Mars Rock Supports Cross-Seeding Theory

[ChompySnack]

Analysis: 'Bounce' rock's cosmic portent

"Mars rover Opportunity has found a rock (nicknamed 'Bounce') that "provides conclusive evidence not only of Martian meteorites on Earth, but also of the possibility of cross-seeding." Not only that, but according to the UPI article: 'The discovery of Bounce raises the distinct possibility that life arising from a common source could have existed for a time on both worlds.'"

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040416-041840-4139r

This is awesome. Something from the world of science that makes you realize that we are so small.

Apparently life on Earth could have arisen from proteins on meteorites, the same kinds of meteorites that are also crashing into Mars. There could be a whole different type of life on Mars that has a common origin with life on ours!

Science Rocks!@#

[Warpy]

1. If they find even microbial life on Mars

...whatever will the Fundies do with their geocentric view of creation?

[Null Pointer]

2. If it's proven

They'll just ignore it.

[DBoon]

9. Satan put it there

to lead us astray!

The same reason why the Hubble red-shift is consistent with a creation date of 4,000 BC - of course the speed of light must have changed during recent time! God is testing us, or Satan is trying to lead us astray.

Makes it easier to justify invading Iraq, too, if you base it on faith on not evidence.

[warrior1]

3. Waving my hand...pick me...pick me....

I was watching one of those science shows the other day 'bout going to Mars. Finding life and whatnot. Well this guy who sitting by this river talking made me have a epiphany.

It's simple and dumb but, that there is life on this planet is proof of life on other's planets similar to ours. There was more to my thought but this is the gist.

[G_j]

4. that makes sense to me

& this is an exciting find!

[proud patriot]

5. Cool Science Rocks

:headbang:

[aquart]

6. Velikovsky!

I say it since no one else will.

[MikeG]

7. You know where Republicans come from? Uranus.

[belle]

8. so cool!

[daleo]

10. What is the probability, that an earth ship would land close enough

to stumble over a rock that had a twin back on earth? And a twin that we knew about and had studied. A truly amazing coincidence. It could be pure chance, or maybe some force wants to remind of us our commonality with the rest of the universe. Fundies would probably say it was Satan, guiding the rocket to throw us off the track, though.

It could use a more dignified name than "Bounce", though. Unless this NASA mission has been sponsored by the laundry softener.

[Beaker]

11. or another possibility-

considering the administration on whose watch it was found, it could be a complete fabrication, meant to help along the funding for the lil' dictator's 'dream' of a mars mission that he and his poppy's other cronies can use as a ruse to suck up more and more of that yummy taxpayer money.

[daleo]

12. Occam's razor might give that one to you, all right

Still, one hopes that BFEE's range of evil has not made it out to interplanetary space yet.

[Beaker]

17. you don't really think that the plan to send men to mars is about-

sending men to mars, do you?
it's about making those in the aerospace industry(and the carlyle group) a little richer tomorrow, than they are today.

[ima_sinnic]

20. space program part of the PNAC agenda:

from the PNAC website:
Memorandum to Opinion Leaders
Subject: Defense
August 2, 2001

<snip>
America’s advantages in space are keys to our exercise of global power, but also create vulnerabilities our adversaries are anxious to exploit. Space is fast becoming the "high seas" of the future, and "space power" the equivalent of the "sea power" that propelled first Great Britain and then the United States on the path to global leadership. Control of the emerging "international commons" of space will do much to determine the future shape of international politics here on earth.

. . . "Space war" may sound like science fiction, but it is a competition the United States must prepare to win, perhaps even to the point of creating a new branch of the armed services. In space as on earth, we preserve the peace by maintaining our strength.

:nuke: :mad: :nuke: :mad: :nuke:

[Ediacara]

13. There are probably billions of Earth-Sourced meteorites on Mars

Just as there are billions of Mars-Sourced meteorites on Earth. Most of the ones reaching earth land in oceans, or are destroyed by soil forming processes, which is why people go to Antarctica and get them off of the ice.

On Mars, there are no oceans and no soil forming processes, so it's much more likely you'll run into an Earth-Sourced meteroite there.

Although... I agree, it's still rather lucky.

[Ediacara]

14. But I totally should reply after I read the whole article LOL

Bounce isn't from Earth.... But, like I was saying, on Earth, meteroites don't last long, but on Mars.... that rock could have been sitting in that crater for over a billion years.

[daleo]

15. The surface of Mars is about 50 million square kilometers

These rovers might have checked out maybe 0.5 square kilometers thoroughly, meaning about 1 sq km in 100 million has been examined. So, even if rocks like this are pretty common (0.5 billion rocks would imply an average of 10 rocks per square kilometer) it is still quite a remarkably lucky find, for a rover that can only travel a few meters per minute.

It is true that there are no oceans and (probably) soil forming processes now, but there seems ample evidence that the surface of Mars was much more active in the past. So, rocks from the ancient past have been exposed to some level of erosion forces.

Anyway, not trying to be argumentative, just thinking out loud. It is quite an interesting find any way you look at it.

[Ediacara]

16. From what I've heard

Which is pretty up-to-date geological information, the surface of Mars has pretty much beet frozen in time for more than 2 billion years, although prior to that, there was intense geolgical activity.

[daleo]

19. I understand that some of the recent findings

Imply that there may have been liquid water at least as recently as 50K years ago. There was also an article that said the level of methane in the atmosphere could only be explained by:
- recent volcanism (and there are no known active volcanoes)
- bacteria in the soil (and on earth, this level of methane would imply that the atmosphere would have had to have been replenished within the last 400 years)

It is unfortunate that the Beagle spacecraft was apparently destroyed, because it was supposed to have had instruments that could have differentiated between methane from organic and inorganic sources. Some might wonder if Beagle is in fact doing quite well and exploring this very issue right now, but under a cloak, so that results could be released in a controlled fashion.

[Occulus]

18. Wow.

In fairness, however... I heard of this as a possibility years ago. Still, validation is a very good thing :)