Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Contamination from Mars

Since When Are You So Shy?
Mark Eby — (archived)

Really don't get where you're coming from Tom. You don't seem shy about putting in your 2 sense worth on ANY other topic.

I welcome your input, but am not sure of your point. Were you simply stating your view or did you think it was counter to mine? I agree 100% wiith your middle 3 paragraphs, am surprised by your first and disagree slightly with the last.

You are quite right that human missions willl contaminate Mars with samples of Earth life, however there is a big difference between contaminating a small site and an entire planet if that life can not grow or reproduce on Mars. The bacteria that "survived on the Moon" certainly did not grow or reproduce there and there is even some doubt that they were not actually contamination after the fact. Earth life needs water and nutrients it has evolved to digest to grow and reproduce. That would be true for Martian life as well based on everything we know about biology and biochemistry. I've never seen any evidence in these debates Barry has a clue how enzymes and proteins do their work. He also seems clueless that DNA and proteins can not survive the radiation in space unprotected (except of course if it is inside a meteorite from Mars).

Regards,
Mark

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