NASA study hints at the possibility of life beneath Mars's ice

On October 17, the latest NASA research findings on potential life locations on Mars were published in the scientific journal "Nature Communications Earth & Environment." So far, the existence of life has not been confirmed, but scientists are increasingly identifying areas with conditions conducive to its development.

In the new study, NASA focused on one of the two types of ice present on Mars, specifically, water ice. Large amounts of this ice have formed from snow mixed with dust that settled on the surface of the Red Planet over millions of years. Besides water ice, frozen carbon dioxide ice can also be found on Mars.

NASA suggests that microbes might have found a habitat beneath the water ice on Mars's surface. Using computer modeling, the study's authors demonstrated that sunlight penetrating the water ice is sufficient for photosynthesis to occur in shallow meltwater pools beneath the ice surface.

Additionally, ice of appropriate thickness protects against harmful ultraviolet radiation, ultimately providing suitable conditions for the growth and development of microbiological life. Similar processes can be observed on Earth's surface. Such meltwater reservoirs in earthly ice are rich with life. NASA reminds us that among the life forms found are algae, fungi, and microscopic cyanobacteria, which derive energy from photosynthesis.

Nick Bostrom, a Swedish philosopher and professor at the University of Oxford, published an essay 16 years ago in the MIT Technology Review, where he considered the consequences of finding life on Mars.

"(...) if we discovered traces of some simple extinct life form—some bacteria, some algae—it would be bad news. If we found fossils of something more advanced, perhaps something looking like the remnants of a trilobite or even the skeleton of a small mammal, it would be very bad news. The more complex the life we found, the more depressing the news of its existence would be. Scientifically interesting, certainly, but a bad omen for the future of the human race," he noted in it.

When asked about his opinion on the latest NASA findings, Prof. Bostrom told WP Tech that reports on the results of searching for life on Mars appear from time to time, and in many cases, the excitement surrounding them is premature. So far, it has not been possible to confirm the existence of life on Mars. However, this does not change the fact that its discovery could have significant consequences for humanity.

"If we discovered some very simple life forms on Mars in its soil or under the ice at the polar caps, it would show that the Great Filter must exist somewhere after that period in evolution. If we then discovered a more advanced life form, such as some kind of multicellular organism, this again would be even worse news for us. And if we discovered the fossils of some very complex life forms, like a vertebrate mammal, we would have to conclude that the probability is overwhelming that the bulk of the Great Filter is ahead of us. Such a discovery would be a crushing blow," Prof. Bostrom emphasized.

Robin Hanson, a professor of economics at George Mason University in Virginia, developed the mentioned Great Filter theory. It posits that every developing civilization must inevitably encounter obstacles perceived as filters. Overcoming these barriers is necessary for a civilization to reach a higher level. The obstacles can be various events, such as nuclear war, meteorite impact, natural disasters, or an ice age.