“I hope that our Mars probes discover nothing. It would be good news if we find Mars to be sterile. Dead rocks and lifeless sands would lift my spirit.”
To understand why Bostrom is concerned – and why you might be too – we need to dive into the science of alien life.
Mars today is hostile to life as we know it. The planet’s average temperature is minus 62 degrees. The atmosphere is too thin to block harmful ultraviolet radiation. There is no oxygen to breathe.
An image taken of Mars…