Mars and Earth are brother and sister - or they were 4 billion years ago. They started life as equals, with similar atmospheres, planetary features and climates. On Earth life has flourished, but what happened to Mars? There are many people seeking the answer to that question, including paleontologist and fossil hunter, Professor Malcolm Walter, who has been enlisted by NASA. His instinct tells him the best way to study Mars is by exploring Earth - specifically, the sites of ancient hot springs. By studying such places, Professor Walter is able to identify similar spots on Mars. It is in these locations that NASA will land the flotilla of spacecraft that it's sending to the Red Planet over the next two decade.
Mars and Earth are brother and sister - or they were 4 billion years ago. They started life as equals, with similar atmospheres, planetary features and climates. On Earth life has flourished, but what happened to Mars? There are many people seeking the answer to that question, including paleontologist and fossil hunter, Professor Malcolm Walter, who has been enlisted by NASA. His instinct tells him the best way to study Mars is by exploring Earth - specifically, the sites of ancient hot springs. By studying such places, Professor Walter is able to identify similar spots on Mars. It is in these locations that NASA will land the flotilla of spacecraft that it's sending to the Red Planet over the next two decade.
General Note
Originally released by Chip Taylor Communications, 2008.
Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on October 12, 2014.
Content Note
Exploring Mars (4:39); --Exopaleontology (3:16); -- Hopeful Signs for Martian Life (5:07); -- Origin of Life? (6:56); -- Lessons From Early Earth (3:39); -- Fossil Hunting on Mars (2:46);.