I read that. Sounds like this story got WAY ahead of peer review. Basically, Carol Stoker and team gave a private heads-up to NASA officails on a paper they've submitted to Nature that claims that the methane signature from Mars Express indicates life. Sounds like their argument goes farther than must methane means life; they apparently claim the details of the observation argue for life.
It sounds like the leak came from the NASA honchos rather than Stoker given the way the article is written; she wasn't willing to say anything about it to the press.
I'll be surprised, very surprised, if this is a claim that is convincing. That doesn't mean it will be shown to be wrong, either, but unless she's come up with something truly innovative and brilliant about some detail in the methane signal, it's hard to see how you could possibly say that there is *proof* of life based on the data we have now.
Space/Science » in reply to Latest news story on methane on Mars
NASA Ames team claiming "evidence of life" in CH4
The whole thread (32 posts)
- Latest news story on methane on Mars
- "Space agency denies report about Red Planet life"
- A lot more on this from "Badastronomy.com"
- Is there a difference between methane from life or volcanoes?
- I am STILL on record for believing that there IS INDEED life on Mars.
- NASA Ames team claiming "evidence of life" in CH4
- If it withstands peer review, it could be a real spur for more Mars exploration. (n/t)