Life on Mars: The Announcement

The Whole Mars Catalog
Life on Mars: The Announcement
And all of the hoopla that has followed

Last update: 30 August 1996 12:10 AM EDT

TheInstant Websites that have appeared

The article in SCIENCE magazine that started it all

The initial hoopla that surrounded the August 1996 announcement ...

... and some less than enthusiastic rebuttals

The Instant Websites that have appeared

Web Index Sites

"News:Current Events:Life on Mars, Maybe " at Yahoo
"NASA finds evidence of life on Mars" at CPnet

Broadcast, Print, and Electronic Media sites

The Space Space by CBS Space Consultant Bill Harwood
" CNN's Mars website"
Life on Mars? from the Houston Chronicle
Life on Mars By Bob Sillery Popular Science Magazine
"Life on Mars? " from US News Online
"Is There Life On Mars?" at Time Magazine's Pathfinder
Search for Possible Life on Mars at Science Magazine, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
"Life from Ancient Mars?" from Sky & Telescope's SKY Online!

Professional Organization sites

Life on Mars? by John Pike at the Federation of American Scientists - EXCELLENT
National Space Society
Was There Once Life on Mars? at SpaceViews, a monthly publication of the Boston chapter of the National Space Society hosted on the SEDS website

NASA and Other Government sites

Mars-related Internet Sites at the Office of Space Science at NASA HQ
NASA ARC mirror site
NASA GSFC mirror site
NASA JSC mirror site
On the Question of the Mars Meteorite by Allan H. Treiman, Lunar and Planetary Institute EXCELLENT

University and Educational sites

"Does Life Exist on Mars?" at the International Space Physics Educational Consortium (ISEPC)

Other sites (including personnal sites)

"Possiblity Of Life On Mars" by Timothy O'Connor
NASA Announces Possible Biological Traces on Mars Rock. What, you want more? Oh, all right... from/by sidd and dan chataqua
"Is there life on Mars?" by Wil Darling
My Favourite Martians: Yet another Life on Mars? Reference List by Pete Evans

The Article in the 16 August 1996 edition of SCIENCE magazine that started it all

6 August 1996: AAAS/Science Magazine's press release regarding the discovery

"Search for Past Life on Mars: Possible Relic Biogenic Activity in Martian Meteorite ALH84001" by David S. McKay, et al. NOTE: This article is also available from EurekaAlert

"Finding Puts Mars Exploration on Front Burner", by Andrew Lawler, page 865

"Ancient Life on Mars?" by Richard Kerr, page 864

The initial hoopla that surrounded the August 1996 announcement [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] August

6 August 1996: NASA PAO Note to editors regarding 7 August press conference regarding the discovery
7 August 1996: President Clinton's press release regarding the discovery
7 August 1996: NSF Director Neal Lane's press release regarding the discovery
7 August 1996:"Carl Sagan Calls Evidence on Life on Mars Possible Turning Point in Human History" from the Planetary Society
7 August 1996: PAGE ONE -- "Scientific Evidence Of Life On Mars Team finds clues in ancient meteorite" David Perlman, Charles Petit, San Francisco Chronicle Science Writers
7 August 1996:" NASA presents its evidence to bolster Mars theory", The Associated Press
7 August 1996: "Clues From the Red Planet" at PBS NewsHour Online
7 August 1996: "Meteorite May Show Mars Once Had Life", By Kathy Sawyer, Washington Post
7 August 1996: "Meteorite shows signs of life on Mars", by Robyn Suriano,Florida Today
7 August 1996: "Where art thou, oh little green man?", The Associated Press
7 August 1996: "Distinct compound found on rock; life clues rest below Mars surface", by Paul Hoversten, Gannett News Service
7 August 1996: "Red Planet will be earthling's next stop on trek to stars", AFlorida Today SPACE FOR KIDS: NOV. 8, 1992 by Jim Baanke
8 August 1996: "Forget satellite rescues, station visits: Rock makes NASA's Day", The Associated Press.
8 August 1996: "NASA gearing up for Mars assault ", The Associated Press.
8 August 1996: "Woman Who Found Martian Rock Says She Knew it Was Different" By Aaron J. Lopez Associated Press
8 August 1996: "Clinton gives boost to manned Mars mission", By Larry Wheeler,Florida Today
8 August 1996: " Life on Mars: `A fascinating detective story'", By Paul Hoversten, Gannett News Service
8 August 1996: " Believers take heart in NASA find", The Associated Press.
8 August 1996: " Mars probes could shed light on mystery ", The Associated Press.
8 August 1996: " NASA plans other missions to Mars", GANNETT NEWS SERVICE
8 August 1996: "NASA Urges International Mars Probes Clinton vows to aid search for alien life ", David Perlman, San Francisco Chronicle Science Editor
8 August 1996: "Stanford Lab's Link to Meteorite Scientists rely on chemistry to prove life existed on Mars ", David Perlman, , San Francisco Chronicle Science Editor
8 August 1996: "Are We Alone? Maybe Not " Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle
8 August 1996: "Rocker Bowie profits from Mars mania", The Associated Press.
8 August 1996: "Author of Mars novel skeptical of NASA's claims", By David Colton, Gannett News Service
8 August 1996: "Debate surfaces in Brevard over Mars findings", By Rita Elkins and Todd Halvorson,Florida Today
8 August 1996: "Mars announcement brings excitement and skepticism", By Robyn Suriano, Florida Today
9 August 1996: "Despite debates, NASA's missions to Mars on track", By Robyn Suriano,Florida Today
9 August 1996: "Reviving the Martian romance: Don't pack your bags yet to visit little green folks on the Red Planet; scientists could be misreading a rock", SF EXAMINER EDITORIAL WRITER
9 August 1996: "Mars life' a Stanford find. Colleagues not surprised scientist is behind discovery of apparent microbial fossil traces", Keay Davidson, SF EXAMINER SCIENCE WRITER
10 August 1996: "AOL Crash Linked to Martian Life Forms", By LISA NAPOLI , New York Times
10 August 1996: "It's Barren Now, But Mars Used to Be a Better Neighborhood", The Associated Press.
11 August 1996: "Science looks out for the lowly Martian microbe - "Independence Day' aside, if there is life on the red planet, it will need protection from us", Keay Davidson, SF EXAMINER SCIENCE WRITER
11 August 1996: "Throw NASA chief in jail for his heresey and do it now", By Jim Banke,Florida Today Column
12 August 1996: University of Central Florida press release "Possible Source Craters for Martian Meteorite Found"
13 August 1996: "Interest in Mars life hints of things to come", AFlorida Today editorial
14 August 1996: "Homing in on Mars to find rock's origin : Two craters contend for crown as famous meteorite's birthplace", Keay Davidson, San Francisco Examiner Science Writer
14 August 1996: "Homing in on Mars to find rock's origin: Two craters contend for crown as famous meteorite's birthplace", Keay Davidson SF EXAMINER SCIENCE WRITER
14 August 1996: "Mars probes a step closer to launch" by Robyn Suriano,Florida Today
15 August 1996: "Two 1996 Mars Spacecraft Arrive At Launch Site", NASA NEWS RELEASE: 96-167
16 March 1996: "Measuring Scripture against life on Mars", The Associated Press.
18 August 1996: "Space rock sparks intense debate", by Robyn Suriano,Florida Today
18 August 1996: "Falling meteorites often go unnoticed", by Robyn Suriano, Florida Today
18 August 1996: "Martian rocks priced per carat", The Associated Press.

... and some less than enthusiastic rebuttals

26 August 1996: "Let's choose our society over science", By DeWayne Wickham, A Gannett News Service column WASHINGTON - If there's life on Mars, let it come to us.
22 August 1996:"Rival group takes life out of Mars theory" BY SHANKAR VEDANTAM Mercury News Washington Bureau San Jose Mercury News
8 August 1996: "Similar UNM Meteorite Study Found No Evidence of Mars Life" from the Albuquerque Journal
8 August 1996: "Geochemist finds holes in NASA theory", The Associated Press