Signs of Life on Mars

A few days ago the mars rover 'Opportunity' made a startling discovery on the surface of Mars.  The rover had landed in a shallow basin of a small meteor crater.  Not to be stymied by this mishap, the scientists at NASA decided to proceed with a full scale investigation of the material make-up of the soil and environment they were now confined to. 

The first indicator that something soon would be uncovered was the discovery of water in the soil.  Unlike prior predictions, the water the rover encountered was still in liquid form.  If there was going to be life on Mars, it would be much more likely with the presence of liquid water.

But this was only the first discovery.  In addition to liquid water, the rover also found spherical nodules of some unknown compound, completely unpredicted by scientists.  The rover was built capable of doing simple chemical analysis of samples and was soon put to the task of determining just what these nodules were made of.  Guesses by the public abounded, but the truth was far stranger than anyone ever imagined, and it was the presence of this compound that led to the uncontested conclusion that life on Mars had existed at one time. 

Even more exciting was that the form of life that had existed on Mars was not just any form of life, like microbes or simple bacteria.  We are talking large scale life forms with reproductive life cycles somewhat like our own.  There is direct evidence that these creatures formed social units like packs or families.

How was this known?  It is easy when you follow the deductive logic of the scientists.  The chemical compound found in the soil was composed primarily of glycerin, a compound that is generally used in the manufacture of soap here on Earth.  There is no speculation that this glycerin was formed by anything but natural processes, but the evidence was now overwhelming that life once existed. 

You see, water and soap found in a shallow basin left NASA no other possible conclusion that creatures once concerned with hygiene must have lived here long ago.  After all, water and soap?  There must have been a mother around somewhere.

But I digress

Matt

Comments

• Anonymous
  March 03, 2004
  Are you serious or is this a spoof?
• Anonymous
  March 03, 2004
  Maybe Rory really IS from Mars
  
• Anonymous
  March 03, 2004
  I think Matt likes mixing a bit of seriousness and fun in a twisted way, based on the Archives :-)
  
  Matt, care to rank or mention a few your favorite Sci-Fi tv series/books?
  
  I'm not so much into movies in that area, but i'd say i like the serious/funny ones like First Contact and fourth trek movie.
  
• Anonymous
  March 03, 2004
  Last Sci-fi read was Prey by Michael Crichton. Before that was Dune: The Machine Crusade. Before that, a whole bunch.
  
  Favorite sci-fi book? I haven't the slightest idea. I guess maybe it would be Ender's Game, but I'd have to take a inventory of the library to be sure.
  
  Favorite sci-fi series? I suppose Star Trek. I am watching Enterprise now. I'd put TNG before any of the follow ons, but of course I prefer new material over reruns. I am catching Stargate on the Tivo, but those are mostly new to me.
  
  
• Anonymous
  March 16, 2008
  PingBack from http://cityjokesblog.info/the-wayward-weblog-signs-of-life-on-mars/