By Alena Zhang ’18, Staff Writer

For over 15 years, scientists have continuously searched for signs of life on Mars.  In addition to the knowledge that ice exists on Mars, NASA believes that the planet was home to a massive ocean around 4.3 billion years ago.  The search for life was taken one step further in late September, as NASA announced the results of a study confirming evidence of flowing water on Mars.  This finding is not only a major scientific discovery and accomplishment, but further provokes speculation about extraterrestrial life and the possibility of humans colonizing planets outside of Earth.  

Due to low air pressure on Mars, water has a low boiling point and evaporates very quickly.  In an April study, researchers indicated the presence of a salt on Mars, which could increase water’s boiling point and allow it to remain a liquid.  Published by the journal Nature Geoscience, the most recent study describes crawling streaks of dark sand found on Mars’ surface.  Scientists examined the chemical compositions of the wet looking streaks and found an abundance of hydrated salts.  They concluded that the dark streaks resulted from the bonding process of salt and water, creating patches of land where microorganisms could possibly survive.

“Liquid water is a key requirement for life on Earth,” study lead author Lujendra Ojha, the 25-year old graduate student who discovered streaks of water on Mars in 2010, says.  “The presence of liquid water on Mars’ present-day surface therefore points to environments that are more habitable than previously thought”.  Although colonization on Mars now seems more realistic, Mila Nazarali ‘18 thinks “It might be a better goal to focus our time and resources  on projects that have a more direct impact on Earth instead of already planning our move to the next one”.

However, others believe that the discovery of flowing water on Mars is a great opportunity to advance our space exploration program.  In fact, Mars One is a nonprofit organization based in the Netherlands that hopes to establish a permanent human colony on Mars by 2027.  Alex Chang ‘17 thinks that “Colonization projects will help us conduct complex research on a planet we still have a lot to learn about”.  These plans will allow researchers to comprehensively examine the practicality of human life on Mars.

Literature, film, and media have long entertained the idea of extraterrestrial life on Mars.  These beings, referred to as Martians, have been described as invaders of the Earth, anthropomorphic animals, and even civilized humanoids, to name a few.  Since water is a key component to life, concrete evidence of flowing water on Mars means that there is higher probability of discovering separate life forms.

We continue to make enormous advances in science and technology every day, whether it be in space or on land.  Biology teacher Ms. Berkefeld said, “Having these discoveries become publicly known is great for science in general because it inspires curiosity”.  In addition, she suggested that “Besides Mars, we should also be discussing Venus – NASA is doing a lot of great exploration there”.  By pursuing this progressive mindset, we can continue to explore the boundaries of the unfamiliar.