Methane on Mars could signal life

[freeandfun1]

Methane on Mars could signal life

Not sure where to put this.... don't know why, but this seems like a good place for discussion.

 

[Merlin1047]

What - are they claiming someone farted and then left the planet?



:nine:

:teeth:

 

[5stringJeff]

I'm extremely skeptical that life could spontaneously form on Earth, which is a hospitable planet, let alone Mars, which is not.

 

[deaddude]

I'm extremely skeptical that life could spontaneously form on Earth, which is a hospitable planet, let alone Mars, which is not.

Hospitality is reletive, a hypothetical person from Mars might find earth to be a wasteland and be astounded at the amount of life produced on earth.

Their is the possiblity that life used to exist on mars and is now gone because of some cataclysm that turned it into the barren peice of rock it is today.

 

[adamsimpire]

I doubt it.

 

[5stringJeff]

Hospitality is reletive, a hypothetical person from Mars might find earth to be a wasteland and be astounded at the amount of life produced on earth.

Their is the possiblity that life used to exist on mars and is now gone because of some cataclysm that turned it into the barren peice of rock it is today.

There is no way that complex proteins could form just because water and/or methane are present, let alone DNA, mitochondria, cell membranes, etc. - especially with no appreciable atmosphere on Mars.

 

[Democrat4Bush]

Life on earth is carbon based, there are 102 elements in the periodic table.

These are only elements that we know of.

It's entirely possible that life could form from another element.

 

[HGROKIT]

Life on earth is carbon based, there are 102 elements in the periodic table.

These are only elements that we know of.

It's entirely possible that life could form from another element.

Exactly! We should not let our own perceptions blind us to other possiblities.

 

[DKSuddeth]

there are numerous ways 'life' could form. Life just isn't humans, animals, and plants. virus and bacteria are 'life' as well. As long as there are elements in any atmosphere, life is possible.

 

[5stringJeff]

Life on earth is carbon based, there are 102 elements in the periodic table.

These are only elements that we know of.

It's entirely possible that life could form from another element.

Carbon is uniquely formed for the very purpose of forming complex molecules. See this NASA site for more. Even this guy, hypothesizing about ET life, thinks that carbon must be the building block for life.

 

[Avatar4321]

Carbon is uniquely formed for the very purpose of forming complex molecules. See this NASA site for more. Even this guy, hypothesizing about ET life, thinks that carbon must be the building block for life.

I agree. I think anything other element combination such as silicon would be too unstable for life. In fact i think our Carbon based life is unstable as it is. after all our cells are breaking down everyday, our bodies are decaying. can you imagine what would happen with a heavier based element?