Chile desert combed for clues to life on Mars: HumSub.TV
Chile desert combed for clues to life on Mars: HumSub.TV: Chile’s Atacama desert may seem to contain little besides red-grey rocks and sand — but scientists are busy searching here for clues to life in a place it much resembles: Mars.
Yet life exists here: tiny algae and bacteria that have evolved to survive in the parched earth on little more than sunlight.
If they have done it here, then why not on Mars, 225 million kilometers (140 million miles) away?
“If life existed there, it would probably be very similar to life here,” says biologist Cristina Dorador from the nearby University of Antofagasta.
“We do not know if that is the case, because we do not have any evidence,” she adds, as she breaks up bits of rock salt in an area of the desert known as Yungay Station.
“But if we manage to understand how these micro-organisms live, how they obtain moisture and how they adapt to these conditions, then probably very soon, when we have more information about life forms on other planets, we will have something here on Earth to compare it with.”
Dorador will analyze the fragments in a mobile laboratory which she drives around the desert in search of tiny life forms.
She is one of dozens of scientists from various countries working on different Mars-related projects in the Atacama desert.
Separately, US space agency NASA in February carried out its second phase of practice-drilling for samples in the earth of Atacama with specially designed rovers.
“If life exists or ever existed on Mars, the planet’s surface dryness and extensive (sunlight) radiation exposure would likely drive it underground,” NASA said in a report.
“That makes locations like the Atacama good places to practice looking for life on Mars.”
If fossil life on Mars resembled Atacama, it could shed light on our own origins.
“Studying Mars may help understand how life started on Earth,” says Christian Nitschelm, a French astronomer at Antofagasta University.
Space agencies and science fiction writers alike have long been fascinated by Mars — one of the closest planets to Earth.
The Soviet Union and United States started aiming probes there in the 1960s.
For the past four years NASA has had a robot, Curiosity, on the planet searching for life.
It has sent back photographs of the planet’s surface whose grey rocks look much like those of Atacama.
NASA plans to send a second robot there in 2018. In 2020, Russia and the European Space Agency also aim to send one to drill the Martian soil.
US President Donald Trump has taken up his predecessor Barack Obama’s pledge to send humans to Mars in the 2030s..
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Introduction
HumSub TV is Pakistan’s leading forwarding-thinking, edutainment channel, aimed at promoting and upholding peace, interfaith harmony and social responsibility within Pakistan through informative and insightful programmes and documentaries; analytical interviews on issues pertaining to social, economic, legal and environmental set-up; dedicated shows to canvass and thereby promote the culture and heritage of Pakistan and in-depth coverage of national and international news.
HumSub TV is the first channel and thus a pioneer within its own right that mainly focuses on emphasising the “Rights” as well as the “Obligations” of the citizens in light of the Constitution of Pakistan, numerous International declarations signed by the Government and various laws that have been promulgated over the years but are not in the knowledge of the common citizen.
HumSub TV also aims to enter into bilateral agreements with other countries to promote not only their culture, heritage and tourism, but also their educational and medical facilities.
Following the successful launch of HumSub TV’s head office in Blue Area, Islamabad; the bureau office has been set up in Lahore.
Vision
To project positive image building of Pakistan and inculcate nationalism, as per the vision of the founder of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Mission
HumSub TV is resolute about the promotion of a pluralistic, inclusive and egalitarian society in Pakistan where all citizens are allowed to contribute to promote interfaith harmony, peace and collective wisdom in the social, political and economic development of Pakistan and to encourage critical and lateral thinking in the society. HumSub TV strives to make a positive contribution to this end.
HumSub TV’s Theme
HumSub TV, Pakistan’s first EDUTAINMENT Channel, has been set up for not only those audience residing in Pakistan or overseas but the international community on the whole. The vision of the channel is to project positive image building of Pakistan and inculcate nationalism as per the vision of the founder of the nation.
HumSub TV strives to make a positive contribution to this end by promoting pluralism, inclusiveness and egality in Pakistan and give voice to the suppressed. It endeavors to act as a positive catalyst for social change and Pakistani nationalism. It envisions providing a platform for airing critical and lateral thinking and collective wisdom by inviting positive minded intellectuals and opinion forming individuals for the promotion of interfaith harmony and peace in the social, political and economic development of Pakistan.
Whereas the channel airs upbeat edutainment programmes, it, nonetheless, has the primary objective of countering negative anti-Pakistan regional and international propaganda as well as advancing fundamental rights as encapsulated in the Constitution of Pakistan.
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