• Space/Science
  • GeekSpeak
  • Mysteries of
    the Multiverse
  • Science Fiction
  • The Comestible Zone
  • Off-Topic
  • Community
  • Flame
  • CurrentEvents

Recent posts

The Republic RobVG March 11, 2026 11:40 am (Off-Topic)

The Great Lie of War BuckGalaxy March 5, 2026 9:23 am (CurrentEvents)

Overheard on the internet... ER March 4, 2026 4:37 pm (CurrentEvents)

I hate waking up to war podrock February 28, 2026 11:04 am (CurrentEvents)

The religion of nonreligion can be like nonalcohol beer: What’s the point? BuckGalaxy February 28, 2026 2:25 am (Off-Topic)

MAGAlomania unleashed again BuckGalaxy February 28, 2026 2:21 am (CurrentEvents)

‘We’re Going to the Moon and Mars’ BuckGalaxy February 26, 2026 8:41 pm (Space/Science)

Is This the Most Important Supreme Court Case of the Century? BuckGalaxy February 22, 2026 8:56 pm (CurrentEvents)

Supreme Court tries to do Trump a favor BuckGalaxy February 20, 2026 10:58 am (CurrentEvents)

Role reversal ER February 20, 2026 7:58 am (Off-Topic)

When Will This War End? The Question Is Meaningless. BuckGalaxy February 15, 2026 5:56 pm (CurrentEvents)

AI progress RL February 14, 2026 1:59 pm (Space/Science)

Home » Space/Science

About the life on Mars question. August 11, 2012 6:08 am RGClark

Was watching “This Week at NASA” after the landing. I was interested in how the voice over describing the Curiosity landing phrased the life on Mars question. It said Curiosity will try to determine if the conditions are right for microbial life *to exist* on Mars:

Curiosity Has Landed! on This Week @NASA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3smd4INzng

It was notable to me this was phrased in the present tense, not for microbial life *to have existed* on Mars, but *to exist* on Mars. Since Viking with the general consensus that the current life on Mars question was answered in the negative, usually NASA missions were described as only determining if life could have existed in the past on Mars, not the present.
On the “NASA360″ episode shown this week, the NASA scientist interviewed Dr. Bruce Jakosky of the Curiosity and upcoming MAVEN Mars missions described them also as determining if conditions are right for life *to exist* on Mars, present tense:

NASA 360 Season 3, Show 19.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiYVRg7d-PQ

Bob Clark

  • Above freezing max temperature at Curiosity landing site. by RGClark 2012-08-18 07:55:16
    • Liquid water in clouds and fogs on Mars. by RGClark 2012-08-17 13:00:29
      • Water ice haze at Gale crater. by RGClark 2012-08-16 04:09:34
        • Habitability by podrock 2012-08-11 13:30:23
          • Welcome, Mr Clark. by ER 2012-08-11 06:34:24
            • I was a frequent contributor from the "old days", back when Mars Sample Return was being debated as being safe ... by RGClark 2012-08-11 08:58:59
              • We still aren't sure about a Mars Sample Return by bowser 2012-08-11 10:30:33
                • I see. So you're from the Paleozonic Era. by ER 2012-08-11 09:04:29

              Search

              The Control Panel

              • Log in
              • Register