There are MANY steps to prove something this big. You have to gather as much evidence as you can before saying it outright, and that may take decades.

[–] in_my_honest_opinion@piefed.social 9 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Since https://www.space.com/18758-mars-rover-curiosity-discovery-hype-misunderstanding.html 2012

Not to mention formaldehyde in the atmosphere or the contaminated 1996 meteorites.

NASA has done an amazing job cataloging all of this and the international study of the samples is a herculean effort and enormous accomplishment.

But like, there's been microbial life on mars in it's history.

[–] eleitl@lemmy.zip 4 points 3 months ago

There is sufficient probability of planetary crosscontamination through material transport via impact ejecta, at least in the inner solar system.