by Rauf » Tue May 23, 2023 8:01 am
Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Mon May 22, 2023 4:20 pm
Jim Armstrong wrote: ↑Mon May 22, 2023 4:13 pm
"I don't think there is any reason to think that any Earth organisms are capable of surviving very long on either the Moon or Mars."
I am afraid that I don't find that answer to be provable enough to take the chance.
Mars, especially, may have places where tardigrades, parts of their DNA or other things we decide to contaminate it with might survive.
Glibness is not a trait I have found often in APOD.
Mars is an incredibly hostile environment. Again, I can think of no lifeform that could survive there, at least no anywhere near the surface (which is where contamination would occur). Life on Earth is highly interconnected. It exists within a system. There is no organism on Earth that can survive without interacting with other species. What do you imagine a tardigrade on Mars would eat?
They won't possibly thrive on a planet with no food and no accessible water. But what if, they go in a state of hibernation, or parts of their body like DNA or certain proteins stays intact, on the long run, maybe some part of their body on some form on the planet. I'm just thinking that it might be too early for us to just send them on another planet, at least without direct human supervision. From what I've read about Tardigrades, they will wake up even after 40 years of total dryness, while if they have water nearby, the won't live no more than a couple months. I think that if we are to send them on other planets, it should be with extreme care.
[quote="Chris Peterson" post_id=331175 time=1684772451 user_id=117706]
[quote="Jim Armstrong" post_id=331174 time=1684772028]
"I don't think there is any reason to think that any Earth organisms are capable of surviving very long on either the Moon or Mars."
I am afraid that I don't find that answer to be provable enough to take the chance.
Mars, especially, may have places where tardigrades, parts of their DNA or other things we decide to contaminate it with might survive.
Glibness is not a trait I have found often in APOD.
[/quote]
Mars is an incredibly hostile environment. Again, I can think of no lifeform that could survive there, at least no anywhere near the surface (which is where contamination would occur). Life on Earth is highly interconnected. It exists within a system. There is no organism on Earth that can survive without interacting with other species. What do you imagine a tardigrade on Mars would eat?
[/quote]
They won't possibly thrive on a planet with no food and no accessible water. But what if, they go in a state of hibernation, or parts of their body like DNA or certain proteins stays intact, on the long run, maybe some part of their body on some form on the planet. I'm just thinking that it might be too early for us to just send them on another planet, at least without direct human supervision. From what I've read about Tardigrades, they will wake up even after 40 years of total dryness, while if they have water nearby, the won't live no more than a couple months. I think that if we are to send them on other planets, it should be with extreme care.