Floods on Mars

Scientist have found that great floods on Mars took place more "recently" (~10 million years ago) than previously estimated. A liquid surge, more water than that contained in Lake Erie, erupted over the surface carving the Athabasca Valles. This may be significant because these eruption sites may be important targets in search for Martian life. In addition, these sites could periodically provide doese of heat and water on Mars.

Frozen Sea May Harbour Mars Life

Scientists are now speculating that life may be within the frozen seas of Mars. Sadly, they haven't developed a vehicle that would be able to drill deep enough. They claim that it isn't "plausible that dormant life" can't be found on the surface because of radiation. They believe that water/ice provides an ideal shield for organisms on Mars. I find it interesting that they expect to find dormant organisms rather than live microbes. The article also mentions the possibility of warming, feeding, and reawakening the organisms.

I forgot the link again

Marsis article

Marsis and H2O

This article discusses the possibility of water on mars. Scientists are sure that water exists on Mars; however, the form of the water primarily ice. Although scientists have found areas that look like they have been eroded by water, they cannot find water in liquid form there. The Marsis is helping in seeking the water reservoirs.

$750,000 for life-detecting instrument

This article describes the capabilities that the new "life detector" will have during the proposed 2013 mission to mars. NASA will spend 3/4 of a million dollars to create this machine! But it will have the capability to detect even amino acids.

A Good Scientific View

This article talks about what resources Mars actually has for attempting to sustaining life. I think it is very interesting because it presents many scientific citations.

Shiny rocks...

This article discusses the possibility of detecting traces of DNA and amino acids in "varnish" on Martian rocks. Varnish has been found on rocks in several large deserts, and is known to trap organic compounds that may signal the presence of life (as we know it, we carbon-based beings). This knowledge could lead to a new strategy for the search for Martian life.

The air on mars is hiding Oh My :O

This article discusses the possibility that mars once had an atmosphere. The theory is for a half mile depth of H2O to exist temeperatures would have had to be higher requiring the greenhouse effect. I think its awesome that mars made its way into science and the idea that mars once ahd an atmosphere definately increases the chance that there was once life on mars.

The air on mars is hiding Oh My :O

This article discusses the possibility that mars once had an atmosphere. The theory is for a half mile depth of H2O to exist temeperatures would have had to be higher requiring the greenhouse effect. I think its awesome that mars made its way into science and the idea that mars once ahd an atmosphere definately increases the chance that there was once life on mars.

Solar winds not responsible for water loss on Mars

In a study by researchers at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics and Center d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements in Toulouse, France determined that the escape rate of water and carbon dioxide from the Martian surface was low, so alternate ideas need to be investigated to determine what did happen to the water. Another theory discussed was that a large object from space, such as an asteroid, had impacted on Mars and knocked the atmosphere and water off.

Search for life on Mars

UC scientists are in the process of developing a chip to detect the presence of amino acids to aid the process in determining if life had existed on Mars. The project is funded by a grant from NASA, and is also working in collaboration with the European Space agency which has plans to launch a mission in 2013 to investigate life in space.

the link

http://www.bioedonline.org/news/news.cfm?art=2983

here is the link.

Water and Mars?

This article is interesting because it discusses the fairly recent discovery of water in liquid form on Mars. Although it has not been seen directly, by using geological principles from the earth, scientists are able to hypothesize about what actually caused the gullies they see on the surface of the planet.

Did NASA accidentally kill life on Mars?

This article discusses that two space probes that visited Mars 30 years ago may have found microbes and inadvertently killed them because the probes didn't recognize martian life. Scientists claim that unlike earth-like life, life forms on mars would be hydrogen peroxide-based. i thought that this article was interesting because we have found life in many extreme environments on earth, so why not on mars?

First Post

This blog will report on Mars and ... biology, astrobiology, medicine, health and human reaction to spaceflight.