• Question: Have you ever discovered life forms on other planets?

    Asked by W Bony l 14 l to Tom, Jon, Anne, Beth, COLFlight on 5 Oct 2015. This question was also asked by 934trn27.
    • Photo: Tom Morse

      Tom Morse answered on 5 Oct 2015:

      Hi W Bony,

      Not personally! How about you?

      I think I’d probably keep it quiet for a while if I did, I think it might change a few things here.

      Keep looking and enjoy the rest of IAAGMOOH.

    • Photo: Jonathan Scott

      Jonathan Scott answered on 6 Oct 2015:

      Me neither, but NASA now think they have good evidence that there may be water on Mars, so maybe that will provide the right conditions for some simple form of life to exist there.

    • Photo: Beth Healey

      Beth Healey answered on 14 Oct 2015:

      Hey WBony14

      Here at Concordia one of the big experiments we are running is called ‘bacfinder’. Every month I take snow samples to see if any bacteria can survive in the extreme conditions we experience here outside. Concordia has conditions similar to those found on other planets, especially Mars which is why it is sometimes called ‘White Mars’. Therefore if we find that bacteria can survive outside here then perhaps they can also survive on other planets too!

      As Jon mentions, the recent finding of water on Mars makes this all the more likely 🙂

    • Photo: Columbus Flight Directors

      Columbus Flight Directors answered on 15 Oct 2015:

      Simon: Hi W Bony l 14 l !

      Like everyone else, as far as I am aware, noone has yet discovered life on other planets. But it could also be that we are not looking for the right signatures. Since our only experience of life is what we find on Earth, most of the established research and experiments for life are focused on detecting life similar to what we see on Earth. It is a good assumption (you have to start somewhere) but it may in fact be wrong! I hope within our lifetimes we will find something “living” beyond our planet that will help us understand if life follows a certain “template” or is much more varied than we could ever imagine!

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