What we already knew

[CFTraveler]

Article:

Astrobiologist suggests NASA already knew about life on Mars

[javalinar]

So what exactly do we (or you) know about Mars and life on Mars? I had read a book Spirit World and Spirit Life that mentioned Martians and Venetians but I thought perhaps she was referring to life on other planetary systems due to the lack of vocabulary/language at the time the book was written.

[Sinera]

My all-time-fav thread on Mars.

[CFTraveler]

We all knew that rocks reputed to be from Mars had what looked like fossilized microbes, it's been in the books for decades. I remember reading about it when I was in college (and this was a long time ago)- so the knowledge is not 'new', it is only new 'officially'.

[javalinar]

We all knew that rocks reputed to be from Mars had what looked like fossilized microbes, it's been in the books for decades. I remember reading about it when I was in college (and this was a long time ago)- so the knowledge is not 'new', it is only new 'officially'.

Aside from evidence of fossilized microbes, what are some popular theories and speculation (either in this forum or the world of metaphysics and esoteric truths) as to actual life form (intelligent life) on Mars? It's one thing to say they discovered bacteria and virus. It's something else to suggest Martians or intelligent life forms actually lived there.

[CFTraveler]

I'm not talking about the ancient belief that there was intelligent life in Mars (caused by the mistaken notion that the canals that were visible by telescope had running water in them, and had to be man made), I am talking about the modern knowledge that there more than likely was microbial life in meteorites from Mars, known to the scientists that studied them, for a long time now.
I'm not sure where you got the idea that I believed that there is intelligent life on Mars.
I do know some people believe that the 'face' on Mars is thought to be 'man'-made by some groups, but I don't share that belief.

[javalinar]

I don't know that anyone said that intelligent life lives or lived in Mars, except for those who believe that the 'face' in Mars was hominid-made. I certainly never have.
I am talking about the knowledge that life not only is possible somewhere other than here, and microbes are life.

No, I'm not saying somebody said there's intelligent life on Mars. I'm just curious to hear of any theory or speculation on intelligent life on Mars, if it ever did exist. And also what it means to find microbes on Mars aside from the possibility that life exists else where. Like why are there microbes, where did they come from, what happened, etc. I'm quite curious and interested in reading about various views/theories on cosmology.

As I mentioned earlier, I read a book (Spirit World and Spirit Life) that suggested life is quite active on both Mars and Venus... but again, this was written a hundred years ago so perhaps the author meant some place else and lacked the language/vocabulary at the time. The books is quite good except for the references to Martians and Venusians (and communication with them). For a skeptic, the bogus reference is enough to toss the entire book in the trash.

I've come across a few books in our neighborhood metaphysics bookstore that talk about pleiadians and alien life (explains UFOs and alien abductions). I haven't actually read any yet since there's SO MUCH to read out there.

Trying to piece together all the information out there.

[CFTraveler]

Well, there has been a fascination with Mars ever since someone figured out how to make a telescope big enough to see that Mars has interesting features, like I mentioned before- I wish I could remember if it was in Ancient Greece, that they described Mars as having a civilization, with the canals and all that goes with it. What I know is that there was hope that this was true until they developed better telescopes and realized the canals were not full of water, even though we now know that there indeed is water in Mars (in the poles) and not just frozen. And the consensus in the scientific community is that water=soup of life.
The thing about meteorites is that if they did carry microbes from Mars to here, it is very possible that we may be the descendants of an ancient seeding (I'm not talking about the usual stuff you read about in the internet about ancient aliens) I'm talking about the idea of panspermia- that microbes can travel in comets and meteorites and if it lands in the 'right' place it can take hold. What is interesting is that the meteorites that have the fossils are very very old- probably from before we were here. So if they got here first, we may be the product of their 'seeding' and our planet's 'right' conditions- so we may all be Martians.
Which is cool.
Of course, anything is possible.

[ButterflyWoman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars

That's pretty interesting. It addresses a number of aspects, including the somewhat fantastic and maybe strange imaginings regarding life on Mars, as well as the scientific study of the possibilities.

And then there's this:

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2...riginated-mars