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Life on Mars! The question of whether life is common or rare in the universe has deep philosophical implications. It is uncertain exactly how life arose on Earth, so it is difficult to determine how common such mechanisms are. But if life also arose on Mars, this would show that those mechanisms operated not just once, but twice, arguing that life may well be common elsewhere.

However, the search for life on Mars thus far has been unsuccessful. Some portion of the scientific community feels that further searches are a waste of time, while another portion remains neutral or guardedly optimistic. In principle, it's simple to prove that there is life on Mars -- all one need do is find an example. Proving there isn't life on Mars is much harder. Even a prolonged negative search can be countered with the suggestion of yet another, more inaccessible place in which to look. If life on Mars is ever proven to exist (or have existed at some point in time), it would mean that the creation of life is not something that happens because of freak chance or divine influence, but is in fact a probable occurance given the right conditions. Even further, if all that life requires is an aqueous solution like liquid water to grow and thrive (which is the current theory), then the universe is literally teeming with life. The suspected liquid water oceans on some of Jupiter's moons (Europa and Callisto) could be filled with life, and life could still be present underneath the Martian surface, where liquid water and thermal energy are still present. In the case of Mars, the issue has been complicated by the emotional belief in an Earthlike Mars, which has largely been shown to have been a myth. Mars is a spectacular place, and will remain so even if it is finally proved to be lifeless. Today, we don't know for sure if there is or ever was life on Mars. But one thing is certain -- one day, there will be.