Nasa Mars rover finds organic matter in ancient lake bed

[Venusian Broon]

But they are complex systems, these poles. Maybe at there bases of these ice caps (they are about 2-3km thick) something interesting is happening?

Mars: huge underground lake raises prospects of life on planet, astronomers say

Well, I didn't predict anything in particular, but I'm still taking a gold star for that

 

[Vertigo]

Mars: huge underground lake raises prospects of life on planet, astronomers say

Well, I didn't predict anything in particular, but I'm still taking a gold star for that

Shame it's so salty though: 'Bridges suspects the salty conditions in the Martian water might be too much to survive. “I think it’s really, really stretching the envelope of potential life to bursting point,” he said.'

 

[Venusian Broon]

Shame it's so salty though: 'Bridges suspects the salty conditions in the Martian water might be too much to survive. “I think it’s really, really stretching the envelope of potential life to bursting point,” he said.'

True, but we do know of extreme Halophiles that actually need salinities of 20-25% (and I believe other extremophiles have been recorded at higher levels), and perhaps if you've had a billion years of evolution with only that sort of environment, perhaps there might be a few cells down there eking out a living!

Still, as I also thought: “Getting there and acquiring the final evidence that this is indeed a lake will not be an easy task,” said Orosei. “It will require flying a robot there which is capable of drilling through 1.5km of ice and this will certainly require some technological developments that at the moment are not available.”

 

[Vertigo]

We seem to have this conversation running on two separate threads: Big Water On Mars!

 

[Venusian Broon]

We seem to have this conversation running on two separate threads: Big Water On Mars!

I was just highlighting my astute observations on this thread

 

[2DaveWixon]

Imagine if we could really find life on Mars. It would be a wonderful moment because it would be proof that life exists in other place in the universe. We would no longer be alone.

we' re not alone. We have Chrons, and each other.

 

[BAYLOR]

we' re alone. We have Chrons, and each other.

Yeah, we're doomed.

 

[2DaveWixon]

I left out a "not" in that comment. I'm sorry if that omission has depressed you. (I didn't think it was that heavy...)