Earth and Mars could be second cousins

Approximately 100 students and faculty attended "Life Beyond Earth," a lecture by Chris McKay of the NASA Ames Research Center. The lecture, held on Thursday, was the fourth in the 1998 fall colloquium series. McKay addressed the burning question of "Are we alone?"

McKay explained how the origins of life on Earth might in fact be the same as those on Mars. "We were swapping spit (with Mars) early in life," he said. He detailed how meteorites from Mars and Earth could have spread genetic material to each other, thus creating life on the other.

Detailed in McKay's lecture were the current choices placed before NASA as to how searches for life on Mars might be conducted.

One popular idea was to actually travel to Mars and search areas similar to Earth for signs of life.

Of course, McKay pointed out that this is just a theory, and life on Mars may be of a second genesis and have no similarities to life on Earth. Mars could be devoid of life altogether.

However, the hope still remains that life will be found outside of our solar system. Three Sutter Middle School students interested in astronomy were present and focused intently on the lecture.

Free cookies and coffee were available to those who attended the lecture, and will be available at the other colloquium series lectures.

Anyone interested in attending future lectures given by the physics department on the colloquium series can check the posters in Santa Clara Hall.