What would it take to track down life on Mars? In recent years, planetary scientists have eyed Mars with rovers on the ground as well as orbiting observatories. And while they've found interesting geological features, they still have yet to find fossil life, bacteria, or the proverbial little green men. So what would it take to be able to answer the questions about the possibility of life on Mars once and for all? While the jury is still out on whether our near neighbor planet could still harbor life today, many scientists believe that Mars once had much more hospitable conditions, making the planet capable of supporting life.

One approach to finding life on Mars may be to play 'follow the water.' Late last year, scientists announced new evidence for liquid water on Mars -- not in some distant, long-forgotten past, but within the past few years. Photographs taken of the surface of the Red Planet show new gully features that some researchers believe may be the result of recently-flowing liquid water. But is targeting areas such as these the best way to try to track down evidence for past or present life on the Red Planet?

In this hour of Science Friday, live from the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Francisco, we'll talk with researchers about water, carbon, and other signs of organic life. Will researchers be able to identify alien life if they see it? Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (2-3 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection

 

Guests:
David Des Marais
Senior Research Scientist
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, California

Michael Carr
Planetary Geologist
U.S. Geological Survey
Menlo Park, California

Tori Hoehler
Research Scientist
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, California

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This segment produced by Karin Vergoth