Mars hides the secret of life, always urging people to explore. Photo: NASA Today’s Earthlings are perhaps the most curious generation about the possibility of alien life on Mars, and are always wondering how humans might one day colonize there. From theories about Martian canals to alien radio messages, over the past three centuries, mankind has been constantly thinking about life on Mars. approach to his Martian “brothers”. Mars often appears in ancient texts as a “fire star,” or represents the god of War. In the 17th century, new early telescopes allowed scientists to get a glimpse of the Red Planet. Skilled “channel engineers”? Scientists need more powerful telescopes to be able to see up close, thereby trying to better clarify the hypothesis of life on Mars. In 1877, Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli noticed crisscrossing lines covering the “Red Planet”. He called these lines “canali”, which means “canal”. Schiaparelli himself does not believe that this is an alien product, but some others are sure of it. Giovanni Schiaparelli’s map of the “canal” system on Mars. Image: Wikimedia Commons As information spread, the word “canali” was translated into English as “canal”, meaning “canal”. And if there were canals, wouldn’t that suggest that aliens would have to dig them? With that argument, many people believe that the interlaced lines on the surface of Mars are a beautiful system of waterways spreading across the planet.. Such a system not only shows that Martians exist, but that they are also amazing engineers. On Earth, it took man 10 years to complete the Suez Canal in 1869. The achievements of the Martians therefore seem to be far superior to those achieved by man. Astronomer Percival Lowell certainly thought so. In 1894, this American scientist-businessman began to expand the concept of a “canal” on Mars. Lowell used his family’s large textile fortune to open the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. Professor Percival Lowell works with a telescope invested by his family. Image: Wikimedia Commons Percival Lowell mapped the “canals” on Mars with the help of the 24-inch Alvan Clark & ​​Sons refracting telescope he set up at the Lowell Observatory. He made meticulous maps of what was observed on the surface of Mars, wrote many books and regularly gave lectures on his shocking theory that Martians existed and that they were trying to irrigate the planet. their dying elf. Percival Lowell offers logical explanations to answer the question of how and why life exists on Mars. He used the example of life on Earth to illustrate his arguments: “As long as it was proved with certainty that no life could exist on the seabed, dredgers deep sea beds were invented, and before long, they ‘frustrated’ us. Behold, they see full of life. Fish, crustaceans, molluscs and echinoderms. In short, the life of all common floating fish, from protozoa to marine ‘monsters’ – have been found living in the depths of the seabed. What is impossible, turns out to be possible.” But mapping Mars is one thing, and soon scientists are looking for ways to make contact with any life that might exist on the planet. “Message” from the Red Planet In 1899, Lowell’s theory of life on Mars received a “kick” from a prominent scientist: Nikola Tesla. Tesla, then a successful electrical engineer, claimed that he had detected an “inexplicable, faint” signal originating from Mars. Portrait of Nikola Tesla circa 1890. Photo: Wikimedia Commons While conducting experiments with his magnifier at high latitudes atop Pike Peak, Colorado Springs, Tesla claimed that he received “a message from another world, unknown and far away. “. What does that message say? According to Nikola Tesla, it is simply: “ONE – TWO – THREE”. A few years later, on a February 1901 day, in an interview with Collier’s Weekly, inventor Tesla announced that he could communicate with Martians by sending wireless messages to any point. on the “Red Planet”. This is a strange statement, because the successful transmission of radio messages on Earth has only become a reality since December of that year. Tesla doesn’t know what the aliens might look like, but he believes they have adapted to living conditions on Mars. Like Lowell, he suggested that “it is possible that in a frozen planet, such as the presumed conditions on our Moon, intelligent beings could still reside, within it, if not within it. on the surface”. To many people, when humans can receive messages from Mars, we can also send messages, that seems reasonable. In 1909, there were attempts to find a contact with life on Mars. Harvard professor William Henry Pickering proposed sending planetary light signals through a series of reflections produced by a network of 50 giant mirrors. The flashes would continue to flash for several years, allowing the Martians time to develop the necessary means to respond. Professor Pickering’s giant mirror illustration for sending signals to Mars. Photo: Library of Congress “In the hope of receiving such signals again, we must of course assume that Martians, if they exist, have telescopes, eyes, etc., just like humans have on this Earth.” Mr. Pickering said. But the Harvard professor’s plan cost $10 million, and no one wanted to fund it.

Our understanding of Earth’s ocean floor is less than that of Mars. Here, scientists believe that the unusual physical and chemical conditions associated with hydrothermal systems on the seafloor may have created the right environment for the origin of life on Earth. Mysterious Megaplume Scientists discovered large areas of thermal fluid in the ocean above volcanic ridges. These large and powerful hot waters, rich in chemicals, rising from the ocean floor are called megaplume. Their size is really huge, with a volume that can exceed 100 km3, equivalent to 40 million Olympic swimming pools. Although they appear to be related to subterranean mountain eruptions, their origin remains a mystery. In their study, the scientists used a mathematical model to explain the dispersion of volcanic ash across the ocean. Thanks to detailed mapping of a volcanic ash deposit in the Northeast Pacific, scientists know that this ash can spread up to several kilometers from an eruption. This cannot be easily explained by tides or other ocean currents. Instead, the results suggest that these water columns are very energetic. The energy required to drive the flow and carry the ash is surprisingly large, about 1 terawatt (nearly half of the energy needs of the entire United States at a time). The scientists calculated that this would create water columns of similar size as said. They have since produced strong evidence that megaplumes are associated with active seafloor eruptions and that they form very quickly, possibly within hours. So what is the source of heat and chemicals to make this megaplume? The most obvious candidate is of course newly erupting molten lava. At first glance, the scientists’ results seem to support this hypothesis. Accordingly, the formation of megaplume occurs simultaneously with the eruption of lava and volcanic ash. However, when the scientists calculated the amount of lava needed for the megaplume, it was unrealistically high, about 10 times larger than most underground lava flows. The scientists’ best guess is that although the occurrence of megaplumes is linked to undersea eruptions, they are mainly derived from depleted hydrothermal reservoirs present in the ocean. . As the lava directed upward to create undersea eruptions, it may have pushed this liquid hotter than 300 degrees Celsius along. Volcano erupts under the sea. Life in harsh environments In contrast to terrestrial volcanoes, detecting an eruption occurring on the seabed is extremely difficult. Therefore, there is still much for scientists to learn about submarine volcanism and its role in the marine environment. A new study by scientists Sam Pegler and David Ferguson at the University of Leeds (UK) published in the journal Nature Communications has yielded important insights. It’s amazing to find extreme ecophiles (polar biologists) around hydrothermal vents. This discovery expands what we know about life and where it exists. The fluid flow involved in megaplume formation may be the main mechanism in dispersing these microorganisms from their subterranean origin. If this is the case, deep-sea volcanism is an important factor influencing the geography of polar communities. Some scientists believe that the unusual physical and chemical conditions associated with undersea hydrothermal systems may have provided a suitable environment for the origin of life on Earth. Thus, the megaplume may have been involved in this dispersal of life across the ocean. In the absence of other sources of nutrients and light, these types of organisms would have been the first to exist on our planet. They are present because of the heat and chemicals that lava spews up the volcanoes under the sea. Because volcanic ash deposits carried by megaplume appear to be fairly common in the deep sea, the scientists’ study found that the proliferation of life through megaplume dispersal could be widespread. Although it is not yet possible to observe a deep-sea eruption firsthand, efforts are being made to collect data on submarine volcanic events. Most notable is the observatory at Axial Volcano in the Pacific Ocean. This seabed measuring device can transmit data in real time, recording ongoing events. Through such efforts, along with continued mapping and sampling of the ocean floor, the character of volcanism under the oceans is gradually being revealed.

The first robot tractor in operation on the farm in the UK. Photo: TL. According to Fram Famers (UK), commercial robot tractors have been put into operation at Home Farm Nacton (member of Fram), in Suffolk (United Kingdom), from mid-April. Technological improvement required, along with difficulties in finding seasonal labor, led to the investment of robot tractors at the aforementioned farm. Home Farm, which specializes in organic agricultural production, received the Robotti 150D from Agrointelli, a Danish company. It was the first robot tractor to operate in the UK, and is now fully operational on the farm. The Robotti 150D is used to till the soil to prevent weeds from sprouting by using a harrow attachment. In the near future, Robotti 150D at Home Farm will be used to perform many other jobs such as mowing the lawn, punching holes to plant onions, etc. Home Farm produces both organic and conventional vegetables, including leeks, bok choy, onions, beets, potatoes, sugar beets and grains, on 1,940 hectares. The farm is looking to apply more advanced technology to production and business activities. Andrew Williams, Home Farm manager, said: “A large portion of our produce is organic, so we are increasingly limited in how we can control weeds. Organic production requires a lot of repetitive work as the beds are constantly plowed and weeded. Meanwhile, sourcing seasonal workers, mainly foreigners, has become increasingly difficult. We want to look to the future of farming and Robotti fits our setup perfectly.” Designed and manufactured by Agrointelli, the Robotti 150D is controlled automatically by GPS via an integrated computer, independent of the operator, instead following a pre-programmed route in the field. Tractor Robotti 150D. Source: Agrointelli. “Accuracy lies in the GPS mapped field, with Robotti always taking the exact same lines,” explains Frederik Rom, sales manager for Agrointelli. It is equipped with an RTK GPS, so setting up on any farm is simple. It takes about 10 minutes to map the 4-acre field at Home Farm and another 10 minutes to log the weeding plan into the system. It is important that this is correct from the start, as it will determine reliable performance.”