Where are they?
Article by Nick Bostrom - Where are they and Why I hope the search
for Extraterrestrial life find nothing
When water was discovered on Mars, people got very excited. Where there is water,
there may be life. Scientists are planning new missions to study the planet up close.
NASA’s next Mars rover is scheduled to arrive in 2010. In the decade following, a
Mars Sample Return mission might be launched, which would use robotic systems
to collect samples of Martian rocks, soils, and atmosphere, and return them to Earth.
We could then analyze the sample to see if it contains any traces of life, whether
extinct or still active. Such a discovery would be of tremendous scientific
significance. What could be more fascinating than discovering life that had evolved
entirely independently of life here on Earth? Many people would also find it
heartening to learn that we are not entirely alone in this vast cold cosmos.