1 00:00:08,310 --> 00:00:07,030 good afternoon everyone this is our 2 00:00:09,830 --> 00:00:08,320 briefing on 3 00:00:11,190 --> 00:00:09,840 looking for signs of life in the 4 00:00:13,509 --> 00:00:11,200 universe 5 00:00:16,029 --> 00:00:13,519 and here to discuss that topic 6 00:00:18,070 --> 00:00:16,039 is mary voitak the director of the 7 00:00:21,830 --> 00:00:18,080 astrobiology program 8 00:00:24,230 --> 00:00:21,840 at nasa headquarters in washington 9 00:00:26,870 --> 00:00:24,240 pam conrad the deputy principal 10 00:00:28,950 --> 00:00:26,880 investigator for the sample analysis at 11 00:00:30,870 --> 00:00:28,960 mars on the mars science laboratory 12 00:00:34,549 --> 00:00:30,880 mission from nasa's goddard space flight 13 00:00:37,510 --> 00:00:36,150 jamie foster 14 00:00:39,990 --> 00:00:37,520 professor for the department of 15 00:00:44,310 --> 00:00:40,000 microbiology and cell science at the 16 00:00:45,750 --> 00:00:44,320 university of florida in gainesville 17 00:00:47,830 --> 00:00:45,760 steve brenner 18 00:00:49,590 --> 00:00:47,840 director for the foundation of applied 19 00:00:55,350 --> 00:00:49,600 molecular evolution 20 00:00:59,750 --> 00:00:57,910 and catherine conley i'm sorry uh 21 00:01:01,270 --> 00:00:59,760 stephen benner director for the 22 00:01:03,110 --> 00:01:01,280 foundation for applied molecular 23 00:01:05,270 --> 00:01:03,120 evolution we've got steve and then the 24 00:01:06,789 --> 00:01:05,280 catherine connelly planetary protection 25 00:01:09,109 --> 00:01:06,799 officer from nasa headquarters in 26 00:01:10,469 --> 00:01:09,119 washington so we'll begin first with 27 00:01:12,390 --> 00:01:10,479 mary wojtek 28 00:01:13,990 --> 00:01:12,400 thank you george 29 00:01:17,190 --> 00:01:14,000 so i'm mary wojtek i'm the head of the 30 00:01:19,510 --> 00:01:17,200 astrobiology program and when discussing 31 00:01:21,830 --> 00:01:19,520 looking for signs of life we need to 32 00:01:24,310 --> 00:01:21,840 talk about a program at nasa that's 33 00:01:27,670 --> 00:01:24,320 invested over 40 years in research and 34 00:01:29,429 --> 00:01:27,680 analysis programs to understand some 35 00:01:31,749 --> 00:01:29,439 fundamental questions 36 00:01:33,510 --> 00:01:31,759 as we try to approach looking at the 37 00:01:35,190 --> 00:01:33,520 distribution of life in the universe and 38 00:01:36,870 --> 00:01:35,200 if i could please please have the first 39 00:01:39,910 --> 00:01:36,880 slide 40 00:01:42,069 --> 00:01:39,920 so this is an artist's rendition of what 41 00:01:44,710 --> 00:01:42,079 that program encompasses from prebiotic 42 00:01:46,069 --> 00:01:44,720 chemistry to understanding how life 43 00:01:48,469 --> 00:01:46,079 originated 44 00:01:50,310 --> 00:01:48,479 to how it evolved and how it persists on 45 00:01:52,950 --> 00:01:50,320 earth and what's the possibility of 46 00:01:55,830 --> 00:01:52,960 finding it elsewhere and it basically 47 00:01:57,429 --> 00:01:55,840 answers three fundamental questions 48 00:01:59,670 --> 00:01:57,439 where have we come from that's the 49 00:02:01,910 --> 00:01:59,680 origin evolution where are we going 50 00:02:04,389 --> 00:02:01,920 that's our future on this planet and are 51 00:02:06,149 --> 00:02:04,399 we alone in in the universe so is there 52 00:02:08,469 --> 00:02:06,159 life elsewhere 53 00:02:11,190 --> 00:02:08,479 now i mentioned that we've been at this 54 00:02:12,229 --> 00:02:11,200 for over 40 years the exobiology program 55 00:02:15,270 --> 00:02:12,239 which was the precursor to the 56 00:02:18,309 --> 00:02:15,280 astrobiology program started in the 60s 57 00:02:20,710 --> 00:02:18,319 with research and analysis that provided 58 00:02:22,790 --> 00:02:20,720 the conceptions and rationale for over 59 00:02:25,270 --> 00:02:22,800 12 missions that we have 60 00:02:27,350 --> 00:02:25,280 launched since that time 61 00:02:29,430 --> 00:02:27,360 in understanding 62 00:02:31,350 --> 00:02:29,440 what life needs 63 00:02:34,309 --> 00:02:31,360 to exist and what are the environmental 64 00:02:35,910 --> 00:02:34,319 conditions that will favor life now one 65 00:02:37,350 --> 00:02:35,920 of our prime targets has been mars and 66 00:02:40,710 --> 00:02:37,360 that's what we're here for this week to 67 00:02:42,630 --> 00:02:40,720 talk about yet another step in our 68 00:02:44,390 --> 00:02:42,640 search to understand the possibility of 69 00:02:46,949 --> 00:02:44,400 life on mars we've sent 70 00:02:48,949 --> 00:02:46,959 landers in the 70s the viking missions 71 00:02:51,990 --> 00:02:48,959 to do experiments looking for evidence 72 00:02:54,390 --> 00:02:52,000 of metabolism and evidence of life we've 73 00:02:55,990 --> 00:02:54,400 made orbital observations 74 00:02:58,470 --> 00:02:56,000 and deployed other rovers that have 75 00:03:00,949 --> 00:02:58,480 given us evidence of minerals that 76 00:03:02,309 --> 00:03:00,959 suggest that water was present 77 00:03:04,229 --> 00:03:02,319 and features that we can see on the 78 00:03:05,990 --> 00:03:04,239 surface like deltas and rivers and 79 00:03:07,750 --> 00:03:06,000 ripples that are consistent with what we 80 00:03:09,430 --> 00:03:07,760 understand or the actions of water on 81 00:03:11,190 --> 00:03:09,440 our own planet and so we suspect that's 82 00:03:13,589 --> 00:03:11,200 what's going on there as well and 83 00:03:15,270 --> 00:03:13,599 evidence of ice not only at the poles 84 00:03:16,869 --> 00:03:15,280 but in the subsurface away from the 85 00:03:18,630 --> 00:03:16,879 poles 86 00:03:21,750 --> 00:03:18,640 and now we're here today 87 00:03:24,070 --> 00:03:21,760 are this week to talk about msl which is 88 00:03:25,430 --> 00:03:24,080 the next step which is defining 89 00:03:27,030 --> 00:03:25,440 habitability 90 00:03:28,710 --> 00:03:27,040 so one of the ingredients of life is 91 00:03:30,550 --> 00:03:28,720 water we're now looking to see if we can 92 00:03:33,270 --> 00:03:30,560 find other conditions that are necessary 93 00:03:35,190 --> 00:03:33,280 for life by defining habitability or 94 00:03:37,350 --> 00:03:35,200 what does it take in the environment to 95 00:03:40,390 --> 00:03:37,360 support life thank you george all right 96 00:03:42,309 --> 00:03:40,400 thanks mary now to pan conrad the deputy 97 00:03:44,229 --> 00:03:42,319 principal investigator for the sample 98 00:03:47,110 --> 00:03:44,239 analysis at mars from nasa's goddard 99 00:03:49,910 --> 00:03:47,120 space flight center pan 100 00:03:51,509 --> 00:03:49,920 so you're not supposed to do this when 101 00:03:52,869 --> 00:03:51,519 you sit in swivel chairs in a press 102 00:03:54,869 --> 00:03:52,879 conference 103 00:03:56,309 --> 00:03:54,879 but i'm so antsy and so excited that 104 00:03:57,589 --> 00:03:56,319 we're finally here getting ready to 105 00:03:59,670 --> 00:03:57,599 launch because we've been working on 106 00:04:01,350 --> 00:03:59,680 this a really long time 107 00:04:03,110 --> 00:04:01,360 and one reason why it's especially 108 00:04:06,390 --> 00:04:03,120 exciting to me is 109 00:04:08,470 --> 00:04:06,400 my primary research interest is in what 110 00:04:10,949 --> 00:04:08,480 makes places habitable 111 00:04:13,670 --> 00:04:10,959 and i think that astrobiology as a very 112 00:04:15,990 --> 00:04:13,680 broad science has room for all kinds of 113 00:04:18,710 --> 00:04:16,000 questions about life in the universe but 114 00:04:21,110 --> 00:04:18,720 this is to me one of the most exciting 115 00:04:23,270 --> 00:04:21,120 because we have the example of earth and 116 00:04:25,270 --> 00:04:23,280 the example of mars who were formed at 117 00:04:26,870 --> 00:04:25,280 the same time and they look very 118 00:04:28,870 --> 00:04:26,880 differently today 119 00:04:30,950 --> 00:04:28,880 and everything we know about life and 120 00:04:32,310 --> 00:04:30,960 what makes a livable environment on this 121 00:04:37,350 --> 00:04:32,320 planet 122 00:04:39,909 --> 00:04:37,360 to be a tough science question to ask 123 00:04:41,830 --> 00:04:39,919 and answer on mars because what things 124 00:04:43,749 --> 00:04:41,840 look like on mars are a function not 125 00:04:46,230 --> 00:04:43,759 only of the initial set of ingredients 126 00:04:48,870 --> 00:04:46,240 that mars had when it was made but the 127 00:04:50,710 --> 00:04:48,880 processes that have affected mars 128 00:04:53,510 --> 00:04:50,720 so i want to give you a couple of short 129 00:04:55,590 --> 00:04:53,520 examples of things that we might look at 130 00:04:58,469 --> 00:04:55,600 to try to understand the background 131 00:05:01,350 --> 00:04:58,479 environment and what might make it or 132 00:05:02,950 --> 00:05:01,360 maybe not habitable and the reason why 133 00:05:04,150 --> 00:05:02,960 it's so important to study the 134 00:05:08,550 --> 00:05:04,160 environment 135 00:05:13,749 --> 00:05:11,350 now on earth what we really try to look 136 00:05:16,230 --> 00:05:13,759 for when we go into an environment to 137 00:05:18,469 --> 00:05:16,240 assess its potential for habitability 138 00:05:20,790 --> 00:05:18,479 both in the present or perhaps 139 00:05:22,950 --> 00:05:20,800 trapped in the rock record are some 140 00:05:24,469 --> 00:05:22,960 kinds of structures in chemistry that 141 00:05:27,110 --> 00:05:24,479 would tell you 142 00:05:29,830 --> 00:05:27,120 that that rock had had a process acted 143 00:05:31,749 --> 00:05:29,840 upon it that would leave it in a certain 144 00:05:32,790 --> 00:05:31,759 way that might make it favorable for 145 00:05:35,189 --> 00:05:32,800 life 146 00:05:37,029 --> 00:05:35,199 the processes that rework the surface of 147 00:05:38,629 --> 00:05:37,039 the earth they're called sedimentary 148 00:05:41,590 --> 00:05:38,639 processes 149 00:05:43,830 --> 00:05:41,600 and some of the clues are in this rock 150 00:05:45,990 --> 00:05:43,840 so it looks kind of striped 151 00:05:48,070 --> 00:05:46,000 much like a cake i might add 152 00:05:49,590 --> 00:05:48,080 and what that means is that one layer of 153 00:05:51,990 --> 00:05:49,600 sediment got deposited and then 154 00:05:54,390 --> 00:05:52,000 conditions change just a little bit and 155 00:05:57,749 --> 00:05:54,400 you have a distinct boundary between the 156 00:05:59,510 --> 00:05:57,759 next episode of deposition of sediment 157 00:06:01,350 --> 00:05:59,520 and after this stuff got heated and 158 00:06:03,270 --> 00:06:01,360 smooshed together and became a rock you 159 00:06:05,909 --> 00:06:03,280 ended up with these stripes which are 160 00:06:07,990 --> 00:06:05,919 basically a sedimentary structure and 161 00:06:10,150 --> 00:06:08,000 they give you the clue that it is a 162 00:06:12,550 --> 00:06:10,160 sedimentary rock in other words a rock 163 00:06:14,309 --> 00:06:12,560 that has evolved on the surface from all 164 00:06:15,909 --> 00:06:14,319 kinds of processes 165 00:06:18,070 --> 00:06:15,919 the reason we care about this with 166 00:06:20,469 --> 00:06:18,080 respect to mars is because we want to 167 00:06:21,430 --> 00:06:20,479 know how dynamic the surface is or is 168 00:06:23,590 --> 00:06:21,440 not 169 00:06:25,670 --> 00:06:23,600 it's extremely important to remember 170 00:06:28,309 --> 00:06:25,680 that all the life on earth is a function 171 00:06:31,029 --> 00:06:28,319 of well all the stuff on earth and that 172 00:06:33,749 --> 00:06:31,039 we are little bits of earth 173 00:06:34,950 --> 00:06:33,759 so if a biosphere has ever evolved on 174 00:06:37,189 --> 00:06:34,960 mars 175 00:06:38,469 --> 00:06:37,199 that life would be a function of that 176 00:06:40,629 --> 00:06:38,479 environment 177 00:06:43,350 --> 00:06:40,639 we can't say with any definitive 178 00:06:45,029 --> 00:06:43,360 knowledge that we could recognize life 179 00:06:47,350 --> 00:06:45,039 somewhere else in the solar system or 180 00:06:50,150 --> 00:06:47,360 beyond the solar system without being 181 00:06:51,909 --> 00:06:50,160 able to unbolt all the assumptions and 182 00:06:53,110 --> 00:06:51,919 the experience we have with looking at 183 00:06:55,350 --> 00:06:53,120 earth life 184 00:06:56,950 --> 00:06:55,360 we have to remember that any life that 185 00:06:59,189 --> 00:06:56,960 exists somewhere else will be a function 186 00:07:01,430 --> 00:06:59,199 of that environment so mars science 187 00:07:02,469 --> 00:07:01,440 laboratory is off to study that 188 00:07:04,390 --> 00:07:02,479 environment 189 00:07:07,589 --> 00:07:04,400 we're going to learn about the processes 190 00:07:09,830 --> 00:07:07,599 those things that might make it dynamic 191 00:07:11,270 --> 00:07:09,840 we're going to look at some chemicals 192 00:07:13,189 --> 00:07:11,280 that might be consistent with 193 00:07:14,950 --> 00:07:13,199 sedimentary mineralogy that would tell 194 00:07:16,710 --> 00:07:14,960 us something about how much water 195 00:07:19,029 --> 00:07:16,720 activity there's been 196 00:07:21,029 --> 00:07:19,039 what other types of processes might have 197 00:07:23,029 --> 00:07:21,039 affected those rocks and that helps us 198 00:07:25,270 --> 00:07:23,039 reconstruct the history of the surface 199 00:07:27,990 --> 00:07:25,280 environment so that we begin to get a 200 00:07:30,070 --> 00:07:28,000 feel once again for process 201 00:07:32,710 --> 00:07:30,080 this rock that i'm holding is a 202 00:07:35,909 --> 00:07:32,720 sedimentary rock that is the type that 203 00:07:38,870 --> 00:07:35,919 gets precipitated directly from water 204 00:07:41,749 --> 00:07:38,880 so when we say oh we find evidence of 205 00:07:44,550 --> 00:07:41,759 water on mars we're not just talking any 206 00:07:46,070 --> 00:07:44,560 any specific meaning this is a river 207 00:07:48,550 --> 00:07:46,080 this is a place where there was a 208 00:07:50,869 --> 00:07:48,560 standing basin we're also talking the 209 00:07:53,189 --> 00:07:50,879 kinds of minerals that trap the chemical 210 00:07:55,990 --> 00:07:53,199 evidence that water has been there so 211 00:07:58,869 --> 00:07:56,000 this type of rock which is sedimentary 212 00:08:00,869 --> 00:07:58,879 minerals it's it's a carbonate rock 213 00:08:03,110 --> 00:08:00,879 has this kind of mineral because of 214 00:08:04,629 --> 00:08:03,120 sedimentary processes 215 00:08:06,629 --> 00:08:04,639 now if this sounds like so much 216 00:08:08,629 --> 00:08:06,639 chemistry and physics and geology to you 217 00:08:11,510 --> 00:08:08,639 and where's the life in that there's a 218 00:08:13,830 --> 00:08:11,520 lot of life in that once again because 219 00:08:16,469 --> 00:08:13,840 we are the stuff of the place where 220 00:08:18,790 --> 00:08:16,479 we're born and if there has ever been a 221 00:08:21,110 --> 00:08:18,800 biosphere on mars or on any other 222 00:08:23,189 --> 00:08:21,120 celestial object for that matter it's 223 00:08:25,350 --> 00:08:23,199 going to exhibit the characteristics of 224 00:08:27,430 --> 00:08:25,360 those environments so with the very 225 00:08:29,749 --> 00:08:27,440 diverse set of experiments with which 226 00:08:31,510 --> 00:08:29,759 curiosity is equipped we're going to go 227 00:08:34,149 --> 00:08:31,520 to mars and we're going to study all 228 00:08:36,149 --> 00:08:34,159 kinds of sedimentary evidence for the 229 00:08:39,269 --> 00:08:36,159 processes that have affected the surface 230 00:08:42,230 --> 00:08:39,279 of mars and hopefully we'll walk away 231 00:08:43,909 --> 00:08:42,240 with a lot more information about 232 00:08:46,070 --> 00:08:43,919 what environments look like on the 233 00:08:49,030 --> 00:08:46,080 surface of mars i like to say it's 234 00:08:51,030 --> 00:08:49,040 extraterrestrial real estate appraisal 235 00:08:53,750 --> 00:08:51,040 so sometime next 236 00:08:55,430 --> 00:08:53,760 uh let's see yeah sometime next august 237 00:08:57,590 --> 00:08:55,440 early august we should land in gale 238 00:08:59,269 --> 00:08:57,600 crater and we'll have an opportunity to 239 00:09:00,870 --> 00:08:59,279 size up the environment and the next 240 00:09:02,790 --> 00:09:00,880 time you come back hopefully you'll be 241 00:09:05,430 --> 00:09:02,800 hearing a lot more about the potential 242 00:09:09,670 --> 00:09:05,440 for habitability on the surface of mars 243 00:09:10,870 --> 00:09:09,680 george thank you pam next jamie foster 244 00:09:13,190 --> 00:09:10,880 professor for the department of 245 00:09:15,269 --> 00:09:13,200 microbiology and cell science at the 246 00:09:17,430 --> 00:09:15,279 university of florida jamie thank you 247 00:09:19,190 --> 00:09:17,440 george i'm an astrobiologist with the 248 00:09:22,230 --> 00:09:19,200 university of florida and i work on a 249 00:09:24,630 --> 00:09:22,240 type of community called microbiolites 250 00:09:26,710 --> 00:09:24,640 and these are microbial communities that 251 00:09:29,030 --> 00:09:26,720 are important analogs for us to 252 00:09:30,230 --> 00:09:29,040 understand how life evolved on the 253 00:09:31,910 --> 00:09:30,240 planet 254 00:09:33,990 --> 00:09:31,920 and so we specifically 255 00:09:36,389 --> 00:09:34,000 look at these modern microbialites as 256 00:09:37,990 --> 00:09:36,399 examples of looking into the past 257 00:09:40,550 --> 00:09:38,000 with a hope that we can try to 258 00:09:42,230 --> 00:09:40,560 reconstruct the ancient environment and 259 00:09:43,110 --> 00:09:42,240 improve our understanding of the fossil 260 00:09:45,430 --> 00:09:43,120 record 261 00:09:47,590 --> 00:09:45,440 and to get at the basic ingredients of 262 00:09:50,470 --> 00:09:47,600 what's required for life to form and 263 00:09:52,230 --> 00:09:50,480 evolve a major component of astrobiology 264 00:09:54,389 --> 00:09:52,240 so what are microbiolites if i could 265 00:09:56,389 --> 00:09:54,399 have the first slide 266 00:09:58,310 --> 00:09:56,399 so as you can see a few examples of what 267 00:09:59,990 --> 00:09:58,320 living microbites look like they're very 268 00:10:01,829 --> 00:10:00,000 large and they're found in several 269 00:10:03,990 --> 00:10:01,839 places across the globe 270 00:10:06,470 --> 00:10:04,000 and microbes as you can see in the upper 271 00:10:08,630 --> 00:10:06,480 right hand corner of the slide are 272 00:10:10,949 --> 00:10:08,640 dominating these communities and these 273 00:10:13,430 --> 00:10:10,959 microbes take carbon dioxide from the 274 00:10:16,310 --> 00:10:13,440 environment and they sequester it as 275 00:10:19,190 --> 00:10:16,320 minerals such as calcium carbonate and i 276 00:10:20,790 --> 00:10:19,200 have an example here of an example of 277 00:10:23,269 --> 00:10:20,800 that deposition of that calcium 278 00:10:25,670 --> 00:10:23,279 carbonate and what these microbes do is 279 00:10:27,590 --> 00:10:25,680 they leave behind these geological what 280 00:10:29,670 --> 00:10:27,600 we call biosignatures 281 00:10:32,389 --> 00:10:29,680 or the residuals of life 282 00:10:34,550 --> 00:10:32,399 and so by studying the the composition 283 00:10:36,790 --> 00:10:34,560 of these minerals how these minerals are 284 00:10:38,470 --> 00:10:36,800 laid out in structure we can get an 285 00:10:40,790 --> 00:10:38,480 understanding of the type of microbes 286 00:10:41,509 --> 00:10:40,800 that made these structures 287 00:10:43,350 --> 00:10:41,519 so 288 00:10:45,670 --> 00:10:43,360 we can look at them macroscopically or 289 00:10:48,230 --> 00:10:45,680 microscopically and then again as i to 290 00:10:49,910 --> 00:10:48,240 really reiterate we can reconstruct the 291 00:10:51,910 --> 00:10:49,920 paleo environment and help us and 292 00:10:54,710 --> 00:10:51,920 understand how life came to be on the 293 00:10:56,550 --> 00:10:54,720 planet so how does this relate to the 294 00:10:58,870 --> 00:10:56,560 mars science laboratory 295 00:11:00,470 --> 00:10:58,880 well mars has a very well preserved 296 00:11:02,389 --> 00:11:00,480 environmental history 297 00:11:04,150 --> 00:11:02,399 and if we can understand the 298 00:11:06,630 --> 00:11:04,160 environmental parameters or the 299 00:11:09,750 --> 00:11:06,640 biological potential of how life might 300 00:11:12,470 --> 00:11:09,760 have formed on mars we can correlate 301 00:11:14,389 --> 00:11:12,480 that with our studies of modern examples 302 00:11:16,389 --> 00:11:14,399 of past life here on earth 303 00:11:18,389 --> 00:11:16,399 so we can kind of dovetail in the 304 00:11:20,949 --> 00:11:18,399 results of understanding this biological 305 00:11:23,590 --> 00:11:20,959 potential on mars and correlate it with 306 00:11:26,710 --> 00:11:23,600 the metabolic potential of the organisms 307 00:11:29,269 --> 00:11:26,720 that require to form these biosignatures 308 00:11:30,310 --> 00:11:29,279 and really get at one of the more major 309 00:11:32,550 --> 00:11:30,320 uh questions associated with 310 00:11:34,710 --> 00:11:32,560 astrobiology is how did we come to be 311 00:11:35,670 --> 00:11:34,720 and and how did life evolve on the 312 00:11:36,710 --> 00:11:35,680 planet 313 00:11:39,269 --> 00:11:36,720 george 314 00:11:41,350 --> 00:11:39,279 thank you jamie now to stephen benner 315 00:11:43,430 --> 00:11:41,360 director for the foundation for applied 316 00:11:46,069 --> 00:11:43,440 molecular evolution in gainesville thank 317 00:11:49,750 --> 00:11:46,079 you george one of our jobs of course is 318 00:11:51,990 --> 00:11:49,760 to help you folks explain to your 319 00:11:53,910 --> 00:11:52,000 readers and listeners 320 00:11:55,670 --> 00:11:53,920 what the chemistry is that goes on 321 00:11:56,949 --> 00:11:55,680 behind this is one of the comments that 322 00:11:59,430 --> 00:11:56,959 has been made already is that we're 323 00:12:02,150 --> 00:11:59,440 going to be looking for morphology 324 00:12:04,790 --> 00:12:02,160 things in rocks that lead us to say ah 325 00:12:08,069 --> 00:12:04,800 life was there once or life could be 326 00:12:09,910 --> 00:12:08,079 there with the water deposited rocks 327 00:12:11,750 --> 00:12:09,920 that you heard about a moment ago 328 00:12:13,110 --> 00:12:11,760 i brought a bunch of toys also let me 329 00:12:15,350 --> 00:12:13,120 just put a few of them here just to show 330 00:12:16,870 --> 00:12:15,360 you what we usually do when we teach to 331 00:12:18,949 --> 00:12:16,880 students 332 00:12:20,470 --> 00:12:18,959 let's say that's going to be there 333 00:12:22,230 --> 00:12:20,480 but the bottom line is that there's a 334 00:12:25,030 --> 00:12:22,240 rock okay there's something that looks 335 00:12:26,710 --> 00:12:25,040 like a sample of life there's a rock 336 00:12:29,350 --> 00:12:26,720 that contains something that looks like 337 00:12:31,829 --> 00:12:29,360 a sample of life here as well 338 00:12:34,470 --> 00:12:31,839 here's a rock that looks like it might 339 00:12:36,629 --> 00:12:34,480 be a sample of life as well 340 00:12:38,550 --> 00:12:36,639 and here are some rocks that look like 341 00:12:40,710 --> 00:12:38,560 they might be samples of life as well 342 00:12:42,150 --> 00:12:40,720 now what's the problem the problem is 343 00:12:43,670 --> 00:12:42,160 that some of these rocks that look like 344 00:12:45,509 --> 00:12:43,680 they're supposed to be samples of life 345 00:12:47,829 --> 00:12:45,519 are in fact not so this is for example 346 00:12:50,710 --> 00:12:47,839 not life actually at all 347 00:12:52,389 --> 00:12:50,720 this actually is not life at all either 348 00:12:54,389 --> 00:12:52,399 this is a mineral 349 00:12:56,710 --> 00:12:54,399 formation that occurs without biological 350 00:12:58,790 --> 00:12:56,720 influence this of course for those of 351 00:13:01,590 --> 00:12:58,800 you who have frequented the marvelous 352 00:13:03,509 --> 00:13:01,600 beaches off the shores of florida this 353 00:13:04,470 --> 00:13:03,519 is actually a coral sample not taken not 354 00:13:06,870 --> 00:13:04,480 from far 355 00:13:08,710 --> 00:13:06,880 from here and of course this happens to 356 00:13:11,670 --> 00:13:08,720 be a piece of coprolite it's called 357 00:13:12,710 --> 00:13:11,680 dinosaur poop it's a fossilized poop but 358 00:13:15,430 --> 00:13:12,720 one of the things that you have to 359 00:13:17,509 --> 00:13:15,440 understand is how difficult it is to 360 00:13:19,190 --> 00:13:17,519 look at rocks of this kind and come up 361 00:13:21,509 --> 00:13:19,200 to the conclusion whether there's life 362 00:13:23,190 --> 00:13:21,519 or not and for this reason a lot of what 363 00:13:24,389 --> 00:13:23,200 ends up being discussed and you'll see 364 00:13:26,710 --> 00:13:24,399 this in some of the other press 365 00:13:28,790 --> 00:13:26,720 conferences here with the chem min is 366 00:13:29,910 --> 00:13:28,800 chemistry and the chemistry is often 367 00:13:31,990 --> 00:13:29,920 hard to 368 00:13:33,350 --> 00:13:32,000 explain but let me just use one word 369 00:13:35,190 --> 00:13:33,360 we're going to talk about one thing only 370 00:13:37,269 --> 00:13:35,200 in chemistry that's oxidation 371 00:13:39,269 --> 00:13:37,279 you hear a lot about that in the 372 00:13:40,949 --> 00:13:39,279 discussions of mars 373 00:13:41,590 --> 00:13:40,959 surface and you'll hear a lot of it when 374 00:13:50,870 --> 00:13:41,600 the 375 00:13:54,069 --> 00:13:50,880 oxidation oxidizing oxygen this is uh 376 00:13:55,990 --> 00:13:54,079 water a very simple molecule one oxygen 377 00:13:58,069 --> 00:13:56,000 two hydrogens h2o 378 00:13:59,829 --> 00:13:58,079 two hydrogens one oxygen um and of 379 00:14:02,150 --> 00:13:59,839 course oxygen is everywhere it's it's in 380 00:14:03,750 --> 00:14:02,160 this glass it's all 381 00:14:05,030 --> 00:14:03,760 around us it's believed to be a center 382 00:14:06,629 --> 00:14:05,040 for life and one of the reasons why 383 00:14:08,870 --> 00:14:06,639 we're going to gale crater is because 384 00:14:11,269 --> 00:14:08,880 there's some evidence for recent water 385 00:14:14,389 --> 00:14:11,279 there the difficulty however comes when 386 00:14:15,990 --> 00:14:14,399 ultraviolet light hits mars it's very 387 00:14:18,389 --> 00:14:16,000 important 388 00:14:20,230 --> 00:14:18,399 that few astronauts protect themselves 389 00:14:21,829 --> 00:14:20,240 from ultraviolet light because it's 390 00:14:23,189 --> 00:14:21,839 dangerous to the eyes of course you go 391 00:14:26,710 --> 00:14:23,199 outside in the sun of florida you'll see 392 00:14:29,189 --> 00:14:26,720 that what happens however is that when 393 00:14:32,550 --> 00:14:29,199 ultraviolet light hits water 394 00:14:34,790 --> 00:14:32,560 it breaks apart the bonds and what then 395 00:14:36,790 --> 00:14:34,800 happens is if this happens often enough 396 00:14:39,269 --> 00:14:36,800 you end up having two hydrogens they 397 00:14:41,189 --> 00:14:39,279 recombine to give h2 two atoms of 398 00:14:42,710 --> 00:14:41,199 hydrogen one and this is very light you 399 00:14:44,949 --> 00:14:42,720 can fill balloons with it they don't 400 00:14:47,030 --> 00:14:44,959 sail away it leaves the atmosphere and 401 00:14:48,389 --> 00:14:47,040 what's left behind is 402 00:14:50,790 --> 00:14:48,399 two ohs 403 00:14:53,269 --> 00:14:50,800 and they can form h2o2 which is called 404 00:14:55,110 --> 00:14:53,279 hydrogen peroxide this is an oxygen in 405 00:14:57,110 --> 00:14:55,120 fact it's a well-known oxidant in the 406 00:14:59,590 --> 00:14:57,120 sense that you can buy it in your 407 00:15:01,189 --> 00:14:59,600 grocery store and reason why this is a 408 00:15:02,710 --> 00:15:01,199 important thing in your 409 00:15:04,550 --> 00:15:02,720 drugstore grocery store is because it's 410 00:15:06,069 --> 00:15:04,560 just sterile and it actually sterilizes 411 00:15:07,910 --> 00:15:06,079 things and one of the problems that 412 00:15:09,430 --> 00:15:07,920 we're going to have on mars is that 413 00:15:11,430 --> 00:15:09,440 what's a problem and an opportunity is 414 00:15:13,509 --> 00:15:11,440 that if you take this oxygen you know 415 00:15:15,189 --> 00:15:13,519 hydrogen peroxide and put it in things 416 00:15:17,189 --> 00:15:15,199 what will happen over time is that this 417 00:15:19,829 --> 00:15:17,199 particular material will evolve to give 418 00:15:21,590 --> 00:15:19,839 off oxygen and oxidize things so you're 419 00:15:23,430 --> 00:15:21,600 going to see the bubbles coming out or 420 00:15:26,069 --> 00:15:23,440 oxygen that are being generated that 421 00:15:27,590 --> 00:15:26,079 tends to destroy organic material and 422 00:15:30,629 --> 00:15:27,600 what we're looking for 423 00:15:34,150 --> 00:15:30,639 on mars is evidence of the possibility 424 00:15:35,670 --> 00:15:34,160 of organic material stabilized 425 00:15:37,430 --> 00:15:35,680 so that's going to be a problem but it's 426 00:15:39,030 --> 00:15:37,440 also an opportunity because one of the 427 00:15:41,110 --> 00:15:39,040 other things that was found near the 428 00:15:43,829 --> 00:15:41,120 martian pole is the sample here this is 429 00:15:45,910 --> 00:15:43,839 potassium perchlorate this is a species 430 00:15:48,150 --> 00:15:45,920 that can also give oxygen now it's bad 431 00:15:49,990 --> 00:15:48,160 because it will destroy organic material 432 00:15:53,749 --> 00:15:50,000 which might be there left over from life 433 00:15:55,189 --> 00:15:53,759 on mars or even from mars accident 434 00:15:57,430 --> 00:15:55,199 but of course if you're an astronaut you 435 00:15:59,430 --> 00:15:57,440 go to mars and you want to breathe right 436 00:16:00,949 --> 00:15:59,440 there's oxygen actually present on mars 437 00:16:02,790 --> 00:16:00,959 that you could actually recover from the 438 00:16:04,389 --> 00:16:02,800 surface and actually use 439 00:16:06,550 --> 00:16:04,399 so the one thing 440 00:16:08,230 --> 00:16:06,560 first about structure is it's sometimes 441 00:16:10,389 --> 00:16:08,240 very deceptive and you'll see large 442 00:16:12,710 --> 00:16:10,399 amounts of discussion going on just like 443 00:16:15,749 --> 00:16:12,720 happened with allen hills many 444 00:16:17,910 --> 00:16:15,759 maybe 15 years ago what structures 445 00:16:19,670 --> 00:16:17,920 indicate mars and we need people who are 446 00:16:21,749 --> 00:16:19,680 sitting mostly to my right and to my 447 00:16:23,269 --> 00:16:21,759 left to interpret this as 448 00:16:25,189 --> 00:16:23,279 the second thing we want to warn you 449 00:16:26,550 --> 00:16:25,199 about is there's a lot of oxygen on mars 450 00:16:28,470 --> 00:16:26,560 oxidants on mars they're going to be 451 00:16:31,430 --> 00:16:28,480 destroying the chemical signatures that 452 00:16:34,310 --> 00:16:31,440 might be relied upon for life 453 00:16:36,870 --> 00:16:34,320 that might be bad for our looking at the 454 00:16:39,590 --> 00:16:36,880 life detection things in future missions 455 00:16:40,870 --> 00:16:39,600 it will be however good if you're a 456 00:16:42,870 --> 00:16:40,880 martian 457 00:16:44,870 --> 00:16:42,880 astronaut because as you can see you can 458 00:16:46,629 --> 00:16:44,880 actually generate oxygen from things 459 00:16:49,189 --> 00:16:46,639 that we actually think are on the 460 00:16:50,949 --> 00:16:49,199 surface of mars and use them to breathe 461 00:16:51,829 --> 00:16:50,959 and maybe even go breathe while we're 462 00:16:54,069 --> 00:16:51,839 there 463 00:16:56,710 --> 00:16:54,079 back to you george thanks steve 464 00:16:58,629 --> 00:16:56,720 and our last presentation from catherine 465 00:17:01,030 --> 00:16:58,639 connolly the planetary protection 466 00:17:04,309 --> 00:17:01,040 officer from nasa headquarters thank you 467 00:17:05,990 --> 00:17:04,319 george yes are we alone is such a sad 468 00:17:07,590 --> 00:17:06,000 question it implies that you know we're 469 00:17:09,669 --> 00:17:07,600 all just hovered here cuddled down here 470 00:17:11,669 --> 00:17:09,679 in our single little planet what we 471 00:17:12,789 --> 00:17:11,679 really want to know is is there anybody 472 00:17:14,230 --> 00:17:12,799 out there that's a much more 473 00:17:15,429 --> 00:17:14,240 forward-looking and broad looking 474 00:17:16,549 --> 00:17:15,439 there's we might have all kinds of 475 00:17:17,429 --> 00:17:16,559 friends 476 00:17:18,470 --> 00:17:17,439 um 477 00:17:19,909 --> 00:17:18,480 the 478 00:17:21,510 --> 00:17:19,919 challenge to doing this as has been 479 00:17:23,189 --> 00:17:21,520 alluded to previously is that we know 480 00:17:24,870 --> 00:17:23,199 there's lots of life on earth there's 481 00:17:26,710 --> 00:17:24,880 many microbes on your fingers there's 482 00:17:28,870 --> 00:17:26,720 life everywhere if i touch the surface 483 00:17:30,630 --> 00:17:28,880 of something i leave microbes from my 484 00:17:32,150 --> 00:17:30,640 skin on that surface 485 00:17:33,590 --> 00:17:32,160 so um 486 00:17:36,070 --> 00:17:33,600 we also have the kinds of microbes that 487 00:17:37,590 --> 00:17:36,080 construct this the structures that jamie 488 00:17:39,510 --> 00:17:37,600 studies there are lots of microbes on 489 00:17:40,710 --> 00:17:39,520 earth as well as a small number of big 490 00:17:41,830 --> 00:17:40,720 organisms 491 00:17:43,669 --> 00:17:41,840 um 492 00:17:45,750 --> 00:17:43,679 there are also organisms on earth that 493 00:17:48,150 --> 00:17:45,760 consider us to be food so there's good 494 00:17:49,750 --> 00:17:48,160 organisms neutral organisms and also bad 495 00:17:51,669 --> 00:17:49,760 organisms 496 00:17:53,590 --> 00:17:51,679 the point of planetary protection is to 497 00:17:55,830 --> 00:17:53,600 make sure that when we go to other 498 00:17:57,750 --> 00:17:55,840 places we don't cause problems or have 499 00:17:59,990 --> 00:17:57,760 problems caused by the interaction of 500 00:18:01,990 --> 00:18:00,000 those other places with earth and earth 501 00:18:03,430 --> 00:18:02,000 life in particular if we're going to go 502 00:18:05,190 --> 00:18:03,440 to mars to look for life it would be 503 00:18:08,070 --> 00:18:05,200 really embarrassing if we found earth 504 00:18:09,990 --> 00:18:08,080 life when we got there 505 00:18:11,830 --> 00:18:10,000 the way we do this is by being very 506 00:18:13,909 --> 00:18:11,840 careful when we send spacecraft to other 507 00:18:15,510 --> 00:18:13,919 planets that we don't bring earth life 508 00:18:17,669 --> 00:18:15,520 with the spacecraft that then can 509 00:18:19,190 --> 00:18:17,679 contaminate those locations and also 510 00:18:20,870 --> 00:18:19,200 that when we bring samples back from 511 00:18:22,870 --> 00:18:20,880 other locations that we don't bring back 512 00:18:25,510 --> 00:18:22,880 hazardous organisms or other nasty 513 00:18:28,230 --> 00:18:25,520 things when the samples come back 514 00:18:30,390 --> 00:18:28,240 now it was alluded to the whole process 515 00:18:31,510 --> 00:18:30,400 of mars exploration we have sent life 516 00:18:32,950 --> 00:18:31,520 detection 517 00:18:35,270 --> 00:18:32,960 instruments to mars this was on the 518 00:18:37,110 --> 00:18:35,280 viking spacecraft the viking spacecraft 519 00:18:39,190 --> 00:18:37,120 took very great care to make sure there 520 00:18:41,510 --> 00:18:39,200 was no earth life on those spacecraft 521 00:18:43,029 --> 00:18:41,520 when they were sent to mars and the one 522 00:18:44,950 --> 00:18:43,039 thing that we really very clearly 523 00:18:46,630 --> 00:18:44,960 learned from viking is that sending life 524 00:18:48,710 --> 00:18:46,640 detection experiments to another planet 525 00:18:50,470 --> 00:18:48,720 is really hard 526 00:18:51,590 --> 00:18:50,480 steve mentioned why it might be hard 527 00:18:54,230 --> 00:18:51,600 there's all these different chemical 528 00:18:55,590 --> 00:18:54,240 aspects understanding what you see that 529 00:18:57,110 --> 00:18:55,600 you have seen life when it's right in 530 00:18:58,549 --> 00:18:57,120 front of you or recognizing that 531 00:19:01,029 --> 00:18:58,559 something isn't life when you think it 532 00:19:03,110 --> 00:19:01,039 might be is a really difficult challenge 533 00:19:04,630 --> 00:19:03,120 so in the future the mars programs and 534 00:19:06,470 --> 00:19:04,640 the international mars community would 535 00:19:07,990 --> 00:19:06,480 like to bring samples back to earth so 536 00:19:09,510 --> 00:19:08,000 that we can study those samples in our 537 00:19:11,669 --> 00:19:09,520 best laboratories 538 00:19:13,430 --> 00:19:11,679 and we look for life with the best tools 539 00:19:14,870 --> 00:19:13,440 we have available when we do that 540 00:19:16,549 --> 00:19:14,880 planetary protection will be taking 541 00:19:18,150 --> 00:19:16,559 great care that we don't bring nasty 542 00:19:20,630 --> 00:19:18,160 things back to earth and release the 543 00:19:22,950 --> 00:19:20,640 andromeda strain in public we don't want 544 00:19:26,070 --> 00:19:22,960 to do that but for 545 00:19:27,110 --> 00:19:26,080 missions like msl the constraint is then 546 00:19:28,390 --> 00:19:27,120 bringing 547 00:19:30,390 --> 00:19:28,400 making sure that that mission doesn't 548 00:19:31,750 --> 00:19:30,400 take living organisms to mars it's not a 549 00:19:33,830 --> 00:19:31,760 life detection mission it's not bringing 550 00:19:36,150 --> 00:19:33,840 samples back so the only constraint on 551 00:19:37,590 --> 00:19:36,160 msl is to prevent life from earth 552 00:19:39,590 --> 00:19:37,600 getting to mars and potentially 553 00:19:42,230 --> 00:19:39,600 contaminating that location 554 00:19:43,270 --> 00:19:42,240 and so for msl the real consideration 555 00:19:46,070 --> 00:19:43,280 was that they have to build the 556 00:19:47,510 --> 00:19:46,080 spacecraft to be very clean so when they 557 00:19:49,190 --> 00:19:47,520 were putting the pieces of the 558 00:19:50,870 --> 00:19:49,200 spacecraft together they got washed with 559 00:19:52,549 --> 00:19:50,880 alcohol all of the people who were 560 00:19:54,950 --> 00:19:52,559 touching the spacecraft hardware were 561 00:19:56,789 --> 00:19:54,960 wearing these bunny suits gowns had 562 00:19:59,110 --> 00:19:56,799 their gloves and being very careful not 563 00:20:01,110 --> 00:19:59,120 to send contamination to mars and that 564 00:20:03,270 --> 00:20:01,120 was an extremely successful effort the 565 00:20:05,830 --> 00:20:03,280 msl is the cleanest spacecraft that we 566 00:20:07,190 --> 00:20:05,840 will send to mars since viking and so i 567 00:20:09,110 --> 00:20:07,200 think we're all looking forward to a 568 00:20:11,190 --> 00:20:09,120 very successful mission thank you 569 00:20:14,070 --> 00:20:11,200 catherine and for some concluding 570 00:20:16,470 --> 00:20:14,080 remarks now back to mayor voytech from 571 00:20:17,990 --> 00:20:16,480 nasa headquarters thank you 572 00:20:19,750 --> 00:20:18,000 so we're here today discussing looking 573 00:20:22,149 --> 00:20:19,760 for signs of life 574 00:20:25,510 --> 00:20:22,159 the game is afoot the search is on and 575 00:20:28,149 --> 00:20:25,520 msl is taking a very important step and 576 00:20:30,149 --> 00:20:28,159 and part of it is developing a strategy 577 00:20:32,710 --> 00:20:30,159 for narrowing that search it's going to 578 00:20:34,549 --> 00:20:32,720 look for places that are habitable 579 00:20:37,270 --> 00:20:34,559 either in the past or potentially even 580 00:20:38,789 --> 00:20:37,280 in the future or currently it's doing a 581 00:20:41,110 --> 00:20:38,799 real estate assessment where are those 582 00:20:43,350 --> 00:20:41,120 good schools on mars where might there 583 00:20:45,669 --> 00:20:43,360 be microbes living or or some type of 584 00:20:47,110 --> 00:20:45,679 life but you've also heard here in 585 00:20:49,110 --> 00:20:47,120 addition to strategies and what we 586 00:20:51,190 --> 00:20:49,120 understand about life on earth the 587 00:20:53,190 --> 00:20:51,200 challenges that it's going to pose was 588 00:20:55,669 --> 00:20:53,200 as we move into the future to actually 589 00:20:57,990 --> 00:20:55,679 look for life we know that things that 590 00:21:00,310 --> 00:20:58,000 we know about life on earth sometimes 591 00:21:01,990 --> 00:21:00,320 deceive us ourselves shapes that we know 592 00:21:03,990 --> 00:21:02,000 look familiar and could be coral 593 00:21:06,070 --> 00:21:04,000 actually are a rock formation that forms 594 00:21:08,710 --> 00:21:06,080 the same way that crystal that steve 595 00:21:10,549 --> 00:21:08,720 showed was looked very much like a fern 596 00:21:12,310 --> 00:21:10,559 but actually is a crystal so there's 597 00:21:14,870 --> 00:21:12,320 going to be a challenge in recognizing 598 00:21:17,350 --> 00:21:14,880 it even if it ends up being just like 599 00:21:19,270 --> 00:21:17,360 life as we know it here and then there's 600 00:21:21,110 --> 00:21:19,280 a whole question of what if it isn't 601 00:21:23,430 --> 00:21:21,120 life like we know it on earth it's it 602 00:21:24,950 --> 00:21:23,440 uses different materials it forms 603 00:21:26,870 --> 00:21:24,960 different structures that's also going 604 00:21:29,430 --> 00:21:26,880 to be a challenge and then there's the 605 00:21:32,390 --> 00:21:29,440 issue of making sure as cassie's gone 606 00:21:34,710 --> 00:21:32,400 into detail that we go and when as we go 607 00:21:36,950 --> 00:21:34,720 and we look for life we don't take it 608 00:21:39,590 --> 00:21:36,960 there with us and then misidentify 609 00:21:41,590 --> 00:21:39,600 ourselves as inhabiting a particular 610 00:21:43,590 --> 00:21:41,600 location and i want to just flip through 611 00:21:46,230 --> 00:21:43,600 a few slides at the end to talk about 612 00:21:47,270 --> 00:21:46,240 the targets here of course is where msl 613 00:21:49,750 --> 00:21:47,280 is going 614 00:21:51,190 --> 00:21:49,760 um our favorite neighbor our first real 615 00:21:53,909 --> 00:21:51,200 estate assessment 616 00:21:55,909 --> 00:21:53,919 on mars and then the next slide three 617 00:21:58,230 --> 00:21:55,919 other very important bodies in our solar 618 00:22:01,029 --> 00:21:58,240 system the icy moons of saturn and and 619 00:22:05,029 --> 00:22:01,039 jupiter um we have an uh europa 620 00:22:06,630 --> 00:22:05,039 enceladus and titan and then the final 621 00:22:09,669 --> 00:22:06,640 this is an artist's rendition of an 622 00:22:12,230 --> 00:22:09,679 extra x oh planet or an extrasolar 623 00:22:15,590 --> 00:22:12,240 planet this is a pic 624 00:22:18,230 --> 00:22:15,600 a depiction of a planet orbiting another 625 00:22:19,909 --> 00:22:18,240 star besides our own and this is also 626 00:22:21,110 --> 00:22:19,919 some place that we're considering life 627 00:22:22,870 --> 00:22:21,120 outside 628 00:22:24,470 --> 00:22:22,880 our own solar system 629 00:22:27,590 --> 00:22:24,480 so thank you very much for joining us 630 00:22:29,590 --> 00:22:27,600 today we've introduced you into i hope 631 00:22:31,350 --> 00:22:29,600 uh the role of astrobiology and 632 00:22:33,909 --> 00:22:31,360 strategizing and coming up with a 633 00:22:35,669 --> 00:22:33,919 rationale for this our search and you 634 00:22:37,909 --> 00:22:35,679 can see that we're looking forward to 635 00:22:40,149 --> 00:22:37,919 our future missions 636 00:22:41,830 --> 00:22:40,159 thank you mary we're ready now to take 637 00:22:43,750 --> 00:22:41,840 questions please give your name an 638 00:22:46,390 --> 00:22:43,760 affiliation when the microphone comes to 639 00:22:50,149 --> 00:22:46,400 you marcia marcia done associated press 640 00:22:51,110 --> 00:22:50,159 for dr conrad um do you expect a eureka 641 00:22:53,110 --> 00:22:51,120 moment 642 00:22:54,789 --> 00:22:53,120 in anything that you could possibly get 643 00:22:55,830 --> 00:22:54,799 back in your findings 644 00:22:57,750 --> 00:22:55,840 and 645 00:23:00,230 --> 00:22:57,760 granted you're not a life detecting 646 00:23:02,230 --> 00:23:00,240 instrument but is it conceivable that if 647 00:23:04,950 --> 00:23:02,240 you got really really lucky 648 00:23:06,789 --> 00:23:04,960 you might be able to identify it if it's 649 00:23:09,270 --> 00:23:06,799 there 650 00:23:12,070 --> 00:23:09,280 i think the fear of every scientist is 651 00:23:14,070 --> 00:23:12,080 that the eureka moment might come and 652 00:23:16,549 --> 00:23:14,080 you wouldn't have noticed 653 00:23:19,110 --> 00:23:16,559 and so the the search for life and also 654 00:23:22,390 --> 00:23:19,120 the specific investigation that mars 655 00:23:23,190 --> 00:23:22,400 science laboratory will be conducting 656 00:23:25,590 --> 00:23:23,200 are 657 00:23:28,149 --> 00:23:25,600 part of a larger architecture a strategy 658 00:23:31,190 --> 00:23:28,159 that we hope will lead us to inferences 659 00:23:33,590 --> 00:23:31,200 that will be wonderful for years to come 660 00:23:35,830 --> 00:23:33,600 but again they're part of a whole 661 00:23:38,230 --> 00:23:35,840 architecture of a structured research 662 00:23:40,549 --> 00:23:38,240 program the first part of which 663 00:23:43,590 --> 00:23:40,559 is to understand the environment so that 664 00:23:45,350 --> 00:23:43,600 we know the background of chemistry 665 00:23:47,269 --> 00:23:45,360 of shapes 666 00:23:49,510 --> 00:23:47,279 of other kinds of environmental 667 00:23:52,149 --> 00:23:49,520 indicators that tell us what the martian 668 00:23:53,830 --> 00:23:52,159 environment is really like so that 669 00:23:55,669 --> 00:23:53,840 if we see something that we know is 670 00:23:57,029 --> 00:23:55,679 certainly not a mineral and we see 671 00:23:59,750 --> 00:23:57,039 something and it doesn't look like the 672 00:24:01,590 --> 00:23:59,760 atmosphere we can say okay these are 673 00:24:02,549 --> 00:24:01,600 materials that we need to understand 674 00:24:03,430 --> 00:24:02,559 better 675 00:24:05,269 --> 00:24:03,440 so 676 00:24:08,149 --> 00:24:05,279 do we anticipate that we'll learn a 677 00:24:10,390 --> 00:24:08,159 whole lot about mars absolutely 678 00:24:11,190 --> 00:24:10,400 do we know what specifically that will 679 00:24:12,549 --> 00:24:11,200 be 680 00:24:14,710 --> 00:24:12,559 no clue 681 00:24:16,310 --> 00:24:14,720 but we will learn more than we presently 682 00:24:18,390 --> 00:24:16,320 know about the martian environment and 683 00:24:20,070 --> 00:24:18,400 that should tell us not only 684 00:24:22,789 --> 00:24:20,080 something in specific about that 685 00:24:24,710 --> 00:24:22,799 environment and those processes on mars 686 00:24:26,789 --> 00:24:24,720 but will help inform us a little bit 687 00:24:29,269 --> 00:24:26,799 about the variety of processes in 688 00:24:31,350 --> 00:24:29,279 chemistry that exist in the solar system 689 00:24:33,830 --> 00:24:31,360 because the only thing we know about 690 00:24:34,630 --> 00:24:33,840 biospheres is based upon the one we live 691 00:24:39,909 --> 00:24:34,640 in 692 00:24:43,750 --> 00:24:42,470 that's chris haber united television and 693 00:24:45,830 --> 00:24:43,760 radio 694 00:24:47,669 --> 00:24:45,840 the first question i was wondering um 695 00:24:50,070 --> 00:24:47,679 with the recent discovery of liquid 696 00:24:51,750 --> 00:24:50,080 water on europa what is 697 00:24:53,669 --> 00:24:51,760 are you guys planning something for 698 00:24:54,549 --> 00:24:53,679 europa yet 699 00:24:56,710 --> 00:24:54,559 and 700 00:24:58,149 --> 00:24:56,720 secondly 701 00:25:00,710 --> 00:24:58,159 um 702 00:25:02,950 --> 00:25:00,720 a few 703 00:25:06,149 --> 00:25:02,960 if you're looking for any carbon-based 704 00:25:09,750 --> 00:25:06,159 uh possibly anaerobic 705 00:25:12,950 --> 00:25:09,760 uh microbials or if we even have 706 00:25:14,950 --> 00:25:12,960 any ideas how to look for 707 00:25:16,789 --> 00:25:14,960 other possible life forms that wouldn't 708 00:25:18,549 --> 00:25:16,799 be carbon-based 709 00:25:20,710 --> 00:25:18,559 so i can take that first question about 710 00:25:22,390 --> 00:25:20,720 europa and let me just clarify 711 00:25:24,230 --> 00:25:22,400 we've known for over a decade that there 712 00:25:25,990 --> 00:25:24,240 was water on europa 713 00:25:28,390 --> 00:25:26,000 the key finding that was just reported 714 00:25:29,909 --> 00:25:28,400 last week in nature was a mechanism by 715 00:25:31,590 --> 00:25:29,919 which the oxidants that are formed on 716 00:25:32,549 --> 00:25:31,600 the surface and the reductance of the 717 00:25:34,710 --> 00:25:32,559 core 718 00:25:37,190 --> 00:25:34,720 of europa can actually 719 00:25:39,269 --> 00:25:37,200 be in communication and possibly connect 720 00:25:42,390 --> 00:25:39,279 as a battery would 721 00:25:44,630 --> 00:25:42,400 a flow of energy that could fuel an 722 00:25:46,070 --> 00:25:44,640 ecosystem so that's checking off a 723 00:25:48,070 --> 00:25:46,080 second box as we consider the 724 00:25:50,390 --> 00:25:48,080 possibility of habitability on those icy 725 00:25:51,669 --> 00:25:50,400 planets so we already knew about water 726 00:25:54,710 --> 00:25:51,679 but that 727 00:25:56,549 --> 00:25:54,720 subsurface lake provides a conduit are 728 00:25:58,149 --> 00:25:56,559 we interested in it as i'm sure you all 729 00:26:00,390 --> 00:25:58,159 know the decadal survey that was 730 00:26:02,630 --> 00:26:00,400 recently delivered in the spring 731 00:26:04,390 --> 00:26:02,640 identified two very important questions 732 00:26:06,710 --> 00:26:04,400 as top priorities 733 00:26:08,149 --> 00:26:06,720 for flagship missions one was maurice 734 00:26:11,190 --> 00:26:08,159 sample return and the other was 735 00:26:12,950 --> 00:26:11,200 exploring the jupiter europa system 736 00:26:14,470 --> 00:26:12,960 and so are we interested in it 737 00:26:15,750 --> 00:26:14,480 absolutely 738 00:26:17,750 --> 00:26:15,760 does this 739 00:26:19,830 --> 00:26:17,760 encourage us that it's a good target to 740 00:26:21,750 --> 00:26:19,840 consider absolutely 741 00:26:23,510 --> 00:26:21,760 and we're considering it and continuing 742 00:26:25,990 --> 00:26:23,520 studies because this is not the only 743 00:26:27,510 --> 00:26:26,000 decade we hope we see an exploration 744 00:26:31,029 --> 00:26:27,520 there are many more to come and other 745 00:26:32,710 --> 00:26:31,039 targets to to investigate 746 00:26:35,029 --> 00:26:32,720 i guess i'll comment about the 747 00:26:36,710 --> 00:26:35,039 carbon-based life etc one of the really 748 00:26:38,310 --> 00:26:36,720 cool things about chemistry and what 749 00:26:39,669 --> 00:26:38,320 we've been able to observe throughout 750 00:26:41,669 --> 00:26:39,679 the universe is 751 00:26:43,430 --> 00:26:41,679 minerals are minerals and we see some of 752 00:26:46,789 --> 00:26:43,440 the same kinds of minerals we would 753 00:26:48,630 --> 00:26:46,799 expect on earth in meteor samples of 754 00:26:51,350 --> 00:26:48,640 parent bodies of that is of other 755 00:26:53,590 --> 00:26:51,360 planets and moons asteroids and so forth 756 00:26:55,990 --> 00:26:53,600 and we also see organic molecules in 757 00:26:58,470 --> 00:26:56,000 other places and so what we want to 758 00:27:00,870 --> 00:26:58,480 understand within one environment as 759 00:27:03,590 --> 00:27:00,880 opposed to another environment is what 760 00:27:05,750 --> 00:27:03,600 does the specific collection of minerals 761 00:27:08,149 --> 00:27:05,760 and possibly other types of chemical 762 00:27:11,110 --> 00:27:08,159 reactions that occur tell us about the 763 00:27:13,029 --> 00:27:11,120 potential to have more complicated 764 00:27:15,350 --> 00:27:13,039 things going on like the way you would 765 00:27:16,870 --> 00:27:15,360 need if you were going to be life 766 00:27:19,029 --> 00:27:16,880 whether we expect 767 00:27:20,549 --> 00:27:19,039 life to be made of this or that in one 768 00:27:22,070 --> 00:27:20,559 environment in the solar system as 769 00:27:24,470 --> 00:27:22,080 opposed to another 770 00:27:26,310 --> 00:27:24,480 is is really more the kind of question 771 00:27:28,710 --> 00:27:26,320 you ask a writer 772 00:27:31,830 --> 00:27:28,720 what would you speculate on is the stuff 773 00:27:34,070 --> 00:27:31,840 of you know fun and conjecture 774 00:27:36,070 --> 00:27:34,080 when you try to do an experiment for 775 00:27:37,510 --> 00:27:36,080 something as important as determining 776 00:27:39,190 --> 00:27:37,520 whether or not you understand an 777 00:27:40,789 --> 00:27:39,200 environment or whether or not you think 778 00:27:43,110 --> 00:27:40,799 there may be life elsewhere in the 779 00:27:45,669 --> 00:27:43,120 universe you have to completely cleanse 780 00:27:48,710 --> 00:27:45,679 yourself of assumptions about what you 781 00:27:50,389 --> 00:27:48,720 know of life here and think 782 00:27:52,389 --> 00:27:50,399 at a more fundamental level what do you 783 00:27:55,430 --> 00:27:52,399 know about chemistry 784 00:27:57,590 --> 00:27:55,440 and so one really important thing that i 785 00:28:00,070 --> 00:27:57,600 think we should always keep in mind is 786 00:28:02,789 --> 00:28:00,080 we're trying to not have expectations 787 00:28:04,710 --> 00:28:02,799 but that being said i want to go back to 788 00:28:07,510 --> 00:28:04,720 what we're really going to do on mars 789 00:28:09,430 --> 00:28:07,520 science laboratory which is not go on a 790 00:28:10,630 --> 00:28:09,440 survey looking for 791 00:28:13,510 --> 00:28:10,640 all of the 792 00:28:16,149 --> 00:28:13,520 organisms much like we did on galapagos 793 00:28:17,909 --> 00:28:16,159 many many many years ago on earth we're 794 00:28:20,389 --> 00:28:17,919 going to mars to try to understand an 795 00:28:22,630 --> 00:28:20,399 environment and as we go there we'll 796 00:28:23,830 --> 00:28:22,640 learn lots about the chemistry of that 797 00:28:26,070 --> 00:28:23,840 environment 798 00:28:27,990 --> 00:28:26,080 and that should help us begin to 799 00:28:29,590 --> 00:28:28,000 have new ideas that are not so 800 00:28:31,750 --> 00:28:29,600 earth-centric 801 00:28:33,909 --> 00:28:31,760 one last word on that nasa 802 00:28:35,669 --> 00:28:33,919 nasa did team up with the national 803 00:28:37,990 --> 00:28:35,679 research council national academy of 804 00:28:39,590 --> 00:28:38,000 sciences in 2004 805 00:28:41,269 --> 00:28:39,600 published a book which i co-authored 806 00:28:43,269 --> 00:28:41,279 with john barros who's a professor at 807 00:28:45,350 --> 00:28:43,279 university of washington seattle looking 808 00:28:47,590 --> 00:28:45,360 for the limits of 809 00:28:49,110 --> 00:28:47,600 organic life in the solar system what's 810 00:28:50,470 --> 00:28:49,120 called the weird life report if you give 811 00:28:52,789 --> 00:28:50,480 me your card afterwards i'll see that 812 00:28:54,389 --> 00:28:52,799 you can get a copy 813 00:28:55,430 --> 00:28:54,399 basically if you look at us as sort of 814 00:28:56,950 --> 00:28:55,440 the model 815 00:28:58,310 --> 00:28:56,960 right and you start saying how could we 816 00:29:00,389 --> 00:28:58,320 be different from us the first thing we 817 00:29:02,389 --> 00:29:00,399 would do is get away from the 20 amino 818 00:29:04,230 --> 00:29:02,399 acids that you you know have in the 819 00:29:06,389 --> 00:29:04,240 health food store maybe not lysine maybe 820 00:29:08,149 --> 00:29:06,399 not methionine maybe something else the 821 00:29:10,630 --> 00:29:08,159 second thing we would do is maybe change 822 00:29:12,310 --> 00:29:10,640 the dna structures that we have so if 823 00:29:14,149 --> 00:29:12,320 you listen to the movie et you will 824 00:29:17,029 --> 00:29:14,159 notice that et has six letters in his 825 00:29:18,549 --> 00:29:17,039 dna alphabet not four like we have 826 00:29:20,389 --> 00:29:18,559 then the next thing we might worry about 827 00:29:23,110 --> 00:29:20,399 is going to a solvent other than water 828 00:29:25,269 --> 00:29:23,120 so very much so in titan where the 829 00:29:26,950 --> 00:29:25,279 surface of titan is a hydrocarbon ocean 830 00:29:29,750 --> 00:29:26,960 propane 831 00:29:31,990 --> 00:29:29,760 100 degrees kelvin cold 832 00:29:33,909 --> 00:29:32,000 and then and then and only then do we 833 00:29:35,990 --> 00:29:33,919 get away from carbon in our sort of 834 00:29:37,350 --> 00:29:36,000 hierarchy of possibilities 835 00:29:39,510 --> 00:29:37,360 so you know 836 00:29:41,669 --> 00:29:39,520 as pan says we don't want to have a lot 837 00:29:43,190 --> 00:29:41,679 of preconceptions we want to consider 838 00:29:46,149 --> 00:29:43,200 that if you know 839 00:29:48,149 --> 00:29:46,159 tim allen you know this galaxy quest 840 00:29:49,909 --> 00:29:48,159 alien rock creature comes up and bangs 841 00:29:52,830 --> 00:29:49,919 us on the head we don't want to ignore 842 00:29:55,830 --> 00:29:52,840 it that would be the aha moment that we 843 00:29:56,549 --> 00:29:55,840 would regret having missed but 844 00:29:59,590 --> 00:29:56,559 that's 845 00:30:01,909 --> 00:29:59,600 relatively long way down in our our what 846 00:30:03,269 --> 00:30:01,919 if scenarios and you can read that in 847 00:30:05,269 --> 00:30:03,279 this report which i'll be happy to get a 848 00:30:08,710 --> 00:30:05,279 copy to you 849 00:30:10,630 --> 00:30:08,720 question over here 850 00:30:12,950 --> 00:30:10,640 oh yeah hi mike wahl from space.com one 851 00:30:14,310 --> 00:30:12,960 of the things that sam is actually going 852 00:30:15,430 --> 00:30:14,320 to look for is actually i mean carbon 853 00:30:17,430 --> 00:30:15,440 containing 854 00:30:18,950 --> 00:30:17,440 stuff i mean i was just hoping you guys 855 00:30:21,190 --> 00:30:18,960 could could just go into a little detail 856 00:30:23,029 --> 00:30:21,200 do you expect there to to actually be i 857 00:30:25,110 --> 00:30:23,039 mean carbon compounds on the surface and 858 00:30:28,070 --> 00:30:25,120 is it going to be tough to find i mean 859 00:30:31,029 --> 00:30:28,080 if it is there in small concentrations 860 00:30:32,149 --> 00:30:31,039 well the good news is that following 861 00:30:34,230 --> 00:30:32,159 this briefing there's going to be 862 00:30:35,990 --> 00:30:34,240 another briefing and the principal 863 00:30:37,110 --> 00:30:36,000 investigator of sam paul mahaffey will 864 00:30:39,110 --> 00:30:37,120 be able to 865 00:30:41,510 --> 00:30:39,120 address this in more detail but just to 866 00:30:44,149 --> 00:30:41,520 sort of briefly answer your question 867 00:30:46,149 --> 00:30:44,159 we know there are carbon compounds on 868 00:30:47,430 --> 00:30:46,159 mars because the atmosphere has carbon 869 00:30:49,269 --> 00:30:47,440 dioxide 870 00:30:51,909 --> 00:30:49,279 and one of the reasons why carbon is so 871 00:30:53,909 --> 00:30:51,919 important to us is because it has a form 872 00:30:56,630 --> 00:30:53,919 that's sort of oxidized which is the 873 00:30:59,110 --> 00:30:56,640 carbon dioxide and then there are the 874 00:31:00,549 --> 00:30:59,120 more reduced forms that make organic 875 00:31:03,269 --> 00:31:00,559 molecules 876 00:31:06,549 --> 00:31:03,279 one reason why we want to understand 877 00:31:09,350 --> 00:31:06,559 what kind of chemistry you can do on 878 00:31:11,590 --> 00:31:09,360 mars is because minerals make the same 879 00:31:13,509 --> 00:31:11,600 kind of bonds all the time they're 880 00:31:15,350 --> 00:31:13,519 mostly what we call ionic bonds and they 881 00:31:17,350 --> 00:31:15,360 form certain crystal shapes and then 882 00:31:18,710 --> 00:31:17,360 occasionally you have water incorporated 883 00:31:21,430 --> 00:31:18,720 into the minerals and that could be a 884 00:31:23,830 --> 00:31:21,440 hydrogen bond but carbon is special 885 00:31:26,710 --> 00:31:23,840 because of the types of chemical bonds 886 00:31:28,470 --> 00:31:26,720 it makes and it is something that we 887 00:31:31,190 --> 00:31:28,480 would want to understand 888 00:31:34,549 --> 00:31:31,200 the sources and sinks for it on mars and 889 00:31:37,110 --> 00:31:34,559 so we we anticipate learning a lot about 890 00:31:39,669 --> 00:31:37,120 carbon whether or not we will see carbon 891 00:31:42,149 --> 00:31:39,679 mostly as oxidized or mostly as reduced 892 00:31:43,909 --> 00:31:42,159 forms we don't know yet but sam is 893 00:31:45,830 --> 00:31:43,919 designed to look for that and as i said 894 00:31:48,470 --> 00:31:45,840 uh paul mahaffey will talk a lot more 895 00:31:49,590 --> 00:31:48,480 about that shortly and there is also the 896 00:31:51,669 --> 00:31:49,600 question of course 897 00:31:53,830 --> 00:31:51,679 uh plastics have carbon in them and we 898 00:31:55,190 --> 00:31:53,840 know the spacecraft is carrying plastic 899 00:31:56,710 --> 00:31:55,200 so there still is the constraint of 900 00:31:58,310 --> 00:31:56,720 being able to understand what we brought 901 00:31:59,750 --> 00:31:58,320 with us versus what we're seeing that's 902 00:32:01,430 --> 00:31:59,760 actually there 903 00:32:04,710 --> 00:32:01,440 let me just add one comment to that i 904 00:32:07,350 --> 00:32:04,720 mean as i mentioned and as the oxygen 905 00:32:09,509 --> 00:32:07,360 is spilling over in the room right mars 906 00:32:11,669 --> 00:32:09,519 has the ability to oxidize the organic 907 00:32:13,430 --> 00:32:11,679 molecules that we know come to mars by 908 00:32:14,870 --> 00:32:13,440 meteorites come they fall on mars they 909 00:32:15,990 --> 00:32:14,880 contain carbon 910 00:32:18,549 --> 00:32:16,000 there is 911 00:32:20,630 --> 00:32:18,559 this specimen which is a example of 912 00:32:22,789 --> 00:32:20,640 carbon that's still not carbon dioxide 913 00:32:24,310 --> 00:32:22,799 it's relatively highly oxidized but it's 914 00:32:25,990 --> 00:32:24,320 fairly stable and if i weren't sitting 915 00:32:27,590 --> 00:32:26,000 in a carpeted room i'd strike a match 916 00:32:29,990 --> 00:32:27,600 and show you how stable that is to 917 00:32:32,230 --> 00:32:30,000 further oxidation so some of us have a 918 00:32:33,909 --> 00:32:32,240 five dollar bet on this being an organic 919 00:32:35,990 --> 00:32:33,919 molecule that would be found on mars 920 00:32:37,509 --> 00:32:36,000 because it's a end point of the 921 00:32:39,190 --> 00:32:37,519 oxidation that we believe that occurs 922 00:32:40,549 --> 00:32:39,200 but not so much of an end point that it 923 00:32:42,950 --> 00:32:40,559 gets all the way to gaseous carbon 924 00:32:45,029 --> 00:32:42,960 dioxide so yeah i mean we're desperate 925 00:32:46,549 --> 00:32:45,039 to find stuff on mars there are things 926 00:32:47,830 --> 00:32:46,559 on that 927 00:32:50,470 --> 00:32:47,840 science laboratory which have the 928 00:32:51,750 --> 00:32:50,480 capability of finding organic materials 929 00:32:53,110 --> 00:32:51,760 on mars 930 00:32:55,350 --> 00:32:53,120 and if we can find them that's going to 931 00:32:58,630 --> 00:32:55,360 be a big strike for habitability in the 932 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:02,149 kid 933 00:33:06,630 --> 00:33:05,110 for pan uh and anyone else um maybe a 934 00:33:09,110 --> 00:33:06,640 little repetitive but i wonder if you 935 00:33:10,789 --> 00:33:09,120 could give us a few examples of how 936 00:33:13,269 --> 00:33:10,799 sam is going to operate and look at 937 00:33:16,310 --> 00:33:13,279 those rocks and looking for signs of 938 00:33:18,710 --> 00:33:16,320 life and and and the ingredients of life 939 00:33:20,630 --> 00:33:18,720 what have you done to take into account 940 00:33:22,789 --> 00:33:20,640 what what steve benner better mentioned 941 00:33:26,070 --> 00:33:22,799 about the oxidation that we discovered 942 00:33:27,750 --> 00:33:26,080 with the viking and and and and phoenix 943 00:33:30,630 --> 00:33:27,760 with the perchlorates and the peroxide 944 00:33:32,230 --> 00:33:30,640 what what have you done on on sam to 945 00:33:35,350 --> 00:33:32,240 determine that whether they are there 946 00:33:39,269 --> 00:33:35,360 and how you'll account for that thanks 947 00:33:40,870 --> 00:33:39,279 so uh for those of you that don't 948 00:33:43,350 --> 00:33:40,880 have the background on this so the 949 00:33:45,029 --> 00:33:43,360 sample analysis at mars or or sam 950 00:33:48,389 --> 00:33:45,039 instrument suite 951 00:33:50,789 --> 00:33:48,399 is equipped with the ability to ingest 952 00:33:53,269 --> 00:33:50,799 solid samples powders of rock 953 00:33:55,750 --> 00:33:53,279 as well as the ability to breathe the 954 00:33:57,430 --> 00:33:55,760 martian atmosphere indirectly 955 00:33:58,710 --> 00:33:57,440 and so the reason why we're so 956 00:34:00,710 --> 00:33:58,720 interested in understanding the 957 00:34:02,630 --> 00:34:00,720 chemistry of mars 958 00:34:04,389 --> 00:34:02,640 goes back to what i was saying earlier 959 00:34:06,789 --> 00:34:04,399 and several of us have said and that is 960 00:34:08,869 --> 00:34:06,799 you're basically trying to understand 961 00:34:11,430 --> 00:34:08,879 what the environment is there and then 962 00:34:13,510 --> 00:34:11,440 figure out what processes have gone on 963 00:34:16,710 --> 00:34:13,520 in that environment and we keep bringing 964 00:34:19,430 --> 00:34:16,720 up oxidation and oxidation and reduction 965 00:34:21,990 --> 00:34:19,440 living things make their business their 966 00:34:24,550 --> 00:34:22,000 commerce is basically the exchange of 967 00:34:26,149 --> 00:34:24,560 electrons buying them and selling them 968 00:34:28,470 --> 00:34:26,159 and that's one reason why we're so 969 00:34:29,750 --> 00:34:28,480 interested in oxidation and reduction 970 00:34:31,909 --> 00:34:29,760 chemistry 971 00:34:35,430 --> 00:34:31,919 so your question what is sam going to do 972 00:34:36,790 --> 00:34:35,440 about this first of all sam does not 973 00:34:39,109 --> 00:34:36,800 operate alone 974 00:34:41,909 --> 00:34:39,119 sam operates within the context of a 975 00:34:43,589 --> 00:34:41,919 whole suite of instruments which will 976 00:34:45,430 --> 00:34:43,599 help us to do a very careful 977 00:34:48,310 --> 00:34:45,440 characterization of all the chemistry 978 00:34:51,589 --> 00:34:48,320 that we can on mars but as we look at 979 00:34:53,990 --> 00:34:51,599 rocks that we would call oxidized rocks 980 00:34:55,909 --> 00:34:54,000 or those kinds of 981 00:34:57,829 --> 00:34:55,919 signs of 982 00:35:00,150 --> 00:34:57,839 the type of chemistry that steve 983 00:35:01,670 --> 00:35:00,160 demonstrated that have been oxidized 984 00:35:04,310 --> 00:35:01,680 that tells us something about how 985 00:35:06,630 --> 00:35:04,320 chemically reactive those rocks are 986 00:35:08,870 --> 00:35:06,640 if we looked at other rocks say we found 987 00:35:11,270 --> 00:35:08,880 some pyrite or something that would tell 988 00:35:13,190 --> 00:35:11,280 us about another type of chemistry where 989 00:35:16,150 --> 00:35:13,200 we would say the rock is in a reduced 990 00:35:17,910 --> 00:35:16,160 phase doesn't have a lot of free oxygen 991 00:35:19,910 --> 00:35:17,920 the point is we want to understand the 992 00:35:22,069 --> 00:35:19,920 range of chemistry 993 00:35:24,550 --> 00:35:22,079 so sam will operate together with other 994 00:35:27,270 --> 00:35:24,560 instruments to try to understand what 995 00:35:29,750 --> 00:35:27,280 the range of chemistry is by looking at 996 00:35:32,470 --> 00:35:29,760 the inventory of chemicals that are in 997 00:35:34,630 --> 00:35:32,480 the materials we study the inventory of 998 00:35:36,310 --> 00:35:34,640 chemicals that are breathed in from the 999 00:35:39,030 --> 00:35:36,320 martian atmosphere 1000 00:35:39,829 --> 00:35:39,040 and we'll start to get a picture of what 1001 00:35:44,470 --> 00:35:39,839 the 1002 00:35:46,870 --> 00:35:44,480 surface of mars now a second question 1003 00:35:49,430 --> 00:35:46,880 that goes with that is what happens if 1004 00:35:51,030 --> 00:35:49,440 you get something that's oxidized 1005 00:35:52,870 --> 00:35:51,040 that's the reason for this diverse 1006 00:35:55,589 --> 00:35:52,880 payload for us all to look at these 1007 00:35:57,910 --> 00:35:55,599 materials together and arrive at some 1008 00:35:59,750 --> 00:35:57,920 potential courses of action to determine 1009 00:36:01,990 --> 00:35:59,760 the next experiment we would do the next 1010 00:36:04,550 --> 00:36:02,000 day and ultimately what we hope we'll 1011 00:36:06,790 --> 00:36:04,560 learn is enough to ask the best set of 1012 00:36:08,630 --> 00:36:06,800 questions for the next mission that goes 1013 00:36:10,310 --> 00:36:08,640 and as we learn about this diverse 1014 00:36:12,710 --> 00:36:10,320 chemistry of mars we can begin to 1015 00:36:14,310 --> 00:36:12,720 compare and contrast that with what we 1016 00:36:16,470 --> 00:36:14,320 know on earth and what we learn in 1017 00:36:18,550 --> 00:36:16,480 meteorites and get a better picture of 1018 00:36:22,069 --> 00:36:18,560 the comparative planetology of our solar 1019 00:36:22,079 --> 00:36:25,510 all right yes right here 1020 00:36:30,150 --> 00:36:27,750 hi uh mitchell landsberg los angeles 1021 00:36:33,190 --> 00:36:30,160 times um i want to ask a really basic 1022 00:36:35,589 --> 00:36:33,200 question which is why do we care uh 1023 00:36:37,270 --> 00:36:35,599 whether there's life on mars is there 1024 00:36:39,990 --> 00:36:37,280 you know is that they're thinking that 1025 00:36:42,390 --> 00:36:40,000 there are practical reasons to to to 1026 00:36:45,430 --> 00:36:42,400 learn this uh is it 1027 00:36:48,630 --> 00:36:45,440 to satisfy our curiosity or is it 1028 00:36:50,470 --> 00:36:48,640 essentially a sort of theological quest 1029 00:36:52,550 --> 00:36:50,480 i think you could say all of the above 1030 00:36:55,430 --> 00:36:52,560 when we first sent the viking missions 1031 00:36:57,109 --> 00:36:55,440 to mars the viking missions a long time 1032 00:36:59,190 --> 00:36:57,119 ago we didn't know that there were 1033 00:37:00,710 --> 00:36:59,200 organisms at the base of the at the 1034 00:37:02,470 --> 00:37:00,720 bottom of the ocean in the mid-ocean 1035 00:37:03,670 --> 00:37:02,480 ridges that were surviving in 1036 00:37:05,190 --> 00:37:03,680 temperatures and pressures that were 1037 00:37:06,470 --> 00:37:05,200 completely impossible for humans to 1038 00:37:07,990 --> 00:37:06,480 tolerate 1039 00:37:10,310 --> 00:37:08,000 at that point we also didn't know that 1040 00:37:11,990 --> 00:37:10,320 there were organisms in the 1041 00:37:14,069 --> 00:37:12,000 hot springs of yellowstone that might be 1042 00:37:15,990 --> 00:37:14,079 able to be used for polymerized chain 1043 00:37:18,630 --> 00:37:16,000 reaction processes we didn't even know 1044 00:37:20,550 --> 00:37:18,640 about dna um western blots a lot of the 1045 00:37:22,390 --> 00:37:20,560 molecular biology that we used today but 1046 00:37:24,310 --> 00:37:22,400 those pcr reaction 1047 00:37:26,150 --> 00:37:24,320 that pcr process polymerase chain 1048 00:37:28,470 --> 00:37:26,160 reaction is widely used in medicine 1049 00:37:31,030 --> 00:37:28,480 today for diagnostics for identifying 1050 00:37:33,430 --> 00:37:31,040 potential for disease in humans the i 1051 00:37:35,510 --> 00:37:33,440 mean it's the the argument that is made 1052 00:37:37,430 --> 00:37:35,520 for exploration anywhere we don't know 1053 00:37:38,710 --> 00:37:37,440 what we're going to find if we don't go 1054 00:37:40,069 --> 00:37:38,720 there we're no we're not going to find 1055 00:37:41,670 --> 00:37:40,079 it 1056 00:37:43,829 --> 00:37:41,680 i would also say that this is a 1057 00:37:46,950 --> 00:37:43,839 fundamental question that was opposed 1058 00:37:48,630 --> 00:37:46,960 500 bc by some of the atomists so 1059 00:37:51,510 --> 00:37:48,640 daedalus wondered 1060 00:37:53,030 --> 00:37:51,520 looking out into the skies you know that 1061 00:37:56,470 --> 00:37:53,040 the idea that there would be life 1062 00:37:58,390 --> 00:37:56,480 nowhere else in the universe was as uh 1063 00:38:01,270 --> 00:37:58,400 as ridiculous to him as thinking you 1064 00:38:03,510 --> 00:38:01,280 would sew a fertile field and get only 1065 00:38:06,550 --> 00:38:03,520 one thing to to grow so they were 1066 00:38:08,870 --> 00:38:06,560 thinking this 500 bc so this is not a 1067 00:38:11,510 --> 00:38:08,880 construct of of our century or the last 1068 00:38:13,670 --> 00:38:11,520 century this is something fundamental of 1069 00:38:16,829 --> 00:38:13,680 fundamental important importance i think 1070 00:38:19,190 --> 00:38:16,839 i believe to to humankind 1071 00:38:23,670 --> 00:38:19,200 is employee almost tempted to throw the 1072 00:38:27,430 --> 00:38:25,589 obviously nasa has the customers the 1073 00:38:28,630 --> 00:38:27,440 american taxpayer and to some extent to 1074 00:38:31,190 --> 00:38:28,640 the world 1075 00:38:32,390 --> 00:38:31,200 and if you go to any opening of any 1076 00:38:34,069 --> 00:38:32,400 hollywood 1077 00:38:35,829 --> 00:38:34,079 movie what is the chance that it will be 1078 00:38:38,230 --> 00:38:35,839 a movie about aliens well the answer is 1079 00:38:39,670 --> 00:38:38,240 the public is interested in this 1080 00:38:42,390 --> 00:38:39,680 second if you want to talk about the 1081 00:38:44,790 --> 00:38:42,400 training and enthusing of young students 1082 00:38:46,550 --> 00:38:44,800 to study science which everybody seems 1083 00:38:49,030 --> 00:38:46,560 to agree is important for a modern 1084 00:38:50,870 --> 00:38:49,040 economy studying chemistry is hard work 1085 00:38:52,870 --> 00:38:50,880 it's not all plastic models fun and 1086 00:38:55,510 --> 00:38:52,880 games and as has been mentioned right 1087 00:38:57,030 --> 00:38:55,520 you go ten years between aha experiences 1088 00:38:58,710 --> 00:38:57,040 and the rest of it is drudgery getting 1089 00:39:00,230 --> 00:38:58,720 the machines to work and you know 1090 00:39:01,349 --> 00:39:00,240 finding that what you thought was true 1091 00:39:03,030 --> 00:39:01,359 is wrong 1092 00:39:05,510 --> 00:39:03,040 way we aspire and when i go to high 1093 00:39:07,109 --> 00:39:05,520 schools or elementary schools if i raise 1094 00:39:10,390 --> 00:39:07,119 a question about whether there are 1095 00:39:12,870 --> 00:39:10,400 aliens life even microbial this gets the 1096 00:39:15,109 --> 00:39:12,880 response that is far more excitement 1097 00:39:16,790 --> 00:39:15,119 than even if i say let's cure cancer 1098 00:39:18,710 --> 00:39:16,800 right i mean this is how we motivate 1099 00:39:21,510 --> 00:39:18,720 people to study and do the hard work to 1100 00:39:23,270 --> 00:39:21,520 study science so i 1101 00:39:24,470 --> 00:39:23,280 would go i almost be tempted except the 1102 00:39:25,750 --> 00:39:24,480 fact that this is a press conference in 1103 00:39:27,190 --> 00:39:25,760 one direction to throw this question 1104 00:39:29,430 --> 00:39:27,200 back to you and your editorial staff as 1105 00:39:33,270 --> 00:39:29,440 to what do you think is an exciting 1106 00:39:37,750 --> 00:39:35,510 roger record arcade eye this question is 1107 00:39:40,230 --> 00:39:37,760 for catherine 1108 00:39:43,030 --> 00:39:40,240 there are limits set on the number of 1109 00:39:44,150 --> 00:39:43,040 spores that you're allowed to take to 1110 00:39:45,910 --> 00:39:44,160 mars 1111 00:39:48,550 --> 00:39:45,920 and you said this was the cleanest 1112 00:39:51,270 --> 00:39:48,560 spacecraft going i'm wondering what 1113 00:39:53,190 --> 00:39:51,280 numbers you found in your testing 1114 00:39:55,270 --> 00:39:53,200 well um 1115 00:39:57,109 --> 00:39:55,280 it was left less it was about half of 1116 00:39:58,710 --> 00:39:57,119 what the requirement is the msl 1117 00:40:01,270 --> 00:39:58,720 spacecraft is about the same level of 1118 00:40:04,230 --> 00:40:01,280 cleanliness on a much larger spacecraft 1119 00:40:06,710 --> 00:40:04,240 as the mer rovers were 1120 00:40:08,150 --> 00:40:06,720 um this is demonstration of the really 1121 00:40:09,829 --> 00:40:08,160 hard work that the people who were hands 1122 00:40:11,910 --> 00:40:09,839 on on the spacecraft did in order to 1123 00:40:13,829 --> 00:40:11,920 keep it at that level of cleanliness it 1124 00:40:16,150 --> 00:40:13,839 also is a demonstration to the 1125 00:40:17,910 --> 00:40:16,160 international community and the policy 1126 00:40:19,349 --> 00:40:17,920 setters that we actually can maintain 1127 00:40:21,510 --> 00:40:19,359 these levels of cleanliness which is 1128 00:40:23,670 --> 00:40:21,520 really nice to know on a big spacecraft 1129 00:40:25,270 --> 00:40:23,680 because if we do go to europa we have 1130 00:40:27,190 --> 00:40:25,280 requirements that are more stringent for 1131 00:40:28,870 --> 00:40:27,200 mars but the demonstration that we 1132 00:40:30,470 --> 00:40:28,880 actually can get to this level means 1133 00:40:31,829 --> 00:40:30,480 that with more work we can do even 1134 00:40:33,349 --> 00:40:31,839 better and 1135 00:40:34,950 --> 00:40:33,359 not only not contaminate mars but 1136 00:40:36,630 --> 00:40:34,960 potentially not contaminate europa when 1137 00:40:38,630 --> 00:40:36,640 we're actually going to potentially send 1138 00:40:39,990 --> 00:40:38,640 a spacecraft into an ocean or it will 1139 00:40:42,309 --> 00:40:40,000 get there eventually even if we don't 1140 00:40:46,069 --> 00:40:42,319 put it there on purpose 1141 00:40:48,309 --> 00:40:46,079 about about 250 300 000 spores is what 1142 00:40:49,670 --> 00:40:48,319 the number and that's just a metric that 1143 00:40:51,589 --> 00:40:49,680 isn't the total number of organisms on 1144 00:40:52,390 --> 00:40:51,599 the spacecraft it's just a way that we 1145 00:40:54,390 --> 00:40:52,400 test 1146 00:40:56,309 --> 00:40:54,400 to show the level of cleanliness but it 1147 00:40:59,990 --> 00:40:56,319 was about half of what the requirement 1148 00:41:02,550 --> 00:41:00,000 is what the maximum allowable is 1149 00:41:04,829 --> 00:41:02,560 right we've got a question on the uh on 1150 00:41:15,990 --> 00:41:04,839 the telephone from denise ciao from 1151 00:41:20,069 --> 00:41:18,150 well apparently she's not there anymore 1152 00:41:22,309 --> 00:41:20,079 so any additional follow-ups here in the 1153 00:41:23,750 --> 00:41:22,319 room 1154 00:41:25,030 --> 00:41:23,760 all right in that event that will 1155 00:41:27,030 --> 00:41:25,040 include 1156 00:41:29,030 --> 00:41:27,040 this briefing a couple of programming 1157 00:41:30,550 --> 00:41:29,040 notes there will be the mars science 1158 00:41:33,030 --> 00:41:30,560 laboratory mission science briefing 1159 00:41:35,910 --> 00:41:33,040 which follows this briefing 1160 00:41:37,430 --> 00:41:35,920 and then tomorrow at 1 pm 1161 00:41:40,309 --> 00:41:37,440 the pre-launch news conference is 1162 00:41:42,069 --> 00:41:40,319 scheduled and that is at that time 1163 00:41:43,109 --> 00:41:42,079 because the launch readiness review will 1164 00:41:45,750 --> 00:41:43,119 have just 1165 00:41:48,470 --> 00:41:45,760 ended a couple of hours before 1166 00:41:49,829 --> 00:41:48,480 so please stay tuned now for our mars