Thursday, March 24, 2005

Life on Mars not possible, Oklahoma professor says





"Scientific research so far suggests that Mars cannot sustain life as known on Earth because Mars lacks characteristics that allow for life on Earth, Dr. Gordon Emslie, associate research vice president and graduate college dean at Oklahoma State University, said in a speech last week."

Maybe it's just bad journalism (which wouldn't surprise me), but it's unclear if Emslie is attacking the possibility of an existing civilization or Martian biology in general. Does he recognize the distinction? I would agree that chances of an extant civilization are nil (although there's evidence of prior occupation), but ridiculing the possibility of "extremophiles" and other tenacious life-forms is nothing less than foolish in light of what we've learned about Mars and life here on Earth. What is this guy, a Biblical Fundamentalist?

And I'm still waiting for NASA/JPL to intelligibly address Arthur C. Clarke's "banyan trees" (instead of repeatedly confusing the features with defrosting sand dunes that happen to look tree-like from above).

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I grew up in Oklahoma, and we used to joke that your IQ dropped 20 points when you crossed the border (into, that is, not out of!)
--WMB

Anonymous said...

If there is life on Mars, how old must it be? How long ago did Mars have an earthlike atmosphere, and for how long time? Wouldn't any remaining life on Mars be very old, and the result of a much longer evolution than any of our own lifeforms? And couldn't it therefore be very dangerous? I'm sure there are books written on the subject, but I don't remember reading any.

Hamletmaschine said...

Hello Mac

Great blog that you have, the word "Posthuman" took me here, actually I've translating to spanish some essays of William S. Burroughs, Hakim Bey and J.G. Ballard for a very small publishing house, but I'm very interesed to diversify the authors to find some new voices beyond the "classics", we are preparing a small book about Blade Runner, could be great if you participate somehow.

Please contact me if you are interesed (I hope so), besides my blog is in spanish but could be great if you just take a look.

Well, thank you anyway and I'll keep visiting your site...

Mac said...

Hamletmaschine --

A book about "Blade Runner"? Are you kidding? I'd love to contribute. Send me an email at macbot@yahoo.com.