In article , says...

(Thomas Smid) wrote:
I would generally be very sceptical with such claims which have come
up before in the past but later proved to be erroneous.

What would be the consequence of such a find anyway?

A major boost in the "seeding" theory of life origin...
... and at the same time, a major mystery regarding its ultimate
consequences: some of the stray meteorites from the terrestial
solar system have undoubtedly gone off into interstellar space,
or vice versa. It's now believe, as of the last year or so,
that spores can survive for the extended periods of time in
outer space they would spend in transit.

If even one world has life, eventually an entire galactic
sector's worth of potentially habitable worlds will get it
too.

The other consequence ties right into the issue I was
going to bring up anyhow: the prospect of future settlement
and terraformation of Mars. If anything is still found
there today, that'll raise an ethical issue concerning
a reverse war-of-the-worlds situation. Will the discovery
of still-existing Martian life make illegal any future
effort toward settlement and colonization?

The real issue I wanted to raise is: what about Martian
agriculture? Mars has a light C02 atmosphere. Is this
enough, by itself, to enable plant life to be grown
either directly outside or underneath greenhouses? What's
required in the way of soil chemistry? Irrigation?

The latter issue could get particularly interesting if
it's eventually found that Mars actually has a water
table.

Then you have a world that is essentially a desert,
which was formerly replete with lakes and rivers and
a more habitable climate (and possibly with life),
with a water table.

This is quite similar both to the condition and history
of the Sahara Desert, which itself provides the basis
for the prospect of Earth-based experimental/testing
trial runs at Martian agriculture.

Likewise, the soil issue could get interesting, if it's
discovered that there's STILL bacterial life in the
soil, and of the right kinds needed for agricultural
development.

How long would it take for the atmosphere to develop a
heavy Oxygen component, if agriculture is widely pursued
on Mars?


Its not habitable because there is no protection of the planet,
by way of an atmosphere. UV Radiation, is a good way to sterilize
bacteria. So how would you propose that you put the chicken
prior to the egg?