Howdy Rocky

Aug 5, 2011 -- 5:30PM, rocketjsquirell wrote:

 

The significance for science would be that it would make it more likely than not that life evolved on other planets and in other solar systems. If this is true it will lead to further exploration (always a good thing, because of the new things we discover and the new technologies which we need to  develop in order to enable the exploration) as well as new understandings of how and why life develops.

I think that  space exploration is going to continue regardless of wether we find life on Mars or not, though if we do find life on Mars it might spur on more exploration.  

What I would find interesting is if there is life on Mars what would it be like in comparison to life on earth.  What its cell structure and DNA are like in comparison. 

Aug 5, 2011 -- 5:30PM, rocketjsquirell wrote:

The significance for various religions is that those which currently hold a completely earth-centric view of creation would be forced to either deny the scientific evidence (which has been done before - the "great" evolution/creationist debate comes to mind) or adjust their thinking and theology to allow for the new scientific knowledge.

These are exciting times and this is exciting news. 

I have no doubt that if life is discovered on Mars those earth-centric religions will have no problem re-adjusting their theology.   After all they had no problem readjusting the heliocentric theory.    I would not be suprised if they "re-interprete"  their scriptures to prove that god is behind life on other planets.  

Here is an additional link about the possibility of warter on Mars

www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/3330...

Maybe they should alter the Curiosity landing site.  It is interesting, but I side with the wary.  Is this a cyclic thing?  How so?  Has it just been around for a few seasons?  Is it an upwelling of H20 or something else?  Briny?  What salts are involved?  Could it just be C02 thawing and flowing?  If it is water, it can't last for long.  There's no known way to replenish the supply once it has evaporated into the atmosphere.  But, that being said, that's where I'd go to look for life.  It's one of the few places likely to have evidence.