What if life does not occur spontaneously over 10exp8 years? What if the Earth's life is a 1 in 10exp100 chance event or such as some microbiologists argue based upon the chance combination of proteins or precursors? We have no science except the principle of mediocrity (we aren't special in any way) to guide us here. Me, I think life will happen given your timeframe and liquid water.
Earth's Antartica has opportunity after opportunity for rich outside thriving life to invade and re-adapt to those conditions. Mars probably does NOT have a resivour of thriving life to re-infect itself so that Mars life if once extinguished, never restarts.
I no longer think the warm wet early Mars is a valid paradigm. Always had trouble with the fact that the early Sun was about 65% today's luminosity back when Mars was supposedly warm and wet. Mars shoulda been REALLY cold.
I actually know nothing about these topics other than as an interested layperson.
Space/Science » in reply to Will Life Be Found On Mars? Your opinions and guesses:
re: Will Life Be Found On Mars? Your opinions and guesses:
The whole thread (51 posts)
- Will Life Be Found On Mars? Your opinions and guesses:
- Dear friends, thanks for the vigorous discussion. I love it when I start a thread and there are many differing responses. David. (n/t)
- hmmm
- The Martian Race by Greg Benford
- For former life, I'd bet on Venus first
- 50-50
- Yes
- Well
- I follow Lovelock: Equilibrium = Death
- Possibly extremophiles under the surface
- re: Will Life Be Found On Mars? Your opinions and guesses: