Naked Scientists Podcast

The Naked Scientists: Science Radio & Science Podcasts

Subscribe via itunes,yahoo or google < Previous Show | Next Show >
25th May 2008

Life on Mars


Phil Rosenberg

Chris Smith

Hours before NASA's phoenix mission was due to land on Mars, the Naked Scientists took our own tour of the Martian landscape.  We discuss how looking in valleys could tell us what shaped the Martian surface, and how probing Martian mud could reveal signs of life past and present.  Also, we find out how scientists have watched the explosive death of a star, and how an asteroid collision millions of miles away could have seen the birth of the meteorite that killed off the dinosaurs.  Plus, in Kitchen Science, we show you how to make weightless water!

Listen NowDownload as MP3 Podcast Enhanced Podcast, with pictures and chaptersMP3 Podcast.
Transcript Go back Vote for Us

Digg Thisfacebookdel.icio.usNetscapeRedditFarkStumbleuponNewsvineYahoo! My WebFurlMagnoliaSquidoo

Science News

Supernova is the star of the show

Scientists in the US, writing in this week's Nature, have caught the first glimpse of a star blowing itself to pieces.  Princeton researcher Alicia Soderberg and her colleagues were lucky victims...

Thought for Food - the neurological basis for the midnight feast

Scientists have uncovered the neurological basis for the midnight feast fetish! Most animals can be trained, when food is lacking, to over-ride their natural sleep wake cycle to time their awakening ...

Hot springs eternal, on Mars

A broken wheel could have uncovered the best prospects yet for finding life on Mars, say scientists this week. Writing in this week's Science, Cornell researcher Steven Squyers and his colleagues des...

Questions

If a man voyages to Mars. If it takes 4.5 years to get to Mars and 4.5 years back I think it will be impossible for someone to spend 9 years aboard a space ship. What do you think?


If the light we see from the sun is eight minutes old what about the gravitational field? Does gravity travel at the same speed as light?


Would a compass work on Mars?


Does the UV exposure make solar panels more effective on Mars?


How long are the seasons on Mars?


What can we find out about our history from an asteroid?


Why can we assume that life on Mars is carbon-based, Phil?


How long would it take to terraform Mars?


Are there dinosaur bones that have turned up in Britain?


Are there completely unknown elements on Mars? One would think not because the periodic table has the building blocks of elements everywhere are going to be the same here as on the other side of the universe.


Is there a magnetic equivalent of a black hole? Black holes suck in light, is there the magnetic version of that?


Kitchen Science

 

Weightless Water


Make a cup and their contents weightless and find out what it has got to do with space stations.

Question of the Week

Communication With Nearby Stars

What kind of technology will we need to communicate with nearby stars - assuming there's anything to communicate with?!


has there ever been dinosaur bones found in britain ...
- flynn morgan age 5 - 25th May 08

I have a couple of questions for anyone who may know the answer. These questions mostly pertain to the lander it's self.

-When the bat...
- B. Elliott - 26th May 08

The Mars Rover missions shut down when the batteries are low. This happened during a dust storm at some point. Once the batteries have recharged, the ...
- turnipsock - 26th May 08

I was talking about the non-roving Phoenix. In approximately 100days Mars will be entering it's Winter phase and that specific hemisphere of Mars...
- B. Elliott - 27th May 08
Whole Thread | Post Reply

Life on Mars - More about this podcast

Water Shaped the Surface of Mars?

MarsThe martian surface is covered with valleys, gulleys, rifts and clifs which look very much like coastlines and riverbeds here on Earth.  We know that the relentless flow of water is responsible for shaping these features here, so surely they are evidence of liquid water on Mars - and liquid water could mean life, right?

No neccesarily so, it seems.  The movement of dust, rocks and sand can lead to the same shapes, not to mention larger scale meteorite collisions and geological movement.  So the eveidence of water may not be all it's cracked up to be.

Susan Conway, at the Open University, is looking for the tell-tale signs of water erosion, trying to get to the bottom of the Martian valleys, and she joins us in the studio.

Making Mars

When sending sensors, scanners and instruments on a mission to Mars, you really need to get it right first time!  But when exploring the unexplored, you can't know what conditions to expect until you get there.  Previous missions to Mars have helped us to find out what the surface conditions are like, but how do you test your instruments for the Martian atmosphere?

You make your own mini Mars, of course, and this week, Meera has been visiting the Open University to see how Martian conditions are made here on Earth.

Phoenix Mission - Countdown to touchdown

The NASA Phoenix mission is die to land at about midnight tonight, the 25th May, but what's so important about it?  What will we learn that we couldn't know before?

Phoenix hopes to investigate tantalising hints of water ice, or even potential evidence that life once thrived on Mars.

William Boynton is co-investigator on the mission, and will be joining us live from Arizona to tell us what just Phoenix is looking for, and what it could mean if it finds it!

 




Naked Scientists Science Radio Show HomeNaked Scientists Science Radio Show Home Who are The Naked ScientistsWho are The Naked Scientists Information about Naked ScientistsInformation about Naked Scientists
Naked Scientists PodcastNaked Scientists Podcast Ask the Naked Scientists PodcastAsk the Naked Scientists Podcast Question of the Week PodcastQuestion of the Week Podcast
Naked Science ArticlesNaked Science Articles Experiments to do at HomeExperiments to do at Home Science Discussion ForumScience Discussion Forum
Science News StoriesScience News Stories Answers to Science QuestionsAnswers to Science Questions Interviews with Famous ScientistsInterviews with Famous Scientists

Click here for the Naked Scientists PODCAST

The contents of this site are © The Naked Scientists® 2000-2008. The Naked Scientists® and Naked Science® are registered trademarks.