would be indicated were Earth life and Mars life is fundamentally different.

Such a result would have profound implications for the existence of life, including intelligent life, throughout the universe. I am thus very pleased to have the opportunity to present this prospect at the Carnegie Institution Geophysical Laboratory seminar.

The Excerpts.

The Carnegie Institution Geophysical Laboratory Seminar 
Analysis of evidence of Mars life held 05/14/2007. 

The Viking Landers carried nine courses of the Labeled Release experiment  (LR) designed to detect any metabolizing microorganisms that might be present on the Martian surface. The LR was designed to drop a nutrient solution of organic compounds labeled with radioactive carbon atoms into a soil sample taken from the surface of Mars and placed into a small test cell. A radiation detector then monitored over time for the evolution of radioactive gas from the sample as evidence of metabolism: namely, if microorganisms were metabolizing the nutrients they had been given.

When the experiment was conducted on both Viking Landers, it gave positive results almost immediately.

(Now why has this remained a subject of debate when the results were positive in the first instance?) The reasons cited were:

1. “The Viking organic analysis instrument (GCMS), an abbreviated gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer designed to identify the organic material widely presumed to be present on Mars, found no organic molecules”.

After years of discussion and experimentation, a consensus was reached explaining this negative result as a lack of sensitivity.

2. "UV destroys life and organics". 

Yet sampling soil from under a rock on Mars demonstrated that UV light was not inducing the LR activity detected.

3. "Strong oxidants were present that destroy life and organics". 

Findings by the Viking Magnetic Properties Experiment showed that the surface material of Mars contains a large magnetic component, evidence against a highly oxidizing condition.

4. “Too much too soon”. The LR positive responses and their reaction kinetics were said to be those of a first order reaction, without the lag or exponential phases seen in classic microbial growth curves, all of which seemed to argue for a simple chemical reaction.

However, terrestrial LR experiments on a variety of soils produced response rates with the kinetics and the range of amplitudes of the LR on Mars, thereby offsetting this argument.

5. “Lack of a new surge of gas upon injection of fresh medium”. 

However, a previous test of bonded, NASA-supplied Antarctic soil, No. 664, had shown this same type of response to a 2nd injection. The failure of the 2nd injection to elicit a response can be attributed to the organisms in the active sample having died sometime after the 1st injection, during the latter part of Cycle 1.

6. "There can be no liquid water on the surface of Mars". 

Since November and December 2006, the accumulated evidence shows that liquid water exists in soil even if only as a thin film. Viking, itself, gave strong evidence of the presence of liquid water. Snow or frost is seen in Viking images of the landing site (e.g., Viking Lander Image 21I093). Pathfinder has shown that the surface atmosphere of Mars exceeds 20 degrees C during part of the day, providing transient conditions for liquid water.

Heavy Frost, or Snow. Deposit at Viking Lander 2 Site (Viking Lander Image 211093).
Courtesy: Spherix Inc

7. "Cosmic radiation destroys life on Mars". 

A recent report calculated the incoming flow of both galactic cosmic rays particles (GCR) and solar energetic protons (SEP) over a wide energy range. As a result one may acknowledge that -without even invoking natural selection to enhance radiation protection and damage repair- the radiation incident to the surface of Mars appears trivial for the survival of numerous terrestrial-like microorganisms.

Adding to this rising tide of facts supporting the detection of life by the Viking LR experiment are the recent findings in the Martian atmosphere of methane, formaldehyde, and, possibly, ammonia, gases frequently involved in microbial metabolism.

Excerpt from the lecture by Dr Gilbert V. Levin, Ph.D

Hydrogen Densities (Probably Water) on Mars with Viking 1 and 2 Landing Sites Located (VL1 & VL2).

Where there’s water, there’s life! 
Courtesy: LANL

Have the colors of Mars images been fudged too? Why? The first is the untouched one from NASA. The second image is I think what it actually is after I reduced the red tinge....

Courtesy: MSSS

I have attempted to summarize the main points here, though there are many more surprises, if you read the links provided. 

So what do you make of this? Why is the scientific community shying away from the reality that alien life forms exist on Mars, considering this scientific evidence? Why are we being denied the truth? The hesitation probably lies in the fact that accepting the reality of life on Mars would result in profound implications for the psyche of mankind as a whole.

Cheers! We may not be alone after all!

lanl.arxiv.org...
lanl.arxiv.org... 
arxiv.org... 
mars.spherix.com...
nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov...

A new website for you to check out:  PEACE THUGS EXPOSED. see the latest post, "Code Pink vs GOE: A lesson in many ways"

______________________________________________________________________
Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Rosemary's Thoughts, WayWard Fundamentalist Christian, A Blog For All, 123beta, Adam's Blog, Maggie's Notebook, Shadowscope, Leaning Straight Up, Cao's Blog, Conservative Cat, Pursuing Holiness, D equals S, Chuck's Place, McCain Blogs, The World According to Carl, Pirate's Cove, Oblogatory Anecdotes - Photoshop Montage/Open Trackbacks, The Pink Flamingo, A Newt One- Don't miss this show!, Dumb Ox Daily News, Tilting At Windmill Farms, Rant it Up, Right Voices, and Stageleft, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Comments

[greg]

yada yada

[Kendra Khaos!]

why cant they just say it in a couple of words? im at school and i dont think they want me to write all this stuff.

[Rosemary]

I may be your average, everyday dumb-dumb when it comes to science, but this looks way cool to me! ;)

[Rosemary]

I may be your average, everyday dumb-dumb when it comes to science, but this looks way cool to me! ;)

[Angel]

be nice to ship some people to Mars wouldnt it..heh :)

[Stormwarning]

Don't know about you or anyone, but CBS 60 Minutes had a segment on the upcoming plan to travel to Mars (Project Constellation), and also discussed recent discovery of silica and other indications that water has existed on Mars...ergo, possible life.

Not much more mainstream than CBS: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/04/60minutes/main3994925.shtml