Martian dry lake with organics

NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity is once again making the headlines in the science press. It has drilled into the ground in a place that appears to have been a lake in ancient times. The soil samples from what once was wet mud contained unexpected amounts of organic carbon. Read more here — link >>>>

The origin of these carbon compounds is however still not clear. On Earth, there are “stone-eating” microorganisms that survive in oxygen-free environments by using a process called chemolithotrophy. The quest for alien life om Mars continues.

Curiosity’s Martian drill hole