Do you remember when scientists everywhere scoffed at the idea of life outside of our own planet?

Well, hold on to your hats, boys and girls, because the old ways are dead and scientists now strongly support the idea of life on Mars because mounting evidence supports it.  Even those scientists who only a few short years ago adamantly denied the most remote possibility of such a thing being true are now admitting that there is a high probability of life on our nearest neighbor.

Although incontrovertible proof is still lacking, scientists now believe that the evidence gathered to date clearly indicates biological processes are still active on the red planet.

Vittorio Formisano, head of research at Italy's Institute of Physics and Interplanetary Space, recently published information regarding the amount of formaldehyde in the Martian atmosphere, which cannot be explained by known geological processes (geothermal or hydrothermal activity).  Failing any substantial evidence to indicate the planet itself formed the formaldehyde, the only other option is that it's being formed by life on Mars.

"I believe there is extremely high probability that microbial subsurface life exists on Mars," he said.  He acknowledges that although he believes in Martian life, he can't yet prove it.

We're not talking about intelligent life, so stop looking for little green men and flying saucers heading this way from Mars.  We're talking about microbial life.  But it's still life.

Demonstrating that there is life somewhere other than here on Earth, even if it's microscopic and primitive, would be of such significant scientific importance that it would truly mean a paradigm shift in our understanding of the universe.  With the rapid and constant discovery of planets outside of our own solar system, the growing evidence in support of life on Mars and the strong suspicion of life on Europa (one of Jupiter's moons) due to its liquid oceans warmed by geothermal energy, we are rapidly approaching one of the most important discoveries we humans may ever see.

Although I do believe that there is intelligent life elsewhere in the universe and quite possibly in our own galaxy, I would happily accept the discovery of primitive life on some other heavenly body.  It would put to rest the question of are we alone in the universe since the presence of even microbial life on another planet would clearly indicate that we are not.  More importantly, it would indicate that the processes, which formed intelligent life on Earth, could easily have happened or still be happening all over the place.