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Martian Soil May Contain Detrimental Substance

This is a discussion on Martian Soil May Contain Detrimental Substance within the Science & Technology forums, part of the Debates & Discussion category; (AP) -- NASA's Phoenix spacecraft has detected the presence of a chemically reactive salt in the Martian soil, a finding ...

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Old 08-05-08, 04:11 PM
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Default Martian Soil May Contain Detrimental Substance

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(AP) -- NASA's Phoenix spacecraft has detected the presence of a chemically reactive salt in the Martian soil, a finding that if confirmed could make it less friendly to potential life than once believed.
You can find the entire article here.

I think that such a discovery is both good and bad. The bad is that if the soil does contain these chemicals the chances of life existing there are dramatically lower. However, it may be possible to harvest such chemicals and exploit them as a fuel source - this would be beneficial for obvious reasons.

What are your thoughts on this?
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Old 08-05-08, 04:13 PM
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Default Re: Martian Soil May Contain Detrimental Substance

If oil from the Middle East is expensive, imagine something from freakin' MARS?

It would provide an alternative that may or may not harm the environment, though, depending on how the chemicals are used and filtered. As for life on Mars, maybe Martian life is immune to these chemicals or thrives on them, like chemosynthetic bacteria. Not exactly little green men, but it would be something.
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Old 08-05-08, 04:16 PM
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Default Re: Martian Soil May Contain Detrimental Substance

Imagine if there were some kind of fuel on Mars how tough/costly it would be to get it back to Earth. Would it even be worth it?
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Old 08-05-08, 07:34 PM
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Default Re: Martian Soil May Contain Detrimental Substance

Yes, but I'm talking about once we've colonized Mars.

Right now it takes years to get there - it would be impossible to transport materials back and forth.
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Old 08-05-08, 07:46 PM
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Default Re: Martian Soil May Contain Detrimental Substance

Only the chances of life as we know it on Mars are diminished. The possibilities for life unlike anything people have ever imagined are practically infinite.
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Old 08-08-08, 03:56 PM
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Default Re: Martian Soil May Contain Detrimental Substance

Good point, Gillibean.

Everyone automatically assumes that all life functions the way we do - but that isn't necessarily true.

For example, we have aerobic and anaerobic organisms here on Earth. Yet we still speak as though everything requires large amounts of oxygen.
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Old 08-08-08, 04:06 PM
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Default Re: Martian Soil May Contain Detrimental Substance

I always found that attitude very odd. Are we really so self centered that imagining life like we've never known is totally beyond us? I think Star Trek really had the right idea when it came to the variety of possible life forms.
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Old 08-09-08, 08:07 PM
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Default Re: Martian Soil May Contain Detrimental Substance

Or like a planet has to have water when chemosynthetic protobacteria can thrive off of chemicals that would kill a human.
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extraterrestrial life, martain soil, nasa, perchlorate, phoenix, rocket fuel



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