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The title of this article is LIFE ON MARS IN FICTION AND FACT Mars on a black background.

Our fascination with Mars goes back to American sci-fi, with War of the Worlds, written by H. G. Wells and published in 1898. It was recreated as a radio drama by Orson Welles on Halloween 1938, causing panic in America. In 1950, Ray Bradbury released a novel called The Martian Chronicles, which ended with the Earth destroyed by nuclear war. In 2005, Steven Spielberg directed a movie based on the Wells novel starring Tom Cruise. In 2015, The Martian was a science fiction movie starring Matt Damon. We have now scientifically investigated the red planet, resolving the question of life on Mars.

Mars' Curiosity rover exploring the surface planet of Mars.

NASA's Curiosity Rover measurements from four Gale crater sites show that there is no life on Mars and that there has never been life on Mars’ surface. The ratios of carbon and oxygen isotopes indicate that no biosphere existed on the planet. Rock samples show extreme rates of evaporation and carbon flowing into the atmosphere like bubbles from a pressurized soda can.

Scientists previously made measurements on Mars in ice that forms and melts there with some degree of regularity. For the first time, science has isotopic readings from rock samples. One can argue that there has been life on Mars in the distant past preserved many feet below ground, but there is no evidence to back up that theory.

Earth and Mars in space.

The more we learn from scientific data gathered in space, the more we realize how extraordinary life is on Earth. Mars is NOT our twin planet, nor is any planet in our solar system. Travel to another star and another solar system would not be within human capacity at any time during the lives of those living today. Humans may destroy Earth by nuclear war, but Bradbury's story of The Martian Chronicles does not accurately predict how that might happen.

The Bible says God created time, space, matter-energy, and life. It does not tell us when or how many steps were involved in making the planet on which we live. The Bible does tell us how to live and avoid the things that can destroy this planet. Albert Einstein purportedly said that if World War III used nuclear war, World War IV would be fought with sticks and stones. Moving to Mars is not an option. We can avoid wars by following the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5-7.

— John N. Clayton

An installation habitat on the red planet of Mars in the future.

Picture credits:
© alones/Bigstock.com
© Outer_space/Bigstock.com
© Forplayday/Bigstock.com
© Corey Ford/Bigstock.com

Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website.