Curiosity rover's methane result challenges life theory

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

19 September 2013 Last updated at 18:01 GMT

Curiosity rover's methane result challenges life theory

By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News

The Curiosity rover's failure to detect methane on Mars is a blow to theories that the planet may still host some types of life, say mission scientists.

Telescopes and satellites have reported seeing small but significant volumes of the gas, but the six-wheeled robot can pick up no such trace.

On Earth, 95% of atmospheric methane is produced by microbial organisms.

Researchers have hung on to the hope that the molecule's signature at Mars might also indicate a life presence.

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Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24165219

[Warren DeMontague]

1. I celebrate when science finds answers- not whether or not it's the answer I wanted or expected.

That's one of the many reasons science is cool.

Also, bear in mind:

"This observation doesn't rule out the possibility of current microbial activity, [but] it lowers the probability certainly that methanogens are the source of that activity," he told the BBC's Science In Action Programme.

Or as team-member Prof Sushil Atreya, from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, put it: "There could still be other types of microbes on Mars. This just makes it harder for there to be microbes that kick out methane."

[xfundy]

2. I hope they hurry. We need a new planet.

This one is almost totally trashed.

[FiveGoodMen]

5. There's absolutely no chance that our planet's population is getting moved to another planet

[mr_hat]

3. As if there'd be cows.

Sheesh.

[longship]

4. Bacteria are a huge source of earth methane.

It's what many of them do. To them, it's just bacteria poop. Just like potable alcohol is yeast poop.

But not all bacteria poop out methane.

Methane is a very simple molecule, CH4, so it's easy to make, which kind of explains why many bacteria poop it out -- or so one would think.

[man4allcats]

8. Ain't that some shit?

[darkangel218]

6. Is Curiosity ever coming back on Earth?

[GeorgeGist]

7. Nice bait and switch ...

headline.

[demwing]

9. Lets see...methane, Curiosity rover, life theory

You're right. Totally misleading.

[NickB79]

10. If there is life on Mars, it's likely underground

In caverns and such. If that were the case, would it be possible the methane previously detected by other devices was caused by localized plumes above these underground systems, and the methane was rising into the atmosphere instead of staying at ground level where the rover is?

If we have multiple telescopes and satellites finding methane, but one rover doesn't, that doesn't rule out the presence of methane.