Newsflash! We don't know everything about Earth!

Olivia Judson makes some good points in this op/ed piece from the New York Times. She gives a clear, concise summation of all the potential dangers inherent in bringing back rock samples which could contain extraterrestrial organisms. To her credit, she also provides counterpoints, explaining how these dangers may not amount to any real hazard at all. Essentially, you may or may not get an Andromeda Strain, and even if it turned out that Martian microbes could do nasty stuff to Earthlife, NASA is taking serious steps to prevent contagion.

That's not what chaps my hide. That cautionary approach is one that I understand and can sympathize with, even if I don't completely agree. No, instead she ultimately jettisons these tangible arguements for an against a Mars sample return mission in favor of... on, just read it yourself: Some Things are Better Left on Mars

Our chances of recognizing Martians, whatever they are, will surely be greater when we know more about life here. So for the time being, let's cancel our invitation to the Martians for a terrestrial adventure, and concentrate on exploring our own planet and understanding the amazing diversity of life forms on Earth.

Hard to believe that the woman who gave us Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation: The Definitive Guide to the Evolutionary Biology of Sex (a book that is not in my library, but will be shortly) could espouse the hoary old "We're ignorant, so we'd better not learn" attitude, but then again scientific disciplines have always been territorial where funding is concerned. Fortunately, she didn't say "We shouldn't be launching all these rockets when there is poverty here on Earth." Well, she hasn't said that yet...

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