perchlorate & life in mars

thi is not the ahaggar desert in algeria, but mount sharp, in planet mars  

we've discussed the possibility of life outside planet earth. but the recent series of earth-like exoplanets are just too far to elaborate more than distant hypothesis.

so, how about mars?

it has the three main ingredients: ■ Standing water and an energy source. ■ Five basic elements: carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, phosphorus and nitrogen. ■ And time, lots of time.

the hypothesis here is not that there is life, presently, but that "at least some of the planet must have been habitable long ago." and perchlorate leads the way.

anything in the glass of evidence is worth preserving!