NASA's Mars findings: New clues in search for alien life
Hopes for discovering life on Mars are increasing, with each new study suggesting locations where it might exist. NASA's latest theory proposes that microbiological life could be present beneath the icy surface of the Red Planet. We consulted Nick Bostrom, a Swedish philosopher and professor at the University of Oxford, who remarked in 2008 that finding life on Mars could be considered one of the worst pieces of news in human history. We asked him for his thoughts on the recent discoveries.
On 17 October, NASA published its latest research findings on potential locations for life on Mars in the scientific journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment. Although life has not yet been confirmed, scientists are identifying more areas conducive to its development.
Searching for life on Mars
In the new study, NASA focused on water ice, one of the two types of ice present on Mars. Large amounts have formed from snow mixed with dust, falling onto the Martian surface over millions of years. Additionally, frozen carbon dioxide ice is also present on Mars.
NASA suggests that microbes might have found a habitable zone beneath the water ice. Using computer modelling, the authors demonstrated that enough sunlight penetrates the water ice to allow photosynthesis in shallow meltwater pools beneath its surface.
Additionally, ice of sufficient thickness protects against harmful ultraviolet radiation, ultimately creating suitable conditions for the growth and development of microbiological life. Similar processes can be observed on our planet, where meltwater reservoirs in "earthly" ice are full of life. According to NASA, algae, fungi, and microscopic cyanobacteria deriving energy from photosynthesis can be found there.
Life on Mars: a bad omen for humanity?
Nick Bostrom, a Swedish philosopher and professor at the University of Oxford, published an essay 16 years ago in the MIT Technology Review, contemplating the implications of finding life on Mars.
"(...) if we discovered traces of some simple extinct life form—some bacteria, some algae—it would be bad news. If we found fossils of something more advanced, perhaps something looking like the remnants of a trilobite or even the skeleton of a small mammal, it would be very bad news. The more complex the life we found, the more depressing the news of its existence would be. Scientifically interesting, certainly, but a bad omen for the future of the human race," he noted in it.
When asked about his opinion on the latest NASA findings, Prof. Bostrom explained that reports about the search for life on Mars appear from time to time, but in many cases, the excitement is premature. Life on Mars has yet to be confirmed. However, its discovery could have significant consequences for humanity.
- If we discovered some very simple life forms on Mars in its soil or under the ice at the polar caps, it would show that the Great Filter must exist somewhere after that period in evolution. If we then discovered a more advanced life form, such as some kind of multicellular organism, this again would be even worse news for us. And if we discovered the fossils of some very complex life forms, like a vertebrate mammal, we would have to conclude that the probability is overwhelming that the bulk of the Great Filter is ahead of us. Such a discovery would be a crushing blow - he added.
The Great Filter Theory was developed by Robin Hanson, a professor of economics at George Mason University in Virginia. It posits that sooner or later every developing civilization must encounter an obstacle perceived as a filter. Overcoming this barrier is necessary for a civilization to reach a higher level. These obstacles can include various events, such as a nuclear war, a meteorite impact, a natural disaster, or an ice age.
