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2018-06-08 Science & Technology

NASA rover data shows Mars had ingredients needed for life

[PRESSTV] A NASA rover has detected a bonanza of organic compounds at the surface of Mars and seasonal fluctuations of atmospheric methane in findings released on Thursday marking some of the strongest evidence ever that Earth's neighbor may have harbored life.

But NASA scientists emphasized there could be non-biological explanations for both discoveries made by the Curiosity rover at a site called Gale crater, leaving the issue of Martian life a tantalizing but unanswered question.

Posted by Fred 2018-06-08 00:00|| || Front Page|| [13 views ] Top

#1 What is the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12?

Posted by Chuckles Grimp5700 2018-06-08 01:20|| 2018-06-08 01:20|| Front Page Top

#2 This might not help much, Grimp old man, as carbon-14 to carbon-12 ratios are only good for dating for the last 40,000 years, and not the 3.6-2.8 billion years for the finds mentioned in the article.

The ratio of normal carbon (carbon-12) to carbon-14 in the air and in all living things at any given time is nearly constant. Maybe one in a trillion carbon atoms are carbon-14. Both Carbon-12 and Carbon-13 are stable, but Carbon-14 decays by very weak beta decay to nitrogen-14 with a half-life of approximately 5,730 years. After the organism dies it stops taking in new carbon.

Posted by Fairbanks 2018-06-08 02:51|| 2018-06-08 02:51|| Front Page Top

#3 Carbon 12-13-14 ratios are different for diamonds on the moon and diamonds on the earth.

I guess what I am saying is each heavenly body has different ratios for sometimes different reasons. Its too early to use carbon isotope ratios to infer anything on Mars.

Posted by 3dc 2018-06-08 04:01|| 2018-06-08 04:01|| Front Page Top

#4 But they see "livable planets" light years away. "...billions and billions..."

Posted by M. Murcek 2018-06-08 08:08|| 2018-06-08 08:08|| Front Page Top

#5 But they see "livable planets" light years away

I suggest that the Beltway crowd embark on a voyage to visit them to be sure, then.

Posted by Mullah Richard 2018-06-08 11:46|| 2018-06-08 11:46|| Front Page Top

#6 Fairbanks,
Carbon-12 to carbon-13 then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCVnRIP3pIk

Posted by Spats Craish3482 2018-06-08 17:19|| 2018-06-08 17:19|| Front Page Top

#7 I'll get excited when the release the unphotoshopped satellite photos.

Posted by Woodrow 2018-06-08 17:39|| 2018-06-08 17:39|| Front Page Top

#8 Ant hillls pls. Just a simple foto of the ant hills.

Posted by Besoeker 2018-06-08 18:38|| 2018-06-08 18:38|| Front Page Top

Posted by Skidmark 2018-06-08 20:46|| 2018-06-08 20:46|| Front Page Top

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