Final Project

Laura S.

Legislator:  J.E. "Buster" Brown, Senator

Final Project – Life On Mars

Are we alone in the universe? This question has eluded mankind for centuries. Many humans think that Earth is the only place where life exists, but some believe that there is life out in the universe and they want to find it. First in order to search for life one must know where to look, then they must figure out if indeed they do find life… what comes next? The planet Mars has been an object of great fascination to scientists because it shares many similarities with our own planet, which we call home.

Although the dusty, red surface of Mars does not seem to possess life, some scientists believe there is a chance, or at least there was a chance for life to exist. A big factor for life to exist, as we know it, is the presence of water. On earth, the presence of water has spun a whole planet of different life forms and has left impressions in the soil to prove that past oceans and rivers existed. These impressions can be found in sedimentary rocks. These rocks show layers that give scientists a way to look back in time to see what has happened.  The exciting and innovative discovery has been the finding of what appears to be sedimentary rocks on mars.  The Mariner 9 mission in the 1970s first showed evidence of layering in Martian soil and has lead scientist to further investigate the soil and evidence has now been found that water used to flow on mars. An even bigger clue to show that life might have existed on mars was discovered in the spring of 1995. Everett Gibson and David McKay stumbled upon a piece of evidence that could truly change the world. They were assigned to analyze a rock that had been found in Antarctica in 1984. It was identified to be a meteorite from Mars, a find that is very rare. After discovering of tiny globules of calcium carbonate they realized they could have come from a biological origin. Also evidence of extremely small fossils of some type of organisms was found on the rock. Gibson and McKay worked for two and a half years trying every possible way to disprove their theory before presenting their case to the public. At press conference where the discovery was announced the discoverers were careful to say that this evidence is an interpretation and not definite. After many months the issue still has not been proved wrong but the actual fact of life on another planet is an issue that will take the human race time to get used to.  Further experiments and investigations will be taken to examine the evidence and further examine the planet.

Evidence has been found that life may have existed in the past on mars, but what about the present or the future? Scientists have discovered many organisms on earth that live in extreme conditions. This piece of evidence may show that it is possible for a microorganism to survive on mars throughout long periods of time, which raises the chance that life may exist today on mars. However this theory involves the conditions that exist beneath the surface of mars. Now to truly find the answer to the question, are we alone in the universe, it is up to humans to survey Mars. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and other space agencies around the world are very interested in exploring our nearest neighboring planet. Could humans live on Mars in the future? There is a great possibility that this event will occur. Plans are already in circulation about colonization of mars and humans inhabiting the planet will put life on mars. If humans live on mars, this will be a different type of life that will exist. Will humans become Martians? If humans do become Martians, how will that change the ecosystem of Mars and how will it change the way we live here on earth? In 1989, President George Bush made an announcement to call for the reinstatement of the space program and even called for a mission sending astronauts to mars. The cost of such an endeavor at the time was tremendous. However, as technology improves the likelihood of visiting mars becomes more of a reality. Since a great deal of components have to be made for a colony to work on mars, there needs to be a way to help everything run smoothly. One idea is to “live off the land” on mars and make it habitable for humans to live on. Changing the environment to support life will defiantly change the status of the planet. Even thought the risks and costs are high for such a mission to take place, it should be carries out to further our knowledge of life, as it exists in our universe.

So are we alone in the universe? For now we are not totally sure. We may never be totally sure, but we need to continue investigating to expand our wisdom on the question and to move ourselves into the future.

Sources:

http://www-mgcm.arc.nasa.gov/mgcm/faq/life.html

 http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/nasa_mars_discover_001204.html

Raeburn, Paul. Uncovering the Secrets of the Red Planet. National  Geographic Society. Washington D.C., 1998.   

 

Last Updated: 09/07/01