November 12, 2007
Lyon College News Bureau

Dr. Thomas discusses possibility
of life existing on Mars in the future

By Courtney Kovacs

Could there be life on Mars? Dr. David Thomas discussed the possibility of life existing on Mars, whether in the past, or, through human intervention, in the future in his Lamar Williamson Prize lecture titled “Life and Death on Mars” Thursday, Nov. 8.

Dr. Thomas, associate professor of biology, is the 28th Lyon faculty member to receive the Williamson Prize for Faculty excellence.

According to Dr. Thomas, Mars is the most Earthlike planet in the solar system. It has clouds, polar caps, and volcanoes. Although the conditions are too harsh for life, Dr. Thomas has some ideas on how to liven things up. A collision with an asteroid or comet would definitely be bad for Earth, but according to Dr. Thomas, on Mars it could be just the thing to make the atmosphere more Earthlike. “It would be a simple matter of physics to change its course,” said Dr. Thomas. “What we don’t want to do is miss.” The collision would raise the temperature, starting the greenhouse effect, which would then feed off itself. In addition to raising the temperature, a comet would also contain things like water.

Even with a comet, Dr. Thomas says that Mars might never get past a Canadian climate. Still, that’s enough for life, which can survive under incredible conditions, even here on Earth. So what kind of life would be best for Mars? Dr. Thomas has observed some characteristics an organism would need to survive on Mars, including tolerance to CO₂, acid, radiation, low pressure, and low oxygen. There are multiple organisms on Earth that are close to fitting the bill; some can even survive on the surface of Mars for hours to days.

The Lamar Williamson Prize for Faculty Excellence was created in memory of Lamar Williamson in 1979. Each year it is awarded to a Lyon College faculty member considered outstanding in four areas: professional competence, scholarly ability, exemplification of humane and Christian values, and contribution to the community.

Dr. David Thomas with President Walter Roettger before the lecture Thursday.