Time for Mars Life Again

Methane detection around Mars is giving new life to claims there is life on Mars.  Space.com #1 and Space.com #2 explain why NASA scientists are looking to see if the methane can be explained geologically or biologically.  Some news sites, like The Sun, go over the top with claims life has been discovered.  Only the readers who look at the ending lines will realize there is skepticism about the claims.  The BBC News presented both biology and geology as possibilities.  See earlier reports on Mars methane from 03/30/2004, 11/14/2004 and 12/14/2004.

This can only mean one thing: it’s funding season again.  NASA helped distract attention from Clinton’s sins in 1996 with the whiz-bang press conference about life in the Martian meteorite.  That provided enough funds to launch the science of Astrobiology (04/17/2006, 08/06/2006).  They probably need a boost from Obama.  The safe money is on the geology (see sample rebuttal on Reasons.org).  Earth’s methane is biogenic, but Titan’s is geological.  The question no one is asking is whether a geological origin suggests Mars is not as old as claimed (09/28/2004).  You can ask it, though.  Meanwhile, enjoy Wayne Stayskal’s cartoon.