Life on Mars – Past, Present, and Future

Mars is the closest planet to Earth that could have supported life. Why do we think life could have existed there—or could in the future? How are we looking for evidence of life? Could we terraform Mars to make it more conducive to Earth life? What would it mean to find life on Mars, and equally importantly, what would it mean to search for life and not find any?

In this talk, we’ll discuss discoveries from the last 30 years of Mars exploration to examine the questions about life on Mars—including ancient life, the possibility of current life, and whether a future Mars might have life on it—and what each would mean to us.