Lost Opportunity: The Untold Story of Life on Mars, 50 Years Ago
A scientist suggests that we may have found life on Mars almost 50 years ago through the Viking Project, but inadvertently killed it during the experiments. The Viking landers conducted biological tests on the Martian soil and obtained unexpected results. Traces of chlorinated organics were found, initially believed to be contaminants from Earth. Another experiment involved adding water and nutrients to the soil, with the expectation that microorganisms would emit radioactive gas if present. While the first injection produced positive results, subsequent injections did not. The scientist argues that adding water may have killed the microbes, as certain extremophile life forms on Earth are sensitive to water. The presence of hydrogen peroxide in Martian cells could explain the Viking results, as it would have reacted with organic molecules and produced carbon dioxide.
