Viking robots found life on Mars in 1976, scientists say

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47031923/ns/technology_and_science-science/#.T4g6-1FWpu0 ^

[jjotto]

oh brother

FReepers that don’t know that Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus have oceans of methane, clearly indicating to them that they are actually primeval jungle planets...

[chessplayer]

Even on Earth, only 10% of the methane produced is from non-biological processes.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks chessplayer. It has been widely doubted, but IMO The Viking Labeled Release Experiment and Life on Mars designed by Gilbert V. Levin found it. I've never found the supposed evidence from the supposed Martian meteorites compelling though.

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[vannrox]

I well remember the event. At the time, the big news was that co2 was being created in the test chamber within the lander. That was one of the tests for life.

At JPL, everyone was very very excited about this.

This was because, before the Mars Lander landed, a set of criteria was written down and agreed upon. This criteria clearly established what the test results would mean. It was found in a matrix at the front of the policy paper, and was very detailed.

One of the criteria was that if CO2 was created, and the soil had elements that would not react to create co2, unless it was heated that it was extremely probable that life or a carbon-life process was creating the gas. And that is exactly what they found. This, as well as a host of other test results clearly indicated that life processes were in process within the chamber.

Unfortunately, a policy administrator nixed the result, and clearly stated that no life was found. This astounded everyone at JPL, but they needed their jobs. (They were axes later, for other reasons, but that’s another story...)