Mission to Mars and the search for "life"

[Jayflight]

I think a new thread providing additional thought on our landing on Mars is needed. I have always been curious about this topic.Now I hear commentators speaking in terms of finding life , which as we know it requires water and oxygen for us Earthlings. Currently I do not think that we can say with 100 percent confidence that life outside of our planet requires either. There are many cartoon type characters that depicts creatures that do not match the humans on our planet. So the really big question that I have considered for decades when talking about Martians is how do we actually know that any other life outside our tiny circle requires the same requirements that keeps us going each day. What is the starting point to evolve past these preconceived notions? We seem to be stuck IMHO for many years since we Earthlings have expanded our reach into outer space. Discuss

 

[SpencerPJ]

I don't think we will ever find or prove any form of life outside of Earth in our Milky Way Galaxy. I also don't think we will travel to any other Galaxy in ... well, the foreseeable future. I do enjoy the spirit, but considering the amount of people that die daily from lack of basic needs, I think we should focus more on that, personally. My opinion only.

 

[Tom55555]

I don't think we will ever find or prove any form of life outside of Earth in our Milky Way Galaxy. I also don't think we will travel to any other Galaxy in ... well, the foreseeable future. I do enjoy the spirit, but considering the amount of people that die daily from lack of basic needs, I think we should focus more on that, personally. My opinion only.

I agree.

I didn't write this. I love Star Trek but I doubt warp speed will be around anytime while I'm alive.

Launched in 2006, New Horizons is the fastest spacecraft to ever leave Earth. It crossed the orbit of Jupiter the next year and has been traveling nearly a million miles a day—but it still took 9.5 years for the spacecraft to reach Pluto.

 

[Larry N.]

I don't think we will ever find or prove any form of life outside of Earth in our Milky Way Galaxy. I also don't think we will travel to any other Galaxy in ... well, the foreseeable future. I do enjoy the spirit, but considering the amount of people that die daily from lack of basic needs, I think we should focus more on that, personally. My opinion only.

I didn't know that McDonald's could get there THAT fast...

 

[edjunior]

I think a new thread providing additional thought on our landing on Mars is needed. I have always been curious about this topic.Now I hear commentators speaking in terms of finding life , which as we know it requires water and oxygen for us Earthlings. Currently I do not think that we can say with 100 percent confidence that life outside of our planet requires either. There are many cartoon type characters that depicts creatures that do not match the humans on our planet. So the really big question that I have considered for decades when talking about Martians is how do we actually know that any other life outside our tiny circle requires the same requirements that keeps us going each day. What is the starting point to evolve past these preconceived notions? We seem to be stuck IMHO for many years since we Earthlings have expanded our reach into outer space. Discuss

Now see, this has been my question forever. I mean, who's to say that the almighty water is what is needed for some other life form somewhere out there in the big universe. And who's to say the laws of physics apply to them the same way they do to us. We apply all this stuff only to what we know about, which is us. We have nothing else to apply it to. Yet. Someday? Maybe. Certainly not in my lifetime though. Anyway, I look forward to seeing what the latest rover digs up.

 

[Larry N.]

An incredible video was just released, taken from the actual lander and finally transmitted back to earth. Beautiful in-flight stuff: NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover Provides First Audio Recording on Mars

 

[Ex-Calif]

I didn't know that McDonald's could get there THAT fast...

McDonald's? I thought that was the US Embassy...

In terms of "where to spend money" - I don't think space exploration and taking care of each other are necessarily mutually exclusive.

We are by some nature explorers maybe driven by the ultimate question of the meaning of it all. By some accounts exploration have given us huge benefits in the advancement of science and technology. Other accounts say those advances will extinguish us...

Mathematically there is someone or something out there we would call life. Whether we ever get to meet them is another story...

Light Speed. Not just a good idea but the law...

 

[Uncledave54]

 

[Lou Schneider]

McDonald's? I thought that was the US Embassy...

In terms of "where to spend money" - I don't think space exploration and taking care of each other are necessarily mutually exclusive.

Another point is the money we spend on space exploration isn't blasted off into space. It's spent right here in the good old USA, paying salaries, buying parts, etc. and is then distrubuted around local communities just like any other government money.

 

[Tom55555]

McDonald's? I thought that was the US Embassy... In terms of "where to spend money" - I don't think space exploration and taking care of each other are necessarily mutually exclusive. We are by some nature explorers maybe driven by the ultimate question of the meaning of it all. By some accounts exploration have given us huge benefits in the advancement of science and technology. Other accounts say those advances will extinguish us... Mathematically there is someone or something out there we would call life. Whether we ever get to meet them is another story... Light Speed. Not just a good idea but the law...

I agree.

I didn't write this. I love Star Trek but I doubt warp speed will be around anytime while I'm alive.

Launched in 2006, New Horizons is the fastest spacecraft to ever leave Earth. It crossed the orbit of Jupiter the next year and has been traveling nearly a million miles a day—but it still took 9.5 years for the spacecraft to reach Pluto.

I like Earth. I think I'll stay here. LOL