ALF – The Primordial Scoop

The Viking Experiments on Mars: An Overview

Half a century ago, Viking delivered evidence suggesting metabolically active life on Mars, but its legacy was derailed by a mistaken GC–MS interpretation that shaped Mars exploration for decades. This is the firsts article in a series that reexamines Viking’s experiments and results from primary data, shows how they were (mis)interpreted, and that suggests life-finding strategies.

By Steven A. Benner February 18, 2026Astrobiology, Life, Life on Mars, Mars, NASANo Comments

Astrobiology Life Mars

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Honor Series talk: A Journey to Find Active Life on Mars

I was invited by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to be a guest speaker at their Honors Series. Here is the abstract of the talk I will give on October 1, 2024.

By Jan Spacek August 12, 2024Astrobiology, Life, MarsNo Comments

Life on Mars

Assembly Theory and Agnostic Life Finding

Agnostic life finders can either look for molecules that are necessary for Darwinian evolution, or molecules that require Darwinian evolution to make. Assembly Theory promises to resurrect the second strategy after years of failure. Can it?

By Steven A. Benner March 24, 2023Life on Mars3 Comments

Astrobiology Life on Mars

New project to find existing life on Mars before humans arrive

ALFA Mars (Agnostic Life Finding Association – Mars) is a group of scientists, engineers, science communicators, and volunteers with a goal to determine whether indigenous life is present on Martian surface before the first crewed mission arrives there.

By Jan Spacek August 8, 2022Astrobiology, Life on MarsNo Comments

Life Life on Mars NASA Synthetic Biology

NASA Headquarters Misses the Ball. Polyelectrolytes as the Key to Agnostic Life Finding

Synthetic biology, 20 years ago, taught NASA how to search generally, agnostically, and universally for alien life. NASA still does not understand the opportunity

By Steven A. Benner April 16, 2022Life, Life on Mars, NASA, Synthetic BiologyNo Comments

Astrobiology Life NASA

2022 State of NASA Address: Astrobiology at NASA no longer looks for life on Mars

NASA gave up on looking for life on Mars, while planning to irreversibly biologically contaminate its surface. It is now up to private philanthropists to support life searching missions, while Mars is still biologically pristine. We know how to do it.

By Jan Spacek April 1, 2022Astrobiology, Life, NASA1 Comment

Single Scoops

Mars Is a Hellhole. That is Why I Want to Live There.

Some people say that we should not colonize Mars, because it would be hard. I say, we should colonize Mars, because it would be hard. Challenge is what drives invention and we should not shy away from it.

By Jan Spacek March 17, 2021Single ScoopsNo Comments

Life on Mars

How the Agnostic Life Finder (ALF) Searches for Life on Mars

Here, we describe an Agnostic Life Finder (ALF) that is able to look for life in water throughout the Solar System. ALF uses electric fields to extract alien genetic molecules from water. This water will be mined in large volumes during in situ resource utilization (ISRU), to generate fuel before the first humans arrive to create large scale environmental perturbation.

By Jan Spacek February 11, 2021Life on MarsNo Comments

Life on Mars

The Search for Life on Mars Must Start Now

According to planetary protection guidelines, manned Mars missions could be a severe biological hazard. At the same time, Mars will soon be accessible for those who might choose not to follow these guidelines. If we are serious about planetary protection, we must know if life is present on Mars before humans land there.

By Jan Spacek February 11, 2021Life on Mars1 Comment

Life on Mars

The Race to Put the First Humans on Mars

Short of a global apocalypse, we can expect people living on Mars by the year 2050 and if everything runs smoothly, humans will be a multiplanetary species in the 2030s. Several national agencies and private companies declared their interest in landing humans on Mars. This article reviews their programs.

By Jan Spacek February 11, 2021Life on Mars6 Comments

Life on Mars Synthetic Biology

Synthetic Biology Suggests a Universal Sign of Life in the Chemistry of Genetic Molecules

We cannot assume that life elsewhere in the universe will resemble terrestrial life, even at the molecular level, but this presents a problem: how will we recognize the signs of alien biochemistry if we find them? Synthetic biology provides an answer. Regardless of where it lives, complex life must be able to chemically encode large, diverse bodies of information, and only molecules with certain readily observable chemical properties can do this. Look for these molecules, and you'll find life.

By Steven A. Benner February 8, 2021Life on Mars, Synthetic BiologyNo Comments

Life on Mars

Cooking Lasagna Glaciers on Mars

The mid latitude Martian subsurface layered ice, the Martian Lasagna, could be the best place to look for life on Mars. Here, layers of ice, few inches thick are separated by thin layers of dust - creating chemical gradients and bringing nutrients, water and life together. Here is how the Martian Lasagna is made.

By Jan Spacek January 20, 2021Life on Mars1 Comment