Mars Supported Microbial Life

[Zeonix]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7137793.stm

May have, anyway. The more we learn about Mars, the more the planet seems like a dead (or not) Earth, rather than just an inhospitable wasteland. It'd be interesting to find out just how far life progressed on that planet before the **** hit the fan.

 

[Avenger]

Haha, yes. If it was, in fact, host to life, perhaps it evolved further than we have?

It's not impossible that there was some kind of sentient species living there. I mean, how much time hasn't passed before we got Hubble and expeditions to Mars? There's no telling what we might find there. Hell, there might be building and entire cities under the surface - if not advanced, then perhaps primitive? That might shut some of the religious fanatics up.

 

[Synth]

Hmm, could be possible that Mars had already begun terraforming, etc, and a large asteroid or meteor ended up stunting the planet's growth.

Who knows.

 

[-Origin]

Synth, what's terraforming mean? >_>

 

[Avenger]

With the planet's age, it may very well have been a civilized planet a long long long long long time ago. I'm talking millions upon millions of years ago, of course.

Edit: Terraforming is giving a planet a liveable atmosphere, I believe.

 

[-Origin]

Cool, thanks for clearing that up. ;o

 

[Almighty_Gir]

terra = landmass, forming = to shape, or to give form.

terraforming = to shape the land.

 

[Zeonix]

That's the second definition, where you're physically shaping the landscape to make it seem more like Earth's. When used in the context of celestial objects, it means to alter the environment in such a way that it becomes habitable to terrestrial life.

 

[DiebytheSword]

I've always been of the opinion that Mars was once more habitable than it is now. I'm glad to see that the evidence keeps pointing in that direction.

 

[Jakut]

Well, I hope it's not like that "Worms on Mars" thing and that Bill Clinton won't give another speech.