The eyes of the scientific community have largely been on Mars for a few weeks now, ever since the Phoenix Lander found ice on its surface. I was skeptical that what the lander found was really ice (still am), but whether or not it really was, scientists have found evidence that the Martian surface was once brimming with water.

This discovery was made by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), the same one that played a critical role in choosing a landing spot for Phoenix. The MRO found that vast regions of the Martian surface contain clay minerals, formed from interaction with water. Findings show that the interaction with water dates back to as much as 3.8 to 4.6 billion years ago.

Scientists hope that water flushed down through the rocks and soil in these areas, which means we know where to send future missions to look for signs of past life. Maybe even present life. Maybe even a Decepticon or two.

At any rate, we know we can grow asparagus on Mars. The presence of water indicates we can probably terraform it when we finally muck up our own planet to the point of no return. In that case, it would really be ironic if the human race really were Martians in the past.

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