How to tell Earthlings that Martian life is here
A plan should be formulated for how to tell the public if signs of Martian life are found by future missions to the Red Planet, say scientists from NASA and the SETI Institute. Otherwise, incorrect information could be leaked to the public before studies on the potential life could be completed.
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In 1996, news of possible signs of life in a Martian meteorite called ALH84001 leaked out ahead of a press conference that had been scheduled by NASA. This was partly because a high-ranking White House official told a prostitute about the meteorite. NASA had to scramble to reschedule its press conference to an earlier date to satisfy the growing demand for information from the press and the public.
After any Mars rocks are returned to Earth, preliminary NASA plans call for them to be isolated and quarantined in a specially constructed laboratory. They would be tested there to determine whether they pose any threat to life on Earth and, if deemed safe, released to other laboratories for further study.
The communications strategy should emphasise the scientific benefits of the sample return mission, while not ignoring public concerns about a potential biohazard, Rummel says.
A lobbying group has already formed to prevent such a mission from happening, citing biohazard concerns. These include the chance that alien microbes could be the ultimate “invasive” species and could displace their terrestrial counterparts, upsetting existing ecosystems. Any living Martian microbes could “cause unknown difficulties” to life on Earth, Rummel admits.
all of this dosn’t matter.
The earth is flat.
G.W. Bush told me so
Freak out in a moonage daydream, oh yeah!
I didn’t know NASA had to worry about such issues, with its lack of funding and lazy mission statement.
And people think Bush is the biggest absurdity that we deal with!?
NASA needs to do a lot more searching…for a mission that isn’t cooked up inside of some high teenager’s head!
I tend to believe that
a) The possibility of life outside of earth is statistically plausible.
b) Most governments know extratrestrials do exist, but won’t confirm.
c) the closed mindedness and the fragile state of religious institutions would just implode if it was confirmed.
d) Society on this planet as a whole can’t handle it out side of science fiction.
e) we are slowly getting used to the idea that aliens probably exist, so that we will be desensitized and not “freak out” once we confirm aliens exist. Though it will probably be a lower life form of “alien”
I sure hope that there is some more intelligent form of life out there. We could all use one big dope slap, the way that we treat this planet, and each other.
That’s it, just slap us in the face with the darn truth.
What’s so hard about that?
Or can’t they handle the truth?
It’s funny, people (mainly on the left) will still attack President Bush, when the story has nothing to do with him.
#8, Brandon,
And people think Cheney is the biggest absurdity that we deal with!?
NASA needs to do a lot more searching…for a mission that isn’t cooked up inside of some high teenager’s head!
IS that better?
Of course aliens exist….Al Gore is the proof.
If you don’t belive, look to the skies August 31, Mars will be the closes it has been to Earth in 5,000 years, it will appear to like there is two moons in the sky, but one will be the RED PLANT….
Watch the Skies….. and Keep Safe
I think Bush is the biggest ego looser on this planet. How could he possibly deal with life from another planet? He has screwed the people of this one.
not true at alll
yea it is duhhh
i beg to differ. the goverment can afford to find aliens yet cant pay off dets… or get homelss people of t he streets