When it comes to examining the possibility of life on Mars, opinions vary widely and emotions run high. For many years, science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, who is one of the best-known writers in the world as well as being the inventor of the modern satellite, has insisted that photographs from NASA show seasonal changes in vegetation on Mars. The pictures look like massive forests of banyan trees, says Clarke. I've seen the pictures myself, and certainly agree with this characterization. Although they may be due to frost patterns on the planet, they sure look a lot more like
forests than ice to me. But now, a group of researchers at the Institute of Advanced Study in Budapest is agreeing with Clarke, and they have called the photos to which Clarke refers, "probably Martian surface organisms."
Arthur Clarke also indicates potential for life being visually recorded in the photographs taken by the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on Mars. He says, "Some of them look very biological to me." Many people are finding more and more clues indicating the possibility for life on Mars, and I've been one of the people who's said for a long time that there is undoubtedly life on Mars, even if it's not in the form of massive banyan tree forests. I believe there is microbiological life on Mars right now, and that the evidence for it is quite strong. This evidence includes gasses found in the Martian atmosphere, the presence of water on Mars, and meteorological evidence found in Martian rocks that have landed on planet Earth and have been investigated by scientists for signs of life. In each of these cases, there seems to be considerable evidence for life on Mars.
There's also the fact that life exists practically anywhere that offers it even a slight chance for survival. On Earth, we are now discovering that life can thrive in places that we once thought unlivable -- extremely hot environments such as boiling water, for example, or extremely cold environments such as arctic ice. In these extremes, we continue to find living, breathing organisms.
There is little doubt that the environment on Mars is less extreme than some of the environments in which life has been discovered on planet Earth, so it only makes sense that there would be life on Mars. To suppose that Earth is the only planet in the entire universe that harbors life is so arrogant and narrow-minded as to be utterly foolish. Only a person completely unfamiliar with concepts of astronomy, biological sciences, and the history of the earth could suppose that somehow Earth is the only planet in existence that has managed to harbor life. No doubt life is very common in the universe, and it already exists on Mars, whether we have found it or not.
About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate and award-winning journalist with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In mid 2010, Adams produced NaturalNews.TV, a natural health video sharing website offering user-generated videos on nutrition, green living, fitness and more. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also a noted pioneer in the email marketing software industry, having been the first to launch an HTML email newsletter technology that has grown to become a standard in the industry. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and regularly pursues cycling, nature photography, Capoeira and Pilates. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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Friday, August 06, 2004
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