Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to re: To Boldly Go...

re: To Boldly Go...
Mark Eby — (archived)

One mistake eh? So why don't you demand extreme protetcive measures every time a new bacterial sample is taken on Earth where there is a far higher chance of it being infective?

In short:

A panel of medical and scientific experts have concluded the risk of Martian life being hazardous is very small but not zero.

We know how to handle highly hazardous infectious agents on Earth and can apply the same techniques on Martian samples to reduce the risk orders of magnitude further. Some minor adjustents are likely to be needed, but nothing that has been publicly mentioned are difficult engineering tasks.

If life on Mars is hazardous there is a real measurable risk it can be transferred naturally through Martian meteorites. If there is no Martian life or it is not hazardous there is no risk. If there is Martian life there is a nonzero risk resulting from not studying it.

The luddite attitude of don't do it there might be a risk always ignores the risk of not doing it and the risk of lost opportunity. Studying a new variety of life could be a major boon to biological and medical science. Sure let's take all reasonable precautions, but the facts are the risks are expected to be minor and there is no reason to try and start another Cassini style magnification of risk verging on panic.

Regards,
Mark

Log in or register to post.

The whole thread (50 posts)