Martian soil could grow turnips, Phoenix finds

[G_j]

http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn14217-martian-soil-could-grow-turnips-phoenix-finds.html

Martian soil could grow turnips, Phoenix finds
22:14 26 June 2008
NewScientist.com news service
Rachel Courtland


Some Martian dirt has the same basic chemistry as garden soil, a new analysis from the Phoenix lander suggests. The find widens the range of organisms that might be able to live on Mars.

Although the analysis is not yet complete, the lander has already found trace levels of nutrients like magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride. Although these ingredients were known to exist in Martian soil, until now no one was sure whether they would be soluble in water and thus potentially available for life.

The encouraging result came from a test of soil excavated from the top few centimetres of a region called Wonderland at the lander's site in the northern plains of Mars. The sample was delivered on Wednesday to the lander's wet chemistry laboratory in the Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA) instrument.

In addition to detecting soluble nutrients, MECA also found the sample to be fairly alkaline, with a pH of 8 or 9. This level of alkalinity is common for many Earth soils, and myriad bacteria and plants, including vegetables like asparagus and turnips, can thrive at such a pH. On Earth, exotic microbes have been found in water with bleach-like pH levels greater than 12.

"It performed flawlessly yesterday, and we were all very flabbergasted at the data we got back," said MECA wet chemistry lead Samuel Kounaves from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, US.

..more..

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I hate turnips. They should grow all of them on Mars.

[slackmaster]

2. Should we plan on populating Mars with rabbits?

:argh:

[Baclava]

3. OH Noes!!!!! Attack of the turnips

Run for your lives!

[chknltl]

4. OMG the Neocons are gonna put turnip trucks on Mars!!!

A great many republican supporters started out that way ya know...falling off a turnip truck.
(someone had to say it...)

[LiberalEsto]

5. Rutabaga, rutabaga

rutabaga!

[G_j]

6. call any vegetable

on edit:

here ya go..


Frank Zappa -
Call Any Vegetable

(This is a song about vegetables . . . they keep you regular; they're real good for ya.)

Call any vegetable
(Call any vegetable)
Call it by name
(Call any vegetable)
Call one today
(Call any vegetable)
When you get off the train
(Call any vegetable)
Call any vegetable
And the chances are good
Ooooh! The vegetable
Will respond to you

(Some people don't go for prunes . . . I dunno . . . I've always found that if they . . . )

Call any vegetable
(Call any vegetable)
Pick up your phone
(Call any vegetable)
Think of a vegetable
(Call any vegetable)
Lonely at home
(Call any vegetable)
Call any vegetable
And the chances are good
That a vegetable will respond to you-hoooo

RUTA-BAY-AY-AYGA RUTA-BAY-AY-AYGA
RUTA-BAY-AY-AYGA RUTA-BAY-AY-AYGA
RUTA-BAYYYYY . . .

(A prune isn't really a vegetable. Cabbage is a vegetable.)

No one will know
If you don't want to let 'em know
No one will know
'Less it's you that might tell 'em so
Call and they'll come to you
Covered with dew
Vegetables dream
Of responding to you
Standing there
Shiny & proud by your side
Holding your hand
While the neighbors decide
Why is a vegetable
Something to hide?
YAR-R-R-R-R-G-H!

[spanone]

7. thanks, i will sleep well tonght

:party:

[stevedeshazer]

8. Great!

Now we just need genetically modified vegetables and farmers that can operate at -143° C at 1% of Earth's atmospheric pressure with 95% carbon dioxide we've got it made.

:)

[LostinVA]

10. Monsanto could pull it off

[LiberalEsto]

14. Maybe MonSatan should take its GM seeds

to Mars, and keep them there.

[ThoughtCriminal]

9. I'll Never Go Hungry Again! - nt

[HeeBGBz]

13. So that is why Mars is the Scarlett planet

Fiddle dee dee.

Tara Firma.

[Octafish]

11. Turnips?

I dream about a big, happy turnip.

[HeeBGBz]

12. Sounds like the Turnip of Opportunity

I want to go to Mars and farm turnips, Daddy. It is my dream.

[LiberalEsto]

15. One small problem: no bees on Mars

How in the world are the veggies going to get pollinated?

[lunatica]

16. The reverse of the War of The Worlds will surely happen

We'll invade Mars and water it and the dormant bacteria will come back to life and kill us.

[KharmaTrain]

17. Carl Sagan Called This In The 80s

Last weekend I got to watch some of the great Cosmos shows...in one the late, great Carl Sagan discussed Mars and what he felt could possibly happen...and in light of Phoenix, it's eerie how spot on he was. He discussed the strong possibility that if there wasn't liquid water on Mars, it was below the surface as well as the biological and chemical compositions that could support life. His theory goes on that the presence of water could be used to help Astronauts survive...then start farming on Mars...and that with the planting of simple organisms then Oxygen would be produced that could initially be used to create a living environment for future colonies and in time lead to the development of an atmosphere on the planet similar to earth.