The Discovery of Microbial Life on Mars

Abstract

The Discovery of life on Mars, and by extension, the stars, could be proven by discovery of a single living microbe on the Red Planet. But, at the same time, a mass of independently derived data all indicating a finite probably of life, indicating Occam’s Razor as a factor, can also form the basis for the following Inductive Reasoning: 1. The Conditions on Early Earth, where life appeared, and Early Mars, have now been found to be basically identical; therefore, based on the Principle of Mediocrity, the probability of life is estimated to be PL =0.5 on Mars, an estimated 50% probability. 2. Complex organic matter has been found in recently formed aqueously altered terrains on Mars, and in both ancient and young meteorites from the Red Planet, in aqueously deposited minerals found within them, suggesting a further probability of biological origin versus abiotic of PL =0.5. 3. Reexamination of the Viking Life Experiment results, given new knowledges of both Mars surface chemistry and biologically generated super-oxides on Earth, strongly support the conclusions of Levin that life was found in 1976, 4. The seasonal variations of two biologically produced gases, O2 and CH4 recently discovered, are consistent with widespread microbial life on Mars, and along with the Life Experiment results, again can be estimated to indicate a PL =0.5 for each test. In the article we will explore these four findings holistically and draw the overall Inductive Conclusion that the simplest interpretation for this body of data is that Life began and persists on Mars as surely as it does on Earth. We assume here that, using a probabilistic model, the probability of Mars being sterile is PS =(1-PL)N+1 and yields an estimated probability of Life on Mars as 97%. Life on Mars is thus discovered. This conclusion, similar to a court case built on circumstantial evidence, can also be likened to a Second Copernican Revolution, wherein the Earth is now displaced from the center of the Biological Universe, just as it was formerly displaced from its geometric center.