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posted by hubie on Tuesday September 20 2022, @06:49PM   Printer-friendly
from the hints-and-allegations dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has detected its highest concentrations yet of organic molecules, in a potential signal of ancient microbes that scientists are eager to confirm when the rock samples are eventually brought to Earth.

While organic matter has been found on the Red Planet before, the new discovery is seen as especially promising because it came from an area where sediment and salts were deposited into a lake—conditions where life could have arisen.

"It is very fair to say that these are going to be, these already are, the most valuable rock samples that have ever been collected," David Shuster, a Perseverance return sample scientist, told reporters during a briefing.

[...] Further analysis and conclusions will have to wait for the Mars Sample Return mission—a collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) to bring back the rocks that is set for 2033.

[...] The results showed a class of organic molecules called aromatics, which play a key role in biochemistry.

"This is a treasure hunt for potential signs of life on another planet," NASA astrobiologist Sunanda Sharma said.

"Organic matter is a clue and we're getting stronger and stronger clues...I personally find these results so moving because it feels like we're in the right place, with the right tools, at a very pivotal moment."


Original Submission

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  • (Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Tuesday September 20 2022, @07:51PM (1 child)

    by maxwell demon (1608) on Tuesday September 20 2022, @07:51PM (#1272623) Journal
    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    • (Score: 2) by hubie on Tuesday September 20 2022, @09:41PM

      by hubie (1068) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday September 20 2022, @09:41PM (#1272638) Journal

      Interesting. When an editor submits a story to the story queue, it gets removed from the submissions list so that no other editors will edit and submit it. Maybe two editors were editing it at the same time? One of you database people out there will have to explain how that happens to me. In the end it clearly has to be the fault of the editor who submitted it the second time; he tries hard, but I think they just keep him around for the lulz.

      So . . . . what should we talk about now???

  • (Score: 2, Troll) by Gaaark on Tuesday September 20 2022, @10:53PM (2 children)

    by Gaaark (41) on Tuesday September 20 2022, @10:53PM (#1272658) Journal

    Mars Rover The Whole World Sees Hints Of Past Life In Latest Rock Samples on TV as slowly rotting corpse is 'entouraged' through London and then buried in the ground.

    Tons of people lined up to see this rotting corpse.

    We are strange, strange humans.

    --
    --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
    • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Wednesday September 21 2022, @01:21AM (1 child)

      by Gaaark (41) on Wednesday September 21 2022, @01:21AM (#1272675) Journal

      Oh!
      In bad taste... poorly executed... really awful... BUT TROLL?

      Wubbuh?

      :P

      --
      --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 21 2022, @04:49AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 21 2022, @04:49AM (#1272691)

        Will the critic reveal itself?!

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