Italian magazine claims Phoenix contaminated Mars with terrestrial bacteria |
Italian magazine claims Phoenix contaminated Mars with terrestrial bacteria |
Sep 1 2008, 05:04 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 109 Joined: 20-January 07 From: Milano, ITALY Member No.: 1633 |
I have just read a short story by Alex Saragosa published on issue 1067 (29 Aug 2008, pag. 61) of the italian magazine "il venerdì", a Friday supplement of the major national newspaper la repubblica. The story, titled "I batteri terrestri hanno invaso il pianeta rosso" (terrestrial bacteria have invaded the red planet), claims a group of JPL bilogists analyzed samples from the room where Phoenix was assembled and found 26,000 bacterial cells per square meter from 100 different species, including highly radiation resistant Bacillus pumilis. According to the story, these bacteria may have survived the trip to Mars.
I have never heard anything similar from reliable sources (i.e. anything but la Repubblica) . Any info? Paolo Amoroso -------------------- Avventure Planetarie - Blog sulla comunicazione e divulgazione scientifica
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Sep 1 2008, 06:54 PM
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8784 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Doug's right, though. You can't get rid of all the little beggars, ever. Mars hasn't been technically pristine since the first thing we sent from Earth arrived.
BTW, didn't one or more of the early Soviet Mars boosters impact Mars as well in the '60s? You KNOW those things weren't even close to sterile. Phoenix & indeed every other lander is squeaky-clean by comparison. -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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