Is there life in Mars? It is a question that has plagued mankind for centuries, especially since Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli's description of observed channels was translated into English as 'canals'.
We now know that are no little green men eyeing our planet and making plans of invasion. However, there might have been life in the planet's ancient past, since geological evidence suggests that there was once liquid water. If so, there might be evidence for it, and, perhaps even some extremophiles still there, living in its harsh environment.
Now the team at Mars Science Laboratory, has announced they have found something 'earthshaking'. Unfortunately they won't tell us what it is because they are wainting to verify their data. Rightly so, since there have been several occasions where scientists have jumped the gun and claimed earthshaking results, which turned out to be human error.
But anyway, I am hoping they have found strong evidence that life once existed there. If true, it will be a monumental discovery. Perhaps life was created once in this solar system, and spread by hardy organsims carried on rocks spewed out by violent collisions or volcanism, but perhaps, just perhaps, life originated separately at least twice around our humble sun. If so, then the possibility of finding life elsewhere in the universe will jump from whatever you think it is now, to 100% certainty.
NPR, iO9
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