Michael

Today, many news agencies reported that the Mars probe called the Phoenix Lander had successfully collected water ice and analyzed it. The ice was brought into a small oven, melted and then “tasted” by the sensors on the probe confirming that it was water.

Confirming water on Mars is a significant discovery and one step closer to gaining definitive proof that life exists outside of Earth. In our current understanding, water is essential to life as we know it. So, we make the assumption that finding water may lead to finding evidence of life.

Over the next several weeks, the water (ice) sample will be further analyzed to look for organic compounds that would indicate life. I’ll be anxious to hear the results.

The announcement is important to me as I believe news like this opens our minds to possibilities that we either have refused to accept or not thought about. Confirming life on other worlds means we are not alone which has the potential to shake many of our belief systems to the core.

We live in very interesting times.

Michael