No Evidence of Fungus on Mars
The Claim
Scientists have discovered fungus growing on Mars.
News posted on
Emerging story
An article titled “Scientists Claim to Spot Fungus Growing on Mars in NASA Rover Photos” was published on Futurism on May 6, 2021. The claim soon took off on social media.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation found that the title of the viral article is sensationalist. Anyone who reads the original ResearchGate article referenced in the article would see that the researchers document changes in “puffballs” resembling fungus, but never say that the images show actual fungus. Instead, they say that Mars’s environment could support fungus-like growths.
Further, the original study is only found on ResearchGate, which is not peer-reviewed.
A legitimate recent discovery is that NASA scientists have found that certain microbes, such as black mold, might have the ability to survive for short periods of time on Mars.
Since the alleged proof of life on Mars is a series of photos of “puffballs,” and the study has not been found to be credible, we rate this claim as commotion.
