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Are We All Really Martians? Q & A with Mars Life-Seeker Chris Carr

or ever was — life on Mars, it may be related to us. In fact, life on Earth may have been seeded by alien microbes that traveled here in chunks of rock blasted off Mars by asteroid impacts.

That's the idea motivating MIT's Chris Carr and his colleagues, who are developing an instrument that would detect Earth-like life on Mars. Called the , or SETG, the device would scan samples of Martian dirt, looking for the stuff of Earth life — the nucleic acids DNA and RNA.

A flight-ready version of the SETG might be ready to go by 2018. That could make the device a candidate instrument for the— a joint European-U.S. effort that would drop two rovers onto the Martian surface — which is scheduled to launch that same year.

SPACE.com caught up with Carr recently to talk about how to look for Earthlings' relatives on Mars, and why it's not so outlandish to think we may all be able to trace our lineage back to the Red Planet:

SPACE.com: What are you guys doing differently than other researchers who are thinking about looking for life on Mars?

Chris Carr: I think a lot of the astrobiology community has opted to try to develop strategies to look for life that are not Earth-centric. And our approach is to say, Well, if we think there's a chance that we could be related, we should at least be looking for life that's similar to us.

So in that sense, it's a more high-risk — but also high-payoff — strategy, because if we find something, it'll be really specific information. We can understand how life on Earth is related to life on Mars, if it exists. []

SPACE.com: How did you and your colleagues get interested in this idea?

Carr: The reason that we're doing this now — and people have not focused as much on this earlier — is that, in the late '90s, there were some studies looking at how much material might have gone between Earth and Mars due to big meteorite impacts. And the calculated number is about a billion tons of rock.

And it turns out that about 100 times as much rock has gone from Mars to Earth as from Earth to Mars. That's why you're seeing some of the comments — that we could be Martian — because a lot more rock went to Earth than went from Earth. []

If we find that there is life on Mars, and it's related to us, it still doesn't answer how that life started. But it certainly gives us some perspective on our own origins.

SPACE.com: If you do detect a lifeform on Mars, how would you know it's not just Earth contamination?

Carr: One of the ways to do that is, you look at the sequence data, and you look for gene regions that are similar to the gene regions we know about on Earth that are common to all known life. You can actually line up the sequences, essentially, and you can ask, Is it similar or different?

If we go to Mars and we get sequences, and they fit very deeply on the tree of life, that is much more compelling than if we go to Mars, we get sequences, and they look very close to, say, human. Or very close to B. subtilis, which is a bacterium that probably lives in spacecraft clean rooms, even though they're super-clean.

So, that's going to be a test. What do we find and how does it fit on the tree of life? By making those comparisons — in particular, having a lot of sequence data — that would allow us to gauge if something is contamination or whether it's actual .

SPACE.com: So how will this instrument work, when you've got a fully functional prototype?

Carr: What we need to do to detect life on Mars, if it's there — life related to us — is isolate any nucleic acids, so DNA or RNA. Then we need to amplify and detect it, and then we need to sequence it. So those three steps.

We've built a prototype instrument that will do the amplification and detection part, and what we're currently working on is building a miniature sequencer — the third part — and also the first part, the sample preparation. We're going to put it all together, with the goal being to have all of those pieces in place in the next couple of years.

SPACE.com: When will you likely have a flight-ready instrument?

Carr: Probably the earliest time that we would be ready to be on a mission would be on like a 2018 mission.

The goal is in the next couple of years to have an instrument where it's something that — it works on the bench, it's something we can take in the field and test in Antarctica, the Atacama Desert [in Chile] or some of the other sites that are typically used as terrestrial analogs of the Martian environment. We have to make a strong case that our instrument would survive the trip to Mars.

SPACE.com: How big will this thing be? What will it actually look like when it's all put together?

Carr: Right now our prototype of the middle part is about the size of a shoebox. And what we really need is for everything to be about the size of a shoebox. The smaller the better. Our target mass when this thing actually goes to Mars is a few kilograms.

SPACE.com: You think you might be ready around 2018. Have you talked to people with the ExoMars-MAX-C mission?

Carr: We haven't talked to ExoMars directly. I think it's just too early in the game for us to do that. As we've been talking, we're still putting the pieces together to make this possible. That would kind of be the earliest timing that we could do.

So the[rover mission] is going to launch this year, and all the instruments for that are obviously selected, and already built, and delivered to JPL [NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory]. That one's going to have a drill that will get a little bit into the surface, like on the order of centimeters.

But the 2018 mission is likely to have a drill that can get down deeper. Those are the kinds of samples that we're really interested in.

Space radiation can be pretty harmful, and below about a meter you get a lot shielding from that. We think it's much less likely that we would find something on the surface or in the top centimeters than if we went down a meter or more.

SPACE.com: This doesn't have to be a sample-return, right?

Carr: This would all be done on Mars. But I would argue that it would sure be interesting to return samples if we found something. And maybe that's a good argument for putting this instrument on a mission where you could return samples.

SPACE.com: If you do find Mars life that's related to Earth life, would you be able to get a good idea of when the split occurred — when Martian organisms colonized Earth, if that's what happened?

Carr: "Good" is a very relative term. I think we're going to think about a split time in very rough terms. It's going to be constrained by how different the sequences are, and what rocks the organisms might be found in. I think maybe "good" is overstating it. But we're going to get some information about how they're related, and that will certainly constrain our thinking about how such a transfer might have occurred.

But that’s putting the cart before the horse. First, we've got to get an instrument to Mars, and we've got to look for the stuff and see if it's there.

You can follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter: . Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitterand on .

U.S. hepatitis C cases down sharply since 1980s

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – New infections of the liver with hepatitis C virus are far less common these days in the U.S. compared to the early 1980s, a new government study finds.

According to the new study by researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the mid-1980s roughly 70 of every million Americans developed acute hepatitis C each year. Between 1994 and 2006, that rate was 90 percent lower: only 7 per million per year.

Over the years, however, injection drug users have accounted for a growing proportion of cases, and their risk of infection remains an important public health problem, the CDC researchers said in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

New infections with the hepatitis C virus usually aren't obvious. In most cases there are no symptoms at first; hepatitis C quietly damages the liver for years until it's finally diagnosed. But about two or three out of every 10 newly infected patients have what's called "acute hepatitis." They have fever and nausea, their skin gets yellow from jaundice because the liver isn't working properly, and in general they feel very sick.

Tracking rates of acute hepatitis C as they rise or fall gives researchers an idea of whether rates of silent new infections are rising or falling, too.

Hepatitis C is passed through contact with infected blood -- most often by sharing tainted needles -- although a small number of cases are sexually transmitted or passed from mother to baby during childbirth.

So far, efforts to curb hepatitis C transmission among drug users "have had success to some degree," said Dr. John Ward, director of the CDC's division of viral hepatitis, in an interview. Ward didn't work on the current new study, which was led by Dr. Ian T. Williams.

Dr. Williams and colleagues looked at rates of acute hepatitis C reported in six U.S. counties between 1982 and 2006.

In addition to finding that the rate of new infections had dropped, they made some discoveries about certain high-risk groups.

Among people receiving transfusions, for example, the risk of infection from hepatitis C virus in the blood has steadily declined over time, with only five possible cases identified between 1994 and 2006. Since 1992, all donated blood in the U.S. has been tested for hepatitis C, and the risk of receiving a donation carrying the virus is now estimated at one in 2 million, according to the CDC.

The number of cases reportedly related to injection drug use also declined over time. But drug abuse accounted for a growing proportion of acute hepatitis C infections, ring from about 32 percent of cases in the 1980s to at least 46 percent for the years 1994 through 2006.

In another third of cases, there was no clear risk factor, but most of those people reported past drug abuse.

Efforts to curb HIV transmission among injection drug users -- through education and needle-exchange programs, for example -- have been very effective, according to Ward.

But it's proven harder to battle hepatitis C, he explained, because it spreads more easily than HIV. Even a faint amount of blood on a shared needle, for example, might be enough to transmit hepatitis C.

The knowledge of what to do to prevent hepatitis C among injection drug users "is just not as deep as it is for HIV," Ward said.

The other ongoing public health concern with hepatitis C is the large number of Americans with chronic infection who may develop serious liver disease in the future. It's estimated that 3.2 million Americans are living with chronic hepatitis C, Ward said, and about half are unaware of it.

These people often develop inflammation of the liver, scarring of the liver tissue (cirrhosis) and, in some cases, liver cancer. In the U.S. and many other countries, hepatitis C is the most common reason why people need liver transplants.

The CDC recommends that people with risk factors for the infection -- including anyone with a history of injection drug use, and those who received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992 -- be tested for hepatitis C.

Once an infection is discovered, doctors can do regular blood tests of liver function to catch early signs of liver disease. And there are drugs for hepatitis C that can clear the virus in some people.

Regarding the lower rates of new infections, Ward told Reuters Health, "That's great news."

"It shows that prevention can work," he added. "But our work is not done."

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/hshlAV Archives of Internal Medicine, February 14, 2011.

N. Korea proposes lawmaker talks with South

SEOUL (AFP) – South Korean political parties have received letters from North Korea proposing talks between the two countries' legislators to ease tensions, officials said Monday, days after military talks broke down.

The unification ministry said the letters were delivered last Friday via China. It was unclear when they were sent.

Last Thursday the North had said there was no need for further cross-border dialogue following the collapse of the military talks, which it blamed on "traitors" in the South.

Army officers from the two sides held two days of talks last week, the first cross-border meeting since the North's deadly shelling of a South Korean island on November 23.

The North walked out of that meeting after the South demanded an apology at future talks both for the bombardment and for the sinking of a South Korean warship last March.

The shelling killed four people including two civilians. Seoul says Pyongyang also torpedoed the ship with the loss of 46 lives, a charge it denies.

The unification ministry, which must authorise all inter-Korean contacts, did not say whether it would approve any meeting of legislators.

But it said last week that planned Red Cross talks to arrange family reunions could not go ahead now the military talks had collapsed.

Dropping its fiery rhetoric, the North this year has sent a spate of appeals for talks. The ministry said religious organisations and social groups in the South had received similar proposals.

Both China and the United States are trying to revive stalled six-party talks on the North's nuclear weapons programmes, and the North is reportedly seeking separate US food aid for its hungry people.

But Washington says Pyongyang must improve ties with Seoul before the six-party negotiations -- which offer diplomatic and economic benefits in return for denuclearisation -- can resume.

The North now "wants to construct a narrative that has the South blocking the resumption of six-party talks tied to denuclearisation, and sell that story to China and the United States", the JoongAng Daily said in a Monday editorial.

Schlopy earns inaugural slopestyle ski World title

PARK CITY, Utah – After winning the Big Air competition at the Winter X Games last weekend, Alex Schlopy headed home to Park City in search of an even bigger prize.

The American won gold in the inaugural men's slopestyle skiing finals at the Freestyle World Ski Championships on Thursday, joining other athletes from around the world in putting on a show they hope will land their event in the 2014 Winter Olympics.

"It's one of the fastest-growing, most progressive sports out there right now," Schlopy said of an event in which athletes go down a ski run filled with a variety of rails and jumps and, of course, acrobatic spins with big air. "People love it."

While at least one International Olympic Committee member was impressed Thursday, a decision on whether to include the event at the Sochi Games won't be made until April.

"What I have seen from slopestyle, it is very good," said Canadian IOC representative Walter Sieber. "What I can say is that the IOC sending an observer here is very serious in recognizing eventually that slopestyle and halfpipe skiing could potentially be accepted."

The IOC is weighing whether to include several new events at the 2014 Winter Games: men's and women's slopestyle skiing, men's and women's slopestyle snowboarding, men's and women's halfpipe skiing, women's ski jumping, a luge team relay, biathlon mixed relay, and team events for figure skating and Alpine skiing.

Olympic gold medalist Shaun White, an icon in snowboard halfpipe, already has indicated he would consider crossing over to slopestyle if it's added to the Sochi Games.

"Halfpipe has been there," said Jeremy Forster, director of freestyle skiing for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. "It's been proven with snowboarding, so obviously there's a standard they can look at and evaluate."

Slopestyle also has been proven at some of the biggest events around the world, including the Winter X Games, where crowds swelled to more than 40,000 last weekend in Aspen, Colo.

"Just getting into X Games was a huge accomplishment for me," said Schlopy, who still had enough energy after his quick drive home to score 41.80 on Thursday and edge Winter X Games gold medalist Sam Carlson (41.50) for the slopestyle world title.

"I was so excited for this big event," Schlopy said. "Being able to do well in my home town was the best thing I could ever ask for."

Australia's Anna Segal won the women's slopestyle competition with 43.40 points, a crowning achievement after a major knee injury forced her to switch from moguls five years ago. Segal had to work three jobs in Aspen to help fund her early endeavors.

"I wanted to do something more fun and crazy," she said of slopestyle. "If it gets included in the Olympics, I can look back and say I won the first world championship. It's awesome."

Canada's Kaya Turski (41.70) earned silver and American Keri Herman (41.0) took bronze.

Segal is confident about the future of her new event, especially after seeing three different countries represented on the podium and flags from others like Norway and Great Britain flying in the Park City crowd — despite temperatures that hovered just above zero.

"It shows a lot of countries are participating in the event," Segal said. "That's very important to the IOC. I don't see any obstacles to getting into the Olympics."

Sarah Lewis, secretary general to the International Ski Federation, said the IOC's biggest concerns might be that slopestyle events are judged rather than timed.

"You don't have to look very far down the road from Park City with what happened in Salt Lake City and figure skating," Lewis said of the scoring scandal at the 2002 Winter Games. "It's important we demonstrate the judging system is solid."

Lewis also said there is no issue with having to build new facilities to handle slopestyle events. A terrain park already is planned in Russia, and features can be built based upon how creative athletes get by the 2014 Winter Games.

"Who knows where we'll be in 12 months or in three years and the tricks they'll ... come up with? It's a sport that can easily be adapted," she said.

Joe Fitzgerald, freestyle director for the International Ski Federation, said the popularity already is there. About 50 nations have youths doing the same jumps and tricks that Schlopy and Segal performed Thursday, with an estimated 1,500 terrain parks worldwide.

The jumps can range anywhere from 60 to 70 feet with skiers often traveling even farther through the air, completing three and four flips with various grabs and rotations.

"It's this huge, phenomenal growth of what kids are actually doing these days," Fitzgerald said, noting the IOC likes youth appeal when weighing new events. "The equipment is in place, the snow's in place, the courses are in place. And the original spirit of freestyle has always been there. They're just expressing it again."

The Daniel Hoff Agency Signs D.C. Douglas For Film And Television

D.C. Douglas, veteran character actor and popular voice over artist, has signed with the Daniel Hoff Agency for film, television and stage representation, as well as personal appearances.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) February 03, 2011

D.C. Douglas, veteran character actor and popular voice over artist, has signed with David Secor and the Daniel Hoff Agency. Mr. Douglas had previously been repped by The House Of Representatives for 15 years.

“It was a hard decision because THOR is a wonderful agency,” admits Mr. Douglas,“but I signed with them when I was playing a college student on [NBC’s] ‘Boston Common’ and now I’m entering a new phase of my career where I potentially can play the dad of a college student!It was time to shake things up.”

Mr. Douglas’ film and television credits span over two decades and range from ABC’s “Coach” and “Under Siege II: Dark Territory” with Steven Seagal to CBS’s “Without A Trace” and “Labor Pains” with Lindsay Lohan. Recent credits include “The Crooked Eye” with Fay Masterson and Linda Hunt, CBS’s “Criminal Minds,” and playing the captain of the Titanic in the soon-to-be cult classic “Titanic II” with Bruce Davison.

In addition, Mr. Douglas also has a notable voice over career.Video game credits include über villain Albert Wesker in several “Resident Evil” installments from Capcom, Legion in EA’s “Mass Effect 2,” and The Master in the first “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” video game.Commercial credits include McDonald's “Be The Sizzle” campaign, Radio Shack’s “Holiday Hero” campaign and GEICO’s “Celebrity” campaigns.

“I am very excited about the Daniel Hoff Agency,” says Mr. Douglas, “Aside from their excellent reputation, they’re poised to become an even bigger player in Hollywood.”D.C. Douglas can be seen on the Scy Fy channel this Sunday when “Titanic II” begins airing.He can also be heard in the upcoming “Movie 43” starringEmma Stone (and 30 other stars) and in seven video games slated for release this year.

D.C.Douglas is repped by AVO Talent for voice over and now repped by The Daniel Hoff Agency for film and television.

For more information on Mr. Douglas, visit hiswebsite () orwebsite ().Video game fans can find him through the().

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