Did you hear that they found water on Mars?

Question

This is for Deenie. :)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/31/tech/main4312431.shtml

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey/newsroom/pressreleases/20020528a.html

So, from alien believers and skeptics alike, what does this mean for us?

Do you think they will start looking into if this water is drinkable? Do you think that they will look for microscopic life forms inside the water?

I find this all very exciting and fascinating. It is great that scientists finally have proof of what they had been suspecting for so long.

*note*

This is in the Alternative section because of a question posted earlier about this. I want it to be seen by the same audience. ;)

Answer 1

That's really exciting. I haven't read up on this latest finding yet, but it does increase the probability that microbes could exist. I'm sure that's the next thing they will look for.

EDIT: Scientifically speaking, water is water is water no matter what state it is in (gas, liquid, solid). Just like there is gaseous nitrogen and liquid nitrogen, there is gaseous water and liquid water, and also solid water (ice). But in everyday language water means the liquid state.

Answer 2

What it means is that we are one step closer to finding other life in the universe.  If we find life this close to home then life is probably a very common phenomenon.

Answer 3

Why do they always look for water on other planets? Can't they look for other organisms? I understand that water is essential but still.

I have no clue what this means for us, but it's probably not going to be a big deal. And yes I am kinda glad that the scientists have finally found what they've been looking for for so long.  

Answer 4

I once heard a theory that Mars was once part of Earth, and somehow this "MarsEarth" got blasted apart into the two separate planets.  So maybe if they find microbes, they will just be Earth microbes? Then again, this was a theory I heard when I was a kid, and I haven't heard anything of it since, so it probably has no scientific basis whatsoever.

I'm excited.  Bring on the microbes!

Answer 5

No, i never heard that before but that's interesting. I also wonder if these microscopic life forms are similar to the ones we would find here or if they are totally different.

Answer 6

That is very cool. I'm surprised. Absolutely surprised. I wonder if there's living microbes on Mars.

Answer 7

Cool.