Mars after Viking - Carl Sagan's 1977 Christmas Lectures 5/6

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In his fifth lecture, Carl Sagan asks, is there life on Mars?

This lecture was filmed at the Ri on 5 December 1977.

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In his fifth lecture, Carl Sagan takes a look at the design, launch and accomplishments of the Viking mission, a major chapter in the history of planetary exploration.

After Mariner 9's remote orbital inspection of Mars, the Viking program finally allowed scientists to study the Martian surface in detail. The photography of the terrain, the chemical analysis of the soil and testing for microbiological life yielded stunning, yet enigmatic results.

Results returned from the microbiology experiments gave signs consistent with life, however, the search for organic molecules in the Martian soil turned up completely negative. The conflict between these results suggested either the presence of microbiological life or a non-biological, inorganic process occurring within the Martian soil.

Four decades later – following the success of subsequent Mars rovers – the question concerning life on Mars is one that still remains unanswered.

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CARL SAGAN'S 1977 CHRISTMAS LECTURES:

What exists beyond Earth? Over six Lectures presented in 1977, American astronomer and cosmologist Carl Sagan explores the vast expanse of space that surrounds the third planet from the Sun.

Life on Earth
Where at first we could only discern the size of our planet and some knowledge of its atmosphere and configuration, the evolution of planetary exploration has revealed not only intricate details of Earth’s climate and geology, but a multitude of stars and planets besides our own.

Beginning with a closer look at the world we inhabit, Carl explores of the diversity of life on our own planet and the building blocks behind it, before questioning whether the same organic chemistry is occurring on planets in the outer solar system.

The Red Planet
In Lecture three onwards, Carl takes a closer look at our neighbouring planet, Mars. From early interpretations of terrestrial life on its surface to the surprising discoveries made by NASA’s Viking Program, the Red Planet has become the focus of efforts to discern whether intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe.

When Carl delivered his Lectures in the late 1970s, NASA had only just begun its Voyager program to the furthest planets in our solar system and no extra-solar planets were known to exist. Now, over three decades later, astronomers are looking at planets that lie beyond our solar system to ask the very same question we pondered over Mars: is there life out there?

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ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS LECTURES:

Set up by Michael Faraday when organised education for children was scarce, the Royal Institution CHRISTMAS LECTURES established an exciting new way of presenting science to young people. World-famous scientists have given the Lectures, including Nobel Prize winners William and Lawrence Bragg, Sir David Attenborough, Carl Sagan and Dame Nancy Rothwell.

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It goes without saying that Carl Sagan was the best science communicator. There won't be another like him. His contribution to our journey to the stars is immense.

DaimonWalker
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What an amazing man Dr Sagan was. His warm, witty spirit made most of us excited by the promise of space exploration.

riverbender
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It’s fantastic that we have access to these brilliant videos. As a child me and my brother always watched the Christmas lectures.

PaulJonesy
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Very interesting video, especially for its historical value. Although a few things were assumed that turned out later to be wrong, such as (3:43) assumed geological activity. Scientists were just doing the best with the limited information they had available at the time.
As a 50 something, it certainly takes me back.

sussekind
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I wish he could've lived to see the progress we've made since 1996. Especially on Mars.

TheNapalmFTW
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Even now this is a great lecture… thanks to Carl Sagan’s knowledge, style and personality. Thanks for interesting me in Science so long ago.

davidbrennan
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Oh to have tea on Mars with Dr. Carl Sagan!

KanishkSingh
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Carl Sagan's tongue in cheek lectures

_c_e_
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36:17 - Aha! But in the previous lecture you said (after sticking your finger into the river model), "what you won't find on Mars is a thumb print".

Gotcha, Sagan! 😜

RFC
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It’s marvelous to see Carl lecturing, I wonder what the guy who volunteered to help him doing these days? 🤔 Is he became a scientist himself?

Artie_D
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I was the same age as most of the kids there. Great content. I was saddened when I heard of Sagan's death almost 30 years ago now. Geez.

Alaninbroomfield
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Please note how cunningly he paid attention to geological features on planet surface, tremendously important skill that point high-level approach to planetology. Ready, willing and able for the next release!

hasato-e
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Does anyone know who the kids were and what they do as adults. To be that close and interact with Sagan must of been a profound experience.

Daedalusa
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Does anyone have any information on the location on Mars of the area shown at 36:17?

pvb
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Some children look a little bored. Amazing that Sagan can captivate them anyway.

kencory
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MARS DRUG STORE.





- Would you like to buy some death sticks?

u.v.s.
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OF ALL THE INTERESTING LOCATIONS ON MARS WITH BETTER PROSPECTS FOR FINDING BIO SIGNATURES THEY HAD TO LAND IN A VERY BORING & UNINTERESTING LOCATION WITH LESS PROSPECTS FOR FINDING BIO SIGNATURES & EVIDENCE OF LIFE ON MARS BUT THEN JPL & NASA DIDN'T HAVE TERRAIN RELATIVE NAVIGATION BACK THEN SO THAT THEY COULD HAVE LANDED IN A MORE INTERESTING LOCATION WITH BETTER PROSPECTS FOR FINDING BIO SIGNATURES & EVIDENCE OF LIFE ? ? ? 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

Andrew_Hillis
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AFTER ALL THAT EFFORT OF GETTING TO & LANDING ON MARS JPL & NASA NEVER FOUND BIO SIGNATURES & EVIDENCE OF LIFE WITH VIKING 1 & 2 ! ! ! WHAT A COMPLETE & UTTER DISAPPOINTMENT & MORE SCIENCE COULD HAVE BEEN DONE IF JPL & NASA HAD PUT MARS ROVERS ON MARS BUT WOULD THIS HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITH THE TECHNOLOGY THEY HAD TO WORK WITH BACK THEN ? ? ? 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Andrew_Hillis
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Observation Limitations:

Within the quantum realm, all possibilities exist in simultaneity (Infinity); which appears as noise/static from our macroscopic scales, until a measurement is observed: at which point a superdeterministic outcome is revealed.

the Alchemist
-Ø1

TheAlchemistZero
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Great day from dangrek mountain capital hill of Asia 🌏going to have largest airport & airbase for Boeing & air force direct fly from all G7 countries members & Thailand Philippines Indonesia Myanmar

krungangkor
welcome to shbcf.ru