There is contemporary life on Mars - Lankan astrobiologist

Walter JAYAWARDHANA

Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe, acclaimed astrobiologist from Cardiff University, Wales said the discovery of water on planet Mars combined with other discoveries point to the existence of life on the planet.

In an interview he said: “The discovery of liquid water on Mars combined with earlier discoveries of organic substances in a meteorite that came from Mars, and also of methane in the Martian atmosphere all point to the existence of life - contemporary life - on the ‘Red Planet’.

“I am not speaking of fossilised life but contemporary life.”

Scientists working on the findings of the spacecraft Phoenix, currently experimenting on Mars announced on July 31 that the mission finally confirmed the presence of subsurface water ice in the north polar regions of Mars.

Professor Wickramasinghe , is the world’s leading proponent of Panspermia, which suggests that all planets including Earth in the Universe have been seeded for life by microbes from outer space. He recently said such life could even exist on the upper layer of the clouds of Venus and could be blown out to earth by solar wind.

Professor Wickramasinghe and Dr Janaki Wickramasinghe (his daughter) of the Cardiff Astrobiology Center claim that Venus’s clouds contain chemicals that exist with the presence of micro organisms.

“Our research proposes that the two sisters, Earth and Venus may be biologically interconnected as well,” Wickramasinghe added.

The Cardiff University based astrobiology researcher is of the opinion that the delay in announcing the discovery of life on Mars is more sociological and political rather than scientific.

He said: “So why the reluctance to admit unequivocally the presence of contemporary life on Mars? I think there could be political and sociological considerations at work. Firstly, if life was already detected, then there is no need to spend vast sums of money to continue the search!

Secondly, there is a lot of scientific interest nowadays in bringing back samples of Martian soil to Earth at the cost of 10’s of billions of dollars, and there is a lobby that says if microbes exist on Mars we should not be doing this! It could pose a biohazard. Planetary Protection and consequent litigation if infective organisms are brought back could constitute major concerns to the authorities.”