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Related: About this forumCuriosity rover's methane result challenges life theory
Source: BBC
19 September 2013 Last updated at 18:01 GMT
Curiosity rover's methane result challenges life theory
By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News
The Curiosity rover's failure to detect methane on Mars is a blow to theories that the planet may still host some types of life, say mission scientists.
Telescopes and satellites have reported seeing small but significant volumes of the gas, but the six-wheeled robot can pick up no such trace.
On Earth, 95% of atmospheric methane is produced by microbial organisms.
Researchers have hung on to the hope that the molecule's signature at Mars might also indicate a life presence.
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Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24165219
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)That's one of the many reasons science is cool.
Also, bear in mind:
Or as team-member Prof Sushil Atreya, from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, put it: "There could still be other types of microbes on Mars. This just makes it harder for there to be microbes that kick out methane."
xfundy
(5,105 posts)This one is almost totally trashed.
FiveGoodMen
(20,018 posts)mr_hat
(3,410 posts)Sheesh.
longship
(40,416 posts)It's what many of them do. To them, it's just bacteria poop. Just like potable alcohol is yeast poop.
But not all bacteria poop out methane.
Methane is a very simple molecule, CH4, so it's easy to make, which kind of explains why many bacteria poop it out -- or so one would think.
man4allcats
(4,026 posts)darkangel218
(13,985 posts)GeorgeGist
(25,321 posts)headline.
demwing
(16,916 posts)You're right. Totally misleading.
NickB79
(19,243 posts)In caverns and such. If that were the case, would it be possible the methane previously detected by other devices was caused by localized plumes above these underground systems, and the methane was rising into the atmosphere instead of staying at ground level where the rover is?
If we have multiple telescopes and satellites finding methane, but one rover doesn't, that doesn't rule out the presence of methane.