Exploring Life's Potential on the Red Planet and Saturn's Tiny Moon

Versus Spacetime Series twenty nine, episode twenty one, for broadcasts on the eighteenth of February twenty twenty six. Coming up on Space Time, scientists admit that non biological processes can't fully explain the organics found on Mars, how the Tinese attornium moon Enceladus influences its giant host planet, and how the Earth's largest volcanic event reshaped an entire planetary oceanic plate. All that and more coming up on space Time. Welcome to space Time with Stuart Gary. Scientists say a new study shows that non biological sources cannot fully account for the abundance of organic compounds discovered in samples of Martian regularth collected by NASA's mom Curiosity ROVERA Amazingly, the findings, reported in the journal Astrobiology, suggests that life may have been responsible for at least some of the compounds discovered on the red planet. Back in March twenty twenty five, scientists reported identifying small amounts of decayne, undercaine and dodocaine in a rock sample analyzed in the chemistry lab on board the six World Robotic Rover. These were the largest organic compounds ever found on Mars, and they left the researchers hypothesizing that these could be fragments of fatty acids preserved in ancient mudstone in gall Crater. Now Here on Earth, fatty acids are produced mostly by life, although they can also be made through geological processes. Now, it's simply not possible to determine from Curiosity's data alone whether or not the molecules they found on Mars were made by living things, and so that led to a follow up study, one that evaluated no non biological sources for the us the organic molecules, such as delivery by meteors smash into the Martian surface in order to see if they could account for the amounts found, and the authors determined that the non biological sources they considered simply could not fully explain the abundance of the organic compounds. It's therefore reasonable to hypothesize that living beings may well have formed them. Now. To reach their incredibly controversial conclusion, the scientists combined lab radiation experiments, mathematical modeling, and the Curiosity data in order to well, I guess you'd call it wind back the clock about eighty million years, which is the amount of time the rocks would have been exposed on the Martian surface, and this allowed the authors to estimate how much organic material would have been present before being destroyed by long term exposure to cosmic radiation, and it turns out it's far more than typical non biological processes could produce. The authors say far more studies needed to better understand how quickly organic molecules break down in Mars like rock under Mars like conditions before they can draw any real conclusions about the absence or presence of life on the Red planet. And it's a fascinating topic to ponder. Back in December nineteen eighty four, scientists discovered a one point nine three kilogram meteorite in the Allen Hills of Antarctica, which they cataloged as ALH eight four zero zero one. Like other members of the sergotite, nacolite, Chasinite group of meteorites, ALH eighty four zero zero one was thought to have originated on the Red planet. Then in nineteen ninety six, scientists found tiny crystal like segmented features deep inside the rock which really do look like microscopic bacterial fossils now because they were very deep inside the rock and were only uncovered when the rock was opened. That suggests that these organisms, if that's what they are, also originated on Mars and not from later Earth contamination. That hypothesis immediately made headlines worldwide, ultimately culminating in US President Bill Clinton giving a speech about the potential discovery of life from the Red planet. The claims of possible signs of ancient Martian life were controversial from the beginning, and much of the scientific community ultimately rejected the hypothesis once all the unusual features the metia rite had been explained without requiring life to be present. The problem is, every single astronomer I've ever interviewed, either on space Time or its predecessor, star Stuff about alh eight to four zero zero one admits that had they not known that this rock was a Martian meteorite, they would have concluded that the strange segmented structures inside the media right were fossilized bacteria. Now, then there's the story of the famous Martian soup test undertaken by NASA's Viking landers on the Martian surface back in nineteen seventy six. Officially labeled the Release Experiment, it was designed to detect signs of life on the Red planet by searching for microbial metabolism in the Martian soil. Was a nutrient solution containing seven simple organic compounds sodium formate, cerdium lactate, glycine, alanine, and calcium glycolate, tag with radioactive carbon fourteen. The procedure involved a sample of Martian soil being placed in a test chamber and then moisten with the soup. If microorganisms existed in the soil and consumed the nutrients, they'd release a radioactive carbon dioxide or methane gas, which could then be detected, and the experiment produced a positive results, with radioactive gas being released, suggesting the possible presence of living organisms. Now, to confirm the Martian results, a duplicate soil sample was heated to one hundred and sixty degrees celsius to sterilize it, and the test was repeated and the dead soil showed absolutely no reaction, a result that strongly favored the biological explanation. However, despite the positive results, the scientific community widely interpreted the findings as non biological due to another instrument on the land and failing to detect organic matter in the soil. Even today, many scientists still debate the results, with some arguing the experiment did in fact find evidence of life. Others suggest it was a false positive caused by exotic soul chemistry like the chlorates. Still, as cal Sagan says, extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof of this report from mess A TV is there life on Mars. So we've been looking for life on Mars for a long time, and while NASA hasn't found any evidence of life now, we found lots of evidence that Mars could have supported life in the past. There's lots of pieces of evidence that say there was once a huge ocean on Mars and an atmosphere that could have supported life. But there's still a lot of Mars left to explore. There are places that are potentially habitable, like the deep subsurface. There are places underground that could have fluids in them where organisms could live and they'd be protected from the radiation that so harmful on the surface. We're just now getting instruments onto the Martian surface that can help us understand these potentially habitable places, and we can ask deeper questions about the potential for habitability in those rock cores. So is there life on Mars, Not that we've found yet, but there's still a lot of Mars left to explore. And in that report from MESSATV, we heard from NASA astrobologist and the Graham this is space time still to come. Astronomers have discovered that Satin's tiny iceman Encyladus trails a wake of electromagnetic ripples that extend over half a million kilometers, influencing its giant host planet, And how Earth's largest volcanic event reshaped an entire planet tree oceanic plate. All that are more still to come on space time. Astronomers have discovered that Satin's tiny iceman Enciladus trails a wake of electromagnetic ripples through space that extend for over half a million kilometers, influencing its giant host planet. The findings, reported in the journal Geophysical Research Space Physics, are based on data from NASA's Cassini mission to this Attornian system. Spacecraft revealed a lattice like structure of criss crossing reflected waves that flow downstream behind the Moon in Saturn's equatorial plane that also reach out to very high northern and southern latitudes. The analysis of data from four instruments aboard Cassini elected over the mission's thirteen year duration, demonstrates the crucial role that Enciladus plays in circulating energy and momentum around Satin's space environments and Scylladus contains a global subsurface ocean. Beneath its icy crust, Plumes of water, vapor, and dust stream through tiger stripe like cracks in the frozen surface of the Moon's southern hemisphere. The water molecules and particles from these geysers become ionized when they're exposed to radiation, in the process, creating an electrically charged plasma that interacts with Satin's magnetic field as it sweeps past Enceladus. The studies lead author, Lena Hadid from the French Plasma Physics Laboratory, says Enceladus is famous for its water geysers, but its actual impact in interaction with its ringed host planet remain largely unknown. Add says this result transforms science's vision of the Moon's role in the Saturnian system. The study shows how wavelike structures known as alphin wings travel like vibrations on a string along magnetic field lines connecting Enceladus with Satin's poles. The initial main alphen wing is reflected back and forth both by Saturn's Ionispy and the plasma Taurus that encircles Enceladus's orbit, resulting in a complex and structured system. By using a multi instrumental approach, the authors were able to show that the influence of Enceladus extends over a record distance of five hundred and four thousand kilometers that's more than two thousand times the little moon's radius. It's the first time that such an extensive electromagnetic reach by Enceladus has been observed, proving that this tiny moon acts as a giant planetary scale Alphin wave generator. To reach their findings, the authors had examined archival data from a suite of instruments carried by Cassini to study electromagnetic wave and particle interactions, looking for flyby and non fly bypaths near Enceladus that showed evidence of magnetic connection between the moon and Satin. On thirty six occasions, they found signatures related to Alphin waves, including at much further distances than they originally anticipated. Now as well as the large scale structures, the authors also found evidence that turbulence teases out these waves into filaments within the main alph and wing. This fine scale structure helps the waves bounce off in Soladus as Plasma Taurus and reach the high latitude of Satin's ionosphere, where the auroral features associated with the Moon are formed. The findings highlight the importance of future missions to Ensiladus, such as the planned European Space Agency ORBITA and lander plan for the twenty forties, which could carry instrumentation designed to study these electromagnetic interactions in far greater detail. This is space time still to come. A new study shows how the largest volcanic event on Earth could have completely reshaped the major tectonic plate, changing it forever. And later in the Science report, a new study has put an end to claims that some trees can predict solar eclipses. All that and more still to come on space time. A new study has shown how the largest volcanic event on Earth could have completely reshaped a major tectonic plate, changing it forever. The findings reported in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, based on seismic wave analysis showing that the oceanic plate beneath the Ontong Java Plateau, the world's largest oceanic plateau, was extensively altered by massive volcanic activity during its formation. The oceanic plate beneath the Ontong Java Plateau has a composite structure consisting of layered features overlaid by vertical inclusions known as dike swarms. Low seismic velocity anomalies within the plate suggest chemical modification by magma derived from a thermochemical plume. The findings demonstrate that oceanic plates can undergo significant physiochemical modification due to large scale volcanic activity, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of plate formation processes. The study's lead author, Azuzi Chateau from the Okaiyama University, says the Ontong Java Plateau, which is located in the Pacific Ocean, was formed by sudden marine volcanic acts activity some one and ten to one hundred and twenty million years ago. This volcanic activity, considered the largest in Earth's history, is thought to have drastically altered the global environment at the time, triggering mass extinctions. Recent studies have suggested that this large scale volcanic activity was caused by a thermochemical plume an upwelling originating from deep within the mantle. However, the effects of magmas sending from deep mental sources on pre existing oceanic plates have remained poorly understood, as those are in Colleagues analyzed high frequency seismic waves known as PO and SO waves recorded by ocean fluor seismometers deployed around the otong Java Plateau and on oceanic islands. PO and s O waves propagate within oceanic plates, and their propagation characteristics are highly sensitive to the internal structures of the plate. Under typical conditions, PO and SOO waves are generated when P waves and S waves undergo modible scattering within a layered structure inside an oceanic plas, allowing them to travel distances of several thousand kilometers. However, PO and SO waves observed around the o Tongue Java Plateau exhibited a striking feature or PO waves propagated efficiently SO waves were strongly attenuated. Now to reproduce this observation, the author's estimated the internal structure of the plate using seismic waveform modeling. They found that the oceanic plate beneath the tongue. Java plateau has a composite structure in which lay it features in a horizontal lamination are intersected by dike swarms. The authors show that PO and s O waves propagating through the plate travel significantly more slowly than those in typical oceanic plates. They say magma derived from a thermal chemical plume ascended through the plate, forming the dike sworms and subsequently caused the chemical modification of the plate itself. This is Space Time and Time Out Attack. Another brief look at some of the other stories making news in science this week with a Science report. A new study has shown that kids growing up in vegan households show almost no differences in development when compared to their non vegan counterparts. The findings, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, examined the weight and growth rates of one point two million infants from both vegan and non vegan households. The authors say that while some were modestly more likely to be underweight during their first years of life, by the time they reaged twenty four months, those differences had totally diminished. A new study has finally put an end to weird claims that some trees could predict solar eclipses. The findings, reported in the journal Trends in Plant Science, showed that a synchronized increase in electrical activity in a group of spruce trees ahead of an eclipse over the Dollarmites in Italy was probably simply a response to a thunderstorm that was going on at the time. The original research measured the biolctrical activity among a group of trees, finding increased synchronization between trees before and during the solar eclipse. They claim that showed a capacity of the trees to respond to external events in unison. However, in an opinion piece, the authors admit that the weather leading up to the eclipse, including a significant drop in temperature, a notable rain event, and several lightning strikes in the region, would more likely have triggered that behavior in the trees. A new study shows that the Apple Watches new blood pressure monitoring app can miss up to sixty percent of undiagnosed events. The findings reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, based on consumer testing by four hundred people equipped with the devices. The studies authors say Apple Watches picked up undiagnosed high blood pressure in just over forty percent of those who had it in the process, missing sixty percent of cases. It also gave false positive alerts to around eight percent of those who didn't have undiagnosed hypertension. You also say the findings mean the app may play a role in identifying some people who need to get their blood pressure checked by a doctor, but it also carries the risk of lulling other people into a false sense of security. Well, the Winter Olympics are underway in Italy right now, and so it's probably a great time to have our earn Olympics, the great showdown between different types of broadband. Now, over several months, we've been conducting a blind test between two of the major players in the Australian home broadband market. The combatants were Tilstra's five G modem and Starlink's satellite service. We were going to include the NBN. By the hidden costs of their so called free fiber to the home deal, we're simply way out of the ballpark compared to the others. An Optus's history of poor customer service ruled them out early. See in the past customer service caller waiting times for Optus had been in excess of an hour, and no one wants to go through that again. So then there were just two Telstra formerly Telecommon before that the PMG or Postmaster General. It'd have to be pretty old to remember that one is an Australian Icon, the nation's largest telco by a huge margin. They have a massive network coverage, great customer service over the phone, but waiting times can still be too long. Still, their in store staff are friendly and helpful, although the store we visited, which was in the Pitt Street more than Sydney, had sell stuff who didn't really know their own products, and twice tried to sell us stuff that wasn't what we had asked for and needed. It was only when the store manager intervened that the correct information was finally made of available. At least he knew what he was talking about. As for Starlink, well, they're the new kid on the block. There was no human involvement during the entire process of booking onto Starlink other than the technicians coming around to install the actual device. The only problem we experienced was a forty cable, but their artificial intelligent chatbot quickly identified the problem and had mailed out a replacement cable within two days. So how do they compare in performance? Well, in terms of reliability, Telstra's five G modem failed on three occasions. One involved a simple rebuild of the modem, but the other two were due to Telstra network issues, one lasting more than a week. On the other hand, Starlink experienced no dropouts during the entire test period, even during heavy thunderstorm activity. We carried out our speed tests on the same day, at the same time of the evening and under the same weather and traffic conditions. Telstra's five G modem could only manage download speeds of fifteen point four eight megabits per second. That compared to starlink'sundred and ninety five point six megabits, massive difference. The difference in upload speeds was also huge. Telsterra's five G modem could only achieve four point four megabits per second, so we ran it again to be sure, and it was better, but not by much four point four one megabits per second. Now, by comparison, Starlink's upload speed was ten times quicker at forty point zero one megabits per second. To find out what this is telling us. We're joined by technology editor Alex Sahara Royt from tech advice Start Life. Well, it says that the five G network is probably congested in your area. I mean, the phone companies have been giving five G home modems out on a very restricted basis that don't want to flood their five G networks with home users, that want to sort of save it for the people who are on their phones. The NBN last Saursday released its financial results and it's been a huge jump in people who are connecting to fiber to the premises getting the upgrade if they weren't able to do that, And in fact, the NBN is going to allow people to go to fiber directly with having to go to a faster speed. Now. I did ask when the NBN would get rid of their twenty five, fifty and even twelve man give it plans, and they said, look, we're not going to do it yet because you know, we still want to be able to offer connections to people at a cheaper price if they need it. But of course there's plenty of people who are now going at two hundred and fifty five hundred a gig a bit or even two GI give at speed. What the NBN aren't telling you, and I know this because I've experienced this from NBN, is that they don't tell you about the other additional charges they have, such as your need to make sure you have very specific types of connections available at home, and if you don't, they're going to charge you more to make sure those right connections are installed. It's not free to the home. It's very expensive to the home. We're talking hundreds and hundreds of extra dollars. So you didn't know that? Yeah, completely, shall we say fruitful in their honesty. Well, no surprise from a government organization or any organization I guess these days. I mean some would say that's capitalism at works. Yeah, I think that's mister shanky at work. Quite Frankly. People should definitely check with their provider to make sure there are no hidden costs and if they are, if they are, you know, what are they? Okay? Now? New updates from Apple. Yeah, last week Apple launched new updates for iPhone, iPad, watch, no doubt, Apple TV, and also the Mac. I've updated all my devices and look, there's not too many new features. I mean, there is actually a feature that allows you to easily transfer your information from iPhone to Android. That's a bit of a surprise, but there it is. And obviously the usual suite of security updates that are very important update your device is for. But the biggest news also that came out this week is that Apple has delayed once again it's more advanced version of series. This is expected to start arriving with the first beta of twenty six point four, which in theory comes out in a week or two, and people were excited to download that develop a bit or in a month or two public beta. But look, we're going to learn a lot more about what's happening with theory GPT two point zero with its Google Gemini integration at the Worldwide Developer Conference in the middle of the year. Every time we have a new developer conference, we learn about the next version of the iosipados, Accos, et cetera operating systems. There will be some advancements to SIRE in twenty six point four. Exactly what they are going to be is all still yet to be determined. But Apple has been having problems in its testing and they just don't want to release something if it's not ready to go, because launching something bad that doesn't work well is going to be worse than simply delaying it. So the great weight for Apple's own AI efforts, even if they are augmented by Gemini, continues. But in the meantime, Claude, Gemini, CHATBT and other systems work perfectly well on iPhones and nothing stops anybody from using them. That's Alexaharov rout from Take advice, Start live, and this is space Time, and that's the show for now. Space Time is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through bytes dot com, SoundCloud, YouTube, your favorite podcast download provider, and from space Time with Stuart Gary dot com. Space Time's also broadcast through the National Science Foundation, on Science Own Radio and on both iHeartRadio and tune In Radio. And you can help to support our show by visiting the Spacetime Store for a range of promotional merchandising goodies, or by becoming a Spacetime Patron, which gives you access to triple episode commercial free versions of the show, as well as lots of Bonnus audio content which doesn't go to wear, access to our exclusive Facebook group, and other rewards. Just go to space Time with Stuart Gary dot com for full details. You've been listening to Space Time with Stuart Gary. This has been another quality podcast production from bytes dot com