Someone posed this question to me early this week and I really didn't have an answer at the time. I probably would think it cool. But until they put a actual human on mars and build a research facility, it's just another rock floating in the distant space, what are your thoughts?
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How would the discovery of life on Mars effect our society?
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Posted 9 months ago #
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I don't think it would change much at all. It would not be a stretch to think that some form of simple life exists or existed there. Hell we are pretty close - so it is also quite possible that there may have been some interplanetary organic sharing over the millenia.
I think a major shakeup won't happen until the Borg get here.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Can't help but think of this:
Posted 9 months ago # -
It would matter if you believe the creation story. They'd have to think up a work-around, like God chose not to reveal that part of His creation until Man was ready.
The universe is problematic to the creationist view. It was tough enough getting them to realize that the Earth is not the center of the universe. It's still tough to get them to acknowledge that there _might_ be life elsewhere else. Present them with hard evidence of life on Mars, and their story is discredited.
Posted 9 months ago # -
alexs said:
It would matter if you believe the creation story. They'd have to think up a work-around, like God chose not to reveal that part of His creation until Man was ready.The universe is problematic to the creationist view. It was tough enough getting them to realize that the Earth is not the center of the universe. It's still tough to get them to acknowledge that there _might_ be life elsewhere else. Present them with hard evidence of life on Mars, and their story is discredited.
I think it goes a little beyond being quite that simple.
I don't believe any religion's creation mythology, and know that by some theories, it is actually quite likely that there is other life elsewhere in the universe. But, knowing the theory and knowing for sure are two different things.
Also, life on mars does NOT necessarily 'disprove' any given creation myth anymore than knowing than knowing about evolution disproves the bible, it just changes the parameters and turns literal interpretation into more allegorical interpretation. There are plenty of good Christian biologists.
Also, if it turns out that there is/was life on the FIRST planet we check beyond ours, it has huge implications for how common life elsewhere might be. Granted that the conditions on the two planets may have been at some time in the past fairly similar (and WHY are they different now?!), the implication is still that there is not anything particularly "special" about earth and by extension that the same immutable chemical laws that operate here are even more likely than previously thought to be operating elsewhere. That's pretty damned huge when considering that there are already several hundred other planets that have been discovered and we have barely started looking.
There is also the panspermia hypothesis to consider. If life on mars is similar, uses the same 22 amino acids, is based on DNA, etc... then the implication MAY be that the two planets may have been "seeded" by a common source. Perhaps cometary debris, which is known to harbor some organic compounds. Organic compounds of various kind have also been found in interplanetary nebula. I suspect if this turns out the be a possibility, that at least one or two religions would incorporate panspermia as an interpretation of their existing beliefs; i.e. that a god may have seeded more than one planet.
Its certainly interesting to consider all this, but I'm not even 100% sure how I personally would feel about the discovery, much less anyone else. Also, the rover will still be in diagnostic and setup mode for the next several days, so it will be a while before any science is done, probably even longer to actually use the device that can quantify organics.
Posted 9 months ago # -
The Creation Museum will have to build a Mars Annex.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Posted 9 months ago #
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I would hope it would be the final shiv splitting the ribs that protect creation mythologies. Sadly, it will probably take one more generation past discovery to deliver the final blow (and more than that if the Bobby Jindal voucher program starts sending all those kids to private creation schools).
Posted 9 months ago # -
I'm trying to imagine the reactions that "panspermia" would get from the Texas Board of Education members.
Posted 9 months ago # -
you do know right that the bible does say there are other creatures elsewhre in the universe right? If god is a jealous god then he wants many to serve him, so he makes ton of civilizations...
Posted 9 months ago # -
Stop that! I wasn't asking for hydrogen bombs!
Posted 9 months ago # -
Seriously, is there anything in the Bible that says God made other civilizations in the heavens? Or that God will introduce Man to other civilizations?
Posted 9 months ago # -
*fishing around* anything maybe in the apocrypha that didn't make it into the Bible?
Posted 9 months ago # -
Honestly if you think about it. God is a god. And gods have always wanted a lot of people to worship him so why WOULDNT he make more civilizations full of beings to worship him. But hey, just a thought.
Posted 9 months ago #
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