I Just Watched An Exciting NASA Video-Conference: Perseverance Sampled An Odd Rock, On Barsoom, at Sapphire Canyon -- Last Year...

We first discussed this finding -- over a year ago. But now the peer-reviewed, vetted scientific papers are out and published. And the implications are. . . tantalizing, to say the least.

Of course, as ever -- the caveats: as discussed at the press conference just now, this same admixture, in the rock called Cheyava Falls, may have resulted from a high temperature event, like vulcanism, or a meteor strike -- billions of years ago on Mars, where it now lies. But the surrounding rock shows no evidence of melting and re-solidifying. So at least the primary non-biological explanation for what Perseverance's grinder and cam has observed. . . would seem to be quite unlikely.

This then is. . . perhaps. . . the best evidence seen to date, on the surface of Mars. . . for what might have once been. . . organic life -- as we know it, here on Earth (Jasoom). Do listen in, to the smart folks at NASA/JPL:

. . .A sample collected by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover from an ancient dry riverbed in Jezero Crater could preserve evidence of ancient microbial life. Taken from a rock named “Cheyava Falls” last year, the sample, called “Sapphire Canyon,” contains potential biosignatures, according to a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

A potential biosignature is a substance or structure that might have a biological origin but requires more data or further study before a conclusion can be reached about the absence or presence of life.

“This finding by Perseverance, launched under President Trump in his first term, is the closest we have ever come to discovering life on Mars. The identification of a potential biosignature on the Red Planet is a groundbreaking discovery, and one that will advance our understanding of Mars,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. “NASA’s commitment to conducting Gold Standard Science will continue. . . .”

Now, as ever, astonishing claims require. . . very compelling proof. And we don't have that. . . yet. But I am grinning ear to ear, just the same. Onward -- to a mountain bike ride, imagining where this rock was under about a foot of liquid water, 3 billion years ago. . . on Mars. Very cool. Was something growing beside it, or swimming -- over it? Time will tell. . . .

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