Monday, August 09, 2004

The Search for Life, Mars, and the Andes

Thanks to John Harwood for sending me a fascinating link about searching for life on Mars (http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/08/04/atacama.desert/index.html). What makes this article so interesting is that it talks about a place on Earth that is so barren that in some areas no life can be found: the Atacama Desert in Chile. By barren I mean nothing, not even extremophiles. This desert is the driest spot on Earth, with some areas not getting rain for centuries.

The tie-in to Mars is that scientists are using this desert to refine the equipment they use to search for life on Mars. It's a testing ground with the most barren conditions available on our planet.

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