Interplanetary lawn darts to study extant life in Martian subsurface ice
Posted inAstrobiology Life on Mars

Interplanetary lawn darts to study extant life in Martian subsurface ice

A proposal to search for life on Mars using kinetic penetrators, embedding probes into Martian ice through hard landing. This life-finding mission concept is low-cost and accessible to many private organizations, allowing to seek and study Mars biosphere by multiple entities before we send humans there.
October 17, 2023Posted inAstrobiology, Life on MarsNo Comments
Science, Hype, and Prebiotic Chemistry
Posted inAstrobiology Life Origin of Life Single Scoops

Science, Hype, and Prebiotic Chemistry

Commenting on our report that basalt glass catalyzes formation of polyribonucleic acid, Jack Szostak found it "very frustrating that the authors have made an interesting initial findings but then decided to go with the hype rather than the science". This offers an opportunity to discuss classical chemical structure proof, and the timing of scientific publications.
June 18, 2022Posted inAstrobiology, Life, Origin of Life, Single Scoops6 Comments
NASA’s “Standards” White Paper. Does NASA’s drive for consensus make young scientists susceptible to being trampled by mastodons?
Posted inAstrobiology Single Scoops

NASA’s “Standards” White Paper. Does NASA’s drive for consensus make young scientists susceptible to being trampled by mastodons?

Survival in the Ice Age required youth who were able to balance instruction from their elders with a rebellious streak sufficient to reject their instructions when survival required adaptation. Does NASA's need for consensus upset this balance?
May 25, 2022Posted inAstrobiology, Single ScoopsNo Comments