Besides trying to figure out how to rescue Matt Damon (again), the other big question related to Mars that our brightest scientists have been trying to figure out is whether our dusty planetary neighbour contains life-sustaining water.
And based on the latest discovery, the answer is a resounding yes.
Using some fancy satellite tech and data taken between May 2012 and December 2015, Italian scientists have discovered the existence of a gigantic 20km-wide pool of liquid water buried under the surface of Mars.
This is a big deal, people. Like, this could be a game changer on the level discovering electricity or when it was discovered that a little furry creature’s poop produces the best coffee in the world.
That being said, we can’t get too excited about the Mars water just yet. Firstly, the water is buried about 1.5km underneath an ice cap, meaning it will be incredibly difficult to get to.
Secondly, Mars has an average temperature of about -55 degrees celsius and yet the water remains as a liquid, which means it is likely filled with all sorts of weird salts and stuff that probably won’t mesh well with a human body.
Still, it’s been a huge couple of weeks for humanity. With the discovery of the unholy red liquid in that mysterious black sarcophagus and now the water on Mars, our unofficial “Cursed Liquids In Existence” counter now sits at a big, shiny “two”.
And if the last couple of weeks have also taught us anything, this also means is that humanity will now be climbing over themselves for a sip of that icy Mars water.
I don’t know what it is about humans and our innate curiosity to immediately ingest any new substance we discover.
Then again, if it weren’t for some brave soul who went up to a cow and thought “I wonder that the white stuff coming out of it tastes like”, we wouldn’t have delicious milkshakes.