The Vikinglanders Buy Fifa 14 Coins which explored opposite sides of Mars in the late1970s, also conducted a search for organic molecules and came upempty. For decades afterward, astronomers considered Mars to be adead planet, with conditions not very conducive to life. After theresults from Phoenix, scientists realised that perchlorates wereprobably messing with those earlier findings as well, and couldaccount for their negative outcome.
Curiosity's suite of laboratory instruments is able to slowlyheat a sample in a way that doesn't trigger the perchlorates. Theycan also weigh any molecules present, determining how much carbon,oxygen, and hydrogen they are made from. Simple organic compoundswouldn't be completely shocking, said Smith, since these probablycome from meteorites originating in the asteroid belt and probablyare around on present-day Mars. But they would indicate that thebuilding blocks for life are present on Mars and might only needthe addition of water, which Mars had in the past, in order toproduce organisms.