By Fiona Macrae Forget life on Mars. The search for aliens is underway…in Yorkshire. Scientists are scouring Britain’s deepest mine for bugs able to survive in the extreme conditions of the red planet. The four-year probe could tell us what to look for on Mars – and where to find it. Scientists are looking for life on Mars by determining whether deep subsurface microbes found at Boulby might one day be found on the red planet. This picture shows Charles Cockell, Professor of Astrobiology at Edinburgh University, (right) and PhD student Sam Payler collecting samples a mile underground It could also provide insight into whether life on Earth could have actually started on Mars – meaning we are all actually Martians.
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Scientists are looking for signs of life deep in Boulby, a mine near Whitby
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Claim the salty conditions mimic the harsh environment found on Mars
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They hope it will give them an idea of the possibility of life on red planet
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It could also provide an insight into whether life on Earth could have actually started on Mars – meaning we are all actually Martians
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Professor @placeholder said: ‘There is absolutely no evidence for it but as a highly exploratory thought, you could go to Mars and look for Martian life and find that we have been Martians all along.’