Confronting the Swirling Rumors of Discovery of "Life on Mars"

Rumors were flying over the weekend that  the White House was being briefed by NASA scientists about a “provocative” discovery that could indicate the potential for life on Mars. A source close to the Mars mission says: not true.

"The White House has been alerted by NASA about plans to make an announcement soon on major new Phoenix lander discoveries concerning the "potential for life" on Mars," wrote Craig Covault, citing anonymous sources on the Phoenix Lander's wet chemistry lab team. Covault's article was measured and made sure to note that "sources say the new data do not indicate the discovery of existing or past life on Mars."

The White House has been alerted by NASA about plans to make an announcement soon on major new Phoenix lander discoveries concerning the "potential for life" on Mars, scientists tell Aviation Week & Space Technology.

Sources say the new data do not indicate the discovery of existing or past life on Mars. Rather the data relate to habitability—the "potential" for Mars to support life—at the Phoenix arctic landing site, sources say.”

It also reported that these discoveries go beyond the recent confirmations of water on the planet:

“The other data not discussed openly yet are far more "provocative," Phoenix officials say.

In fact, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory science team for the MECA wet-chemistry instrument that made the findings was kept out of a July 31 news conference at the University of Arizona Phoenix control center. The goal was to prevent them from being asked any questions that could reveal information before NASA is ready to make an announcement, sources say.

The Bush Administration's Presidential Science Advisor's office, however, has been briefed on the new information that NASA hopes to release as early as mid August. It is possible an announcement would not come until September, to allow for additional analysis. That will depend upon the latest results still being analyzed from the spacecraft's organic oven and soil chemistry laboratories.

Covault's post implied that a test in which Earth water was mixed with Martian soil is the cause of the excitement. Mars Phoenix scientists have repeatedly stated that the lander doesn't have the tools to directly detect life.

David Leonard of LiveScience boldly states, without sourcing or attribution, that a paper on the work is going to come out in the journal Science.

"The reason that all this seems so hush-hush is due to a future paper and press release that appears likely to pop out of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and its Science magazine. Whatever the poop is from the scoop that’s been studied by Phoenix, that information is purportedly going through peer-review."

Late last night, @MarsPhoenix (aka Veronica McGregor, a NASA employee) refuted the rumor via NASA's  Twitter stream.

"Heard about the recent news reports implying I may have found Martian life. Those reports are incorrect," she Tweeted. "Reports claiming there was a White House briefing are also untrue and incorrect."

We'll keep you posted on any new developments. Our bet at the Galaxy is that, yes, NASA will confirm microbial life either existed or exists on Mars (and soon to be discovered on Europa and Titan).

Posted by Casey Kazan.

Sources:

NASA Twitter Stream

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/08/rumors-abound-a.htm

Comments

[Roger Gelder]

You should tell Covault that the janitor is NOT on the science team, and that he (Covault) has created more 'Huff & Puff' than any previous rumour monger. Not good enough by anyone's reporting standards.

[nepharous]

NASA means "Never a Straight Answer". There have been photos in circulation for several years now that show what seems to be biological locations in the southern hemisphere of Mars. My gut feeling is that the ovens on Phoenix mixed water, heat and soil samples together and that plant spoars were reactivated. Guess what gang, Mars is ALIVE. Now the question is this, do we go thier and potentially contaminate it with Earth biology? For those of us who thought that Mars represented our next planet for exploitation, the game may have changed. Time to start taking care of Mother Earth.

[Colorado Springs]

Quite the contrary, "reactive salts" have been found in the soil which will prevent the growth of organic material. The opposite of "exciting news" about life or former life - no asparagus growing there!