Breathing test results

The experiment:
  1. Get some regolith.
  2. Put it in an atmosphere with C*O2 and C*O.
  3. Supply some (artificial) sunlight.
  4. The life forms incorporate C* into the proteins (or whatever) in their bodies.
  5. Let the regolith sit for a while in plain CO2.
  6. Heat it to vaporize the life forms.
  7. Look in the gas given off for C* decays.
Control experiment:
  1. Get some regolith.
  2. Sterilize it with high heat.
  3. Put it in an atmosphere with C*O2 and C*O.
  4. Supply some (artificial) sunlight.
  5. The life forms are dead and do not incorporate C* into their bodies.
  6. Let the regolith sit for a while in plain CO2.
  7. Heat it to vaporize the life forms.
  8. Look in the gas given off for C* decays.
Result: Some C* seen in the experiment, but some (although less) was also seen in the control experiment.

So the result was rather inconclusive. It appears that the regolith is just chemically reactive.

ASTR 121 Home
Davison E. Soper, Institute of Theoretical Science, University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403 USA soper@bovine.uoregon.edu