Life Discovered on Mars
On Sunday, the International Martian Imagery Analysis Institute (IMIAI) announced they had confirmed that a series of stills and video clips they had been studying for two months does in face depict a worm-like creature moving through the Martian soil. The imagery was obtained by MER-B Opportunity, one of two robots operated by NASA on Mars. NASA has yet to comment on the finding, but experts almost unanimously agree with the conclusion reached by the IMIAI.
"Slinky" the Martian Worm
“Today we know that we are not alone,” remarked IMIAI chair, Lynne Swarsky. “Our organization has been devoted to the search for Martian life and now we know it was all worthwhile.” The creature discovered on Mars, nicknamed “Slinky”, looks very similar to Earthly tape worms. “It’s not a coincidence at all,” clarified Lawrence Wright, a geneticist and professor and James Madison University in Virgina. “The hardest part in evolution is getting from molecules to living organisms. These organisms are extremely simple and, next to a single celled creature, the tape worm is about the simplest. Think of it as the fundamental building block of life.” Wright went on to explain that, given ideal conditions, we could expect to be observing more complex life on Mars, such as mammalian-type creatures, within the century.
There is no data suggesting whether the specimen discovered on Mars is carbon-based, like most life on Earth, but it is expected that NASA will fast-track a manned mission to Mars to collect samples. There is no reason to believe that these Martian worms could be a threat to our planet at the time, but it is very important to know for sure. I will be writing my congressman to voice my concerns and encourage a “yes” vote on allocating funds to send a collection mission to Mars and I suggest my readers do the same.
“First we found water and now this! Next thing you know, there will be little green animals with three eyes just like we always dreamed,” concluded Swarsky in the statement released by the IMIAI. Today is truly an exciting day, but we just need to approach the matter with caution.
