Mars in a Minute: Why is Curiosity Looking for Organics?

Has Mars ever had the right ingredients for life? What are organic molecules, and what can they tell us about the history of Mars? Learn more in this 60-second video from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

[spliceosome]

a minute video that actually is one minute! incredible

[KevinChen]

These videos try to get the general public interested in space exploration. That's why they prefer being understandable over being detailed. It's a good thing.

[SuperRAPIT]

I want morew Mars in a Minute. Good work.

[GonzoSleights]

really kool little video. i would like to see more like this but not less of other videos

[DanielBloom]

That was a really good video guy. A cut above the previous ones. Keep on keepin' on.

[EthanNin]

I wouldn't mind a 10 minute version of this video.

[JenWilliamson]

1. It'll give us data to better understand how Earth became home for life and what we may be able to find on other planets (or even moons) which could harbor life.
2. It may mean we can set up colonies on Mars
3. Possibly even other cool things :)

[paintkiller]

My question is that IF Curiosity were to find microbes, either alive or fossilized, would it be able to detect them with its instruments?

[jsepn]

But there are hundreds (400+) of definitions for "What is life?"

May be I should just watch the video and then comment. :P
Thanks for the video. Really appreciate it! — VP

[DrMackSplackem]

You didn't have to say it, it was implicit in your question. Consider that all of our knowledge of living things is based on a single planet's lifeforms. It doesn't take much imagination to comprehend the massive leap forward in our understanding of life's origins that such a discovery would provide. About half a dozen big, basic questions about evolution could be solved if even fossilized evidence were uncovered. Besides, that's not Curiosity's only objective, as you now seem to assume.

[Legoformerguy]

@treasurebox5 it wont. It's there for good, like pretty much all the other stuff we've sent there.

[DrMackSplackem]

Good question. I mean, name me one worthwhile thing that scientific study has brought us. Except radio and the internet. Oh, and medicine. And wireless communication. The point being, you don't know what you don't know, until you go and look.

[AndrewBryantPianoTuner]

What is it with JPL? they give out information without actually giving out any information
what the hell are they trying to hide?

[VetericusNoire]

don't blink.. Why are these video clips so short?

[TheStockwell]

Fun facts to share with your friends: NASA's entire budget is $15 billion this year. The Department of Defense's is $716 billion. Keep spending billions on Mars. Yeah - that would nice.

But . . . !

[treasurebox]

then all the stuff that it did wood be careless

[TechXSoftware]

so lets say there is life on mars like Organics, what we going to do afterwards?

[littlefrank]

And once we know there was life on mars, we will be able to sing that David Bowie song with no twinge.
Then what?
Will the studies bring any particular knowledge to us, except the fact itself that there were bacteria formations on Mars?

[CoolHardLogic]

"They've found trees on Mars some time ago, but they won't tell you"
Apart from whoever told you? Oh wait, nope, you're just making crap up because if people knew there were "trees on Mars" well that would just ruin the entire plot basis of Total Recall and erm, erm, oh my word there'd be riots and we'd know there were trees and, erm, we'd know there were trees on Mars and erm, erm.... Sorry, what was your point again?

[Signal]

I always eat organic foods. Has nothing to do with this video?