Martian Methane May Be Created By Lifeforms

Following our recent discussions about the growing evidence pointing to possible life on Mars, reader skywatcher2501 writes with news of a study that has ruled out one possible explanation for the levels of methane seen on that planet — that it might be replenished by disintegrating meteors entering the atmosphere. So two theories remain: either the gas is created as a by-product of reactions between volcanic rock and water, or it is a by-product of a lifeform's metabolism.

This must mean...

[gregarican]

that Martians need some beano eh? Also, first post BTW...

Even more compelling

[Anonymous Coward]

Methane concentrations peak in an area on the planet opposite the famous face on mars.

crap

[Nadaka]

Now the ecozealots will decry our spoiling of the natural martial environment, and will protest any attempt at colonization or terraformation as the destruction of a precious natural world.

Quick! We need some fundings!

[quangdog]

This spells disaster in the form of global climate change on mars! Who wants to be the first to martian up and buy some methane offsets?

Re:I do hope...

[ChipMonk]

The most compelling evidence of intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe, is that they have not attempted to contact us.

Re:As a Mr. Skywalker once said:

[Itninja]

And I believe it was the great Dr. Hansford Solo that said "What a incredible smell you've discovered!"

Overlords

[Anonymous Coward]

I, for one, welcome our new flatulent Martian overlords.

Re:Really?

[CorporateSuit]

there are microorganisms living in the Martian soil that are producing methane gas as a by-product of their metabolic processes

Finally, someone that slashdotters can relate to!

Re:Questions:

[maxume]

I figure it's the Russians.

Just ask the USS Reliant to stop by

[Knara]

Who knows, it could just be a piece of pre-animate matter caught in the matrix.

Cows

[JustNiz]

Cows ruined their own planet before they came to earth millenia ago.
Its this migration that the child's nursery rhyme is referencing in the line "the cow jumped over the moon".
They're now doing the same to the earth.

Go ahead

[PPH]

Pull my tentacle.

Re:Even more compelling

[GNUALMAFUERTE]

Yes, I am not in the USA either.

Re:crap

[WoodenTable]

Indeed. The scientific value of alien life is immense, rivalled only by its potential for deliciousness.

The Great Filter

[sevenfactorial]

As Nick Boston pointed out (http://www.nickbostrom.com/extraterrestrial.pdf)

this is the worst news the human race has ever received.

The idea is that the Fermi Paradox must be the result of a Great Filter which stymies the creation of long lived intelligent races. The easier it is for life to evolve, the more likely it is that the Filter lies ahead of us, rather than behind.

Therefore microbes on Mars is bad bad news.