Here's the Scoop

A local Kansas City newsmagazine has printed an interesting article about me, my book ("After the Martian Apocalypse") and some of the outre theories that have become entwined with issue of extraterrestrial archaeology. Click here to read it.

Enigmatic Phobos in High-Resolution

Mars moon emerges from the dark




The ESA's best-yet image of Mars' largest moonlet.


"Scientists hope to explain the origin of a network of grooves that extend from the equator to the north pole."

I've proposed that the strange grooves that riddle Phobos' surface may be the work of intelligence -- specifically, the relics of mass-launchers once used to steer Phobos through space.

Before the grooves were detected, the Martian moons' unusual orbits suggested they may be chambered or hollow. Even Carl Sagan entertained the possibility that Mars' moons were artificial bodies of some sort before early photos showed them to be rocky and irregular. But "irregular" doesn't mean the moons are necessarily natural. Perhaps, like the asteroidal habitats conceived by Gerard K. O'Neill, Phobos possesses an artificially modified interior.




Phobos: Space-rock or extraterrestrial artifact?


Surface anomalies such as the "cones" and "Monolith" formation discovered by Efrain Palermo argue that Phobos' origin and formation may not be completely understandable in naturally derived models.

Martian Life Increasingly Likely

Searching for E.T.: Possibility of Life on Mars

"Kral and his colleagues recently published a paper detailing their work with a class of organisms known as methanogens -- methane-producing organisms that some scientists believe may hold the key to whether or not Mars conditions can support life. For the past several years, Kral and his colleagues have been testing the organisms' ability to survive under Mars-like conditions."

Martian exobiology has followed a compelling trajectory. First, it was thought merely possible that Mars had life -- in the remote geological past. Then it was thought probable that Mars once harbored life.

Later, scientists realized it was entirely possible that Mars was home to extant lifeforms instead of mere fossils. More recently, with the discovery of methane in the Martian atmosphere, it seems the case for contemporary Mars life has shifted into the "probable" phase.

Fate Radio Interview

A new interview about my Mars book and research, conducted by Hilly Rose, is featured on Fate magazine's website. To listen, click "Fate Radio."