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NASA may have burned best proof of life on Mars by accident over 40 years ago
Viking landers sent to Mars in 1976 to search for organic matter reported finding nothing, a conclusion that shocked scientists at the time. New research published in the Journal of Geophysical Research Planets [DOI: 10.1029/2018JE005544] [DX], suggests the Vikings' main instrument might have actually discovered the organic matter but burned it while collecting soil samples, an article in New Scientist notes.
The primary instrument on the Viking landers, a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer, used heat to try and find these molecules. That was big a mistake. Because of a now-known chemical in the soil perchlorate, the landers would have destroyed any organics in the process. NASA's Phoenix lander found perchlorate on Mars in 2008, Space.com notes.
Previously: Organic Matter Found on Mars
Related: NASA Discovers Evidence for Liquid Water on Mars
UV Radiation and Perchlorates Could be a Toxic Combination for Potential Mars Bacteria
Study Finds Evidence of More Organic Material on Ceres
Complex Organic Molecules Found on Enceladus
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 12 2018, @05:52PM
Senate leader on the investigation for coverup of alien life: "So how could you miss so many clues that alien life already inhabited our solar system."
NASA: "Perchlorates! Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry!"
Senate leader on the investigation for coverup of alien life: "Hmmm hmmm, ah yes, well. Then obviously it was the engineers fault! Off with his head!"
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 12 2018, @05:53PM
The vikings destroyed english dna when they landed there too
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 12 2018, @06:39PM (7 children)
Barely even set foot into space and we are already creating mass genocide.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday July 12 2018, @06:49PM (6 children)
Is a few cubic inches of dirt really mass genocide? Even bacteria-cide? We're just talking about organic molecules at this stage. You build bigger and better organic molecules. Eventually you build amino acids. Then proteins. Then eventually the complexity of the four letters of the DNA. Then DNA. Then the machinery of a cell which has that DNA in the cell's nucleus. The cell is a dang big complex machine with moving parts.
When trying to solve a problem don't ask who suffers from the problem, ask who profits from the problem.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday July 12 2018, @06:56PM
If the organic molecules are hanging out with perchlorates, they probably aren't adjacent to life forms anyway. It's a punishing environment.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 12 2018, @07:09PM (1 child)
How do you know that Viking didn't vaporize the last enclave of the endangered micro marsmosets? You can't know because Viking covered up its atrocities with one of its wheels as it sped away from the scene of the crime.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 12 2018, @07:26PM
If we extinguish Martian life, or have already done so, it may be the result of us sending micro-organisms that outcompete the native ones: an invasive species. We've done this on Earth: see the recent story about lionfish in Florida, for example.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 12 2018, @07:35PM
Any genocide is too much!!!
Honestly, don't reply seriously to a joke! (not mine)
(Score: 2) by legont on Friday July 13 2018, @01:39AM
Just wait till an alien flame thrower walks into you bedroom to collect organic samples.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by suburbanitemediocrity on Friday July 13 2018, @02:06AM
It was the only few cc's of dirt on the whole planet you insensitive clod.
And yes, NASA really is that accurate.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by DannyB on Thursday July 12 2018, @06:46PM (4 children)
What is a better way to detect organic molecules, mixed with perchlorate, without burning the perchlorate and destroying the sample you want to detect?
Are the instruments on the rovers software upgradeable to have this capability?
(The GruntMaster 6000 [wikia.com] is software upgradeable to the GruntMaster 9000. What that tells me is that the graviton generating hardware is the same, but that software restrictions are being used to enforce an artificial price hike on the same exact hardware.)
When trying to solve a problem don't ask who suffers from the problem, ask who profits from the problem.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday July 12 2018, @06:53PM
I guess the end of TFA has my answer
I suppose this cannot be done with a software upgrade.
When trying to solve a problem don't ask who suffers from the problem, ask who profits from the problem.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday July 12 2018, @06:55PM (1 child)
How hard can it be to non-destructively determine the composition of a sample?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperspectral_imaging [wikipedia.org]
https://www.aftau.org/news-page-computers--technology?=&storyid4702=2183&ncs4702=3 [aftau.org]
https://www.iff.fraunhofer.de/en/press/2017/app-reveals-constituents.html [fraunhofer.de]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by bitstream on Thursday July 12 2018, @08:06PM
Or how can one send a probe to Mars but also ensure that even scientists won't find out..
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 12 2018, @07:14PM
Manager: So, you're burning off the perchlorate?
Engineer: Yes.
Manager: Won't that destroy the organic molecules?
Engineer: Yes. It's the only way to be sure.
Manager: Sure of what?
Engineer: That we get more funding to investigate other planets and moons.
Manager: So this is all about budgets?
Engineer: Yes. Isn't everything?
(Score: 2) by legont on Friday July 13 2018, @01:48AM
Definitely looks like galactic pest exterminators visited the place; earth beware.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.