Mysterious Martian “Cauliflower” May Be the Latest Hint of Alien Life
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Mysterious Martian “Cauliflower” May Be the Latest Hint of Alien Life
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Re: Mysterious Martian “Cauliflower” May Be the Latest Hint of Alien Life
#2Sci-fi scenario: We find evidence of microbial life from billions of years ago, when Mars was briefly a warm, wet place. Decades hence, a researcher realizes that Mars still has microbial life, but that it has evolved as its environment has, so it's as arid and rarefied as its present atmosphere, wispy and almost not there. Sadly, she realizes that human activity has already doomed it to extinction.
Re: Mysterious Martian “Cauliflower” May Be the Latest Hint of Alien Life
#3Sci-fi scenario: We find evidence of microbial life from billions of years ago, when Mars was briefly a warm, wet place. Decades hence, a researcher realizes that Mars still has microbial life, but that it has evolved as its environment has, so it's as arid and rarefied as its present atmosphere, wispy and almost not there. Sadly, she realizes that human activity has already doomed it to extinction.
This is a quite likely scenario since collective human activity has so far spelled doom to most species other than humans and our parasites, commensals and domesticated species.
If we are serious about researching or preserving alien life in our solar system, we would have to be very cautious with what we do. But most likely, economic forces will start to dominate our actions in space, as they have always done on Earth.
Re: Mysterious Martian “Cauliflower” May Be the Latest Hint of Alien Life
#4Sci-fi scenario: We find evidence of microbial life from billions of years ago, when Mars was briefly a warm, wet place. Decades hence, a researcher realizes that Mars still has microbial life, but that it has evolved as its environment has, so it's as arid and rarefied as its present atmosphere, wispy and almost not there. Sadly, she realizes that human activity has already doomed it to extinction.
A variant on this features prominently (through one of the main characters/factions) in Kim Stanley Robinson's excellent Red Mars trilogy.
Re: Mysterious Martian “Cauliflower” May Be the Latest Hint of Alien Life
#5Sci-fi scenario: We find evidence of microbial life from billions of years ago, when Mars was briefly a warm, wet place. Decades hence, a researcher realizes that Mars still has microbial life, but that it has evolved as its environment has, so it's as arid and rarefied as its present atmosphere, wispy and almost not there. Sadly, she realizes that human activity has already doomed it to extinction.
This is a quite likely scenario since collective human activity has so far spelled doom to most species other than humans and our parasites, commensals and domesticated species. If we are serious about researching or preserving alien life in our solar system, we would have to be very cautious with what we do. But most likely, economic forces will start to dominate our actions in space, as they have always done on Ear…
> But most likely, economic forces will start to dominate our actions in space, as they have always done on Earth.
Perhaps most advanced intelligence comes in the form of distributed hive minds, and something like a "civilization" is regarded by most sentients as something akin to a pack of wolves or an uncontrolled mob? Maybe we're the ultimate ethical dilemma: All of the bad qualities of a cancer, but you can't ethically kill us because every one of our units is an independent sentience.
Our neighbors are quietly watching us, hoping we'll choke in our own industrial effluents and kill ourselves off in the resulting ecological chaos, so no one has to taint themselves with the unpleasant task of sterilizing our system.
Re: Mysterious Martian “Cauliflower” May Be the Latest Hint of Alien Life
#6Sci-fi scenario: We find evidence of microbial life from billions of years ago, when Mars was briefly a warm, wet place. Decades hence, a researcher realizes that Mars still has microbial life, but that it has evolved as its environment has, so it's as arid and rarefied as its present atmosphere, wispy and almost not there. Sadly, she realizes that human activity has already doomed it to extinction.
This is a quite likely scenario since collective human activity has so far spelled doom to most species other than humans and our parasites, commensals and domesticated species. If we are serious about researching or preserving alien life in our solar system, we would have to be very cautious with what we do. But most likely, economic forces will start to dominate our actions in space, as they have always done on Ear…
This idea is explored a bit in The Expanse.
Without giving away too much... there is some tension between scientists trying to use domes and gear to prevent contamination vs. colonists and miners.
Re: Mysterious Martian “Cauliflower” May Be the Latest Hint of Alien Life
#7Sci-fi scenario: We find evidence of microbial life from billions of years ago, when Mars was briefly a warm, wet place. Decades hence, a researcher realizes that Mars still has microbial life, but that it has evolved as its environment has, so it's as arid and rarefied as its present atmosphere, wispy and almost not there. Sadly, she realizes that human activity has already doomed it to extinction.
A variant on this features prominently (through one of the main characters/factions) in Kim Stanley Robinson's excellent Red Mars trilogy.
From what I recall, she keeps on going on about the beauty of the empty landscape, and the possibility of martian life is mentioned less often.
Re: Mysterious Martian “Cauliflower” May Be the Latest Hint of Alien Life
#8Sci-fi scenario: We find evidence of microbial life from billions of years ago, when Mars was briefly a warm, wet place. Decades hence, a researcher realizes that Mars still has microbial life, but that it has evolved as its environment has, so it's as arid and rarefied as its present atmosphere, wispy and almost not there. Sadly, she realizes that human activity has already doomed it to extinction.
Look no further than The Mars Trilogy
Re: Mysterious Martian “Cauliflower” May Be the Latest Hint of Alien Life
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
A variant on this features prominently (through one of the main characters/factions) in Kim Stanley Robinson's excellent Red Mars trilogy.
From what I recall, she keeps on going on about the beauty of the empty landscape, and the possibility of martian life is mentioned less often.
Who is she?
Re: Mysterious Martian “Cauliflower” May Be the Latest Hint of Alien Life
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
A variant on this features prominently (through one of the main characters/factions) in Kim Stanley Robinson's excellent Red Mars trilogy.
From what I recall, she keeps on going on about the beauty of the empty landscape, and the possibility of martian life is mentioned less often.
Kim Stanley Robinson is a male author.