Why is water so important? Life on Mars may be able to survive without water, so why water?
Water is essential for life on Earth, but you’re right that we don’t know much about life elsewhere. Life could exist in many unknown forms. However, most scientists believe that it is very likely that water would be required for life. In the case of Mars, it is similar to Earth in many ways and if life evolved similarly on Mars it would require water. Why water is important requires a very long answer. Briefly, the cells that make up living organisms require energy to survive and water enables the chemical reactions that are necessary for this energy. Expert: Janice Bishop SETI Institute P.I. NASA Ames Research Center Question: Is there a possibility, that if there were past life on mars, even if only on a microbial level, that Spirit or Opportunity would be able to detect it with the science package that they have on board? Also, do they carry any instrumentation that would enable them to identify the presence of Carbon 14? Answer: Probably not. The goals of the MER mission (Spirit a
