Curiosity Scoop Marks
Curiosity Scoop Marks NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA's forthcoming news conference (scheduled for Monday) about the Mars rover Curiosity's latest findings may not be so "earth-shaking," it turns out. The busy rover has not found any evidence of organic material on Mars--at least not yet.

Last week, a report on NPR about a discovery "for the history books" fueled speculation that Curiosity's Sample Analysis at Mars instrument had seen something interesting. Curiosity's principal investigator, John Grotzinger, was looking at incoming data during an interview with an NPR reporter, and he got excited--leading to a story by NPR's Joe Palca about how scientists have to keep their results under wraps until they're sure what they see. But everyone kept talking about Grotzinger's quotes, saying SAM had seen something historic. We had a few ideas about what it could be.

Now NASA is finally tamping down expectations, announcing today that there's no evidence yet for organic material on Mars. Organic in this case means carbon-based complex molecules, not living or formerly living matter. Instead, Curiosity scientists will be sharing data from the first use of the rover's full array of analytical instruments, NASA said today.

Still, the news conference at the American Geophysical Union is sure to have some interesting news--so stay tuned.

15 Comments

I just wish they hurry up and announce those monolithic intelligently made structures they have found on Mars!

.................

If we do find life on Mars, then we humans will not be allowed to settle there, so not to contaminate it or bring alien life back to Earth.

Least this leaves the door open for a Mars human colony.
YES!

I told friends that they will admit to finding organics on Mercury before they admit finding organics on Mars, it looks like I was right.

Ron Bennett

Yeah I suspect a cover up. But in any case, they need to dig deeper for the good stuff. UV rays are gonna kill anything in the shallow depth they dug.

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@rlb2

Finding water on Mercury is not the same as finding organics. Water is very common, finding it in the shadows of a crater is not that surprising-even on Mercury.

There are far too many people having wet dreams about finding micros on Mars or any where else in the solar system to keep such a find a secrete. There is an earnest desire by some to find any justification for their overly optimistic Drake Equation constants which fuel their "Star Trek is real" fantasies. Any hint of organics on Mars will will be meet with glee.

Cholin

They also discovered organics, dummy.

cholin3947 in this short article above you didn't get the whole story please read this, it talks about the possibility of organics mixed in with the ice water?

http://www.space.com/18687-water-ice-mercury-messager-discovery.html

Ron Bennett

Let's face it, Mars is a dull place, just like the Moon. People will have to bring their own drinks to this party before it gets interesting. It's time to start making plans of building a halfway base on that planet, and move onwards to the moons of Saturn, especially Titan, that place looks just amazing. With billions of people on this planet, we could surely send a couple missionaries into space.

There is no evidence to suggest that life is anywhere but on earth.

This was all hype to keep people willing to allow funding for these vain "find ET" missions.

These mars rover missions ought to be for prospecting for resources (though perhaps first a little closer than mars). Do less damage to the only planet with life by mining for resources elsewhere.

Bagpipes, you do realize none of us care what you think?

@Jackson0458

Really? Is that necessary?

Am I wrong though? I've not seen a report that any ET life has ever been found, or evidence that it exists that isn't well explained by other non-living processes.

There is little reason to believe that what ever this earth shattering discovery is that it has anything to do with life. There should have been no speculation by rational people about that.

To be clear, organics in the modern chemistry sense don't mean life, but carbon based chemicals. It still would be an important discovery for many reasons, most importantly because it would improve our chances of survival on Mars. We could potentially produce many things that wouldn't have to be transported.

As for the report of life, I distinctly remember a report of a fungus coming back from a satellite or something many years ago? What ever happened with that?

Yes it is necessary. You comment denial on every post. Post something positive or halfway scientific for once.

There is no god, Jesus was a false prophet, you're a fool.

Bagpipes100,
I suppose you just to choose to ignore the history of the Sumerian culture. And it is history and not written as a religions. As language was taught to them from beings that come down from above, they learned humans were made by the same beings. This was not a past down story from a different culuture, called myth or religion. It was informeation they recorded for the first time as history.

Bagpipes100,
From a chemical point of view, life on Earth may not be life at all, but a slowly evolving result of chemical reactions to which it will fall back to Earth and continue the process of slowly evolving chemical reactions with GAIA. At least for you Bagpipes.

But for me, I clearly see science as explaining in the smallest detail and with the widest lens the cosmos and in this knowledge, humans draw a wondrous picture of what the Lord has made. For my heart, I clearly see humanity created from something divine and we are in maturity evolving with a hope of a future, despite of limitations and mistakes with of divine loving friend Jesus. Science is real and so are our souls. Religions does not conflict with science, for religion just nurtures our soul and has a different purpose.

Take care and Merry almost Christmas!



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