Washington, U.S.A – NASA-funded research on Mars meteorites that landed on Earth shows strong evidence that very large molecules containing carbon, which is a key ingredient for the building blocks of life, can originate on the Red Planet. These macromolecules are not of biological origin, but they are indicators that complex carbon chemistry has taken place on Mars.

Researchers from the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington who found reduced carbon molecules now have better insight into the chemical processes taking place on Mars. Reduced carbon is carbon that is bonded to hydrogen or itself. Their findings also may assist in future quests for evidence of life on the Red Planet. The findings are published in Thursday’s online edition of Science Express.

“These findings show that the storage of reduced carbon molecules on Mars occurred throughout the planet’s history and might have been similar to processes that occurred on the ancient Earth,” said Andrew Steele, lead author of the paper and researcher from Carnegie. “Understanding the genesis of these non-biological, carbon-containing macromolecules on Mars is crucial for developing future missions to detect evidence of life on our neighboring planet.”

Finding molecules containing large chains of carbon and hydrogen has been one objective of past and present Mars missions. Such molecules have been found previously in Mars meteorites, but scientists have disagreed about how the carbon in them was formed and whether it came from Mars. This new information proves Mars can produce organic carbon.

“Although this study has not yielded evidence that Mars has or once may have supported life, it does address some important questions about the sources of organic carbon on Mars,” said Mary Voytek, director of NASA’s Astrobiology Program at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington. “With the Curiosity rover scheduled to land in August, these new research results may help Mars Science Laboratory scientists fine-tune their investigations on the surface of the planet by understanding where organic carbon may be found and how it is preserved.”

Scientists have theorized that the large carbon macromolecules detected on Martian meteorites could have originated from terrestrial contamination from Earth or other meteorites, or chemical reactions or biological activity on Mars.

Steele’s team examined samples from 11 Martian meteorites from a period spanning about 4.2 billion years of Martian history. They detected large carbon compounds in 10 of them. The molecules were found inside grains of crystallized minerals.

Using an array of sophisticated research techniques, the team was able to show that at least some of the macromolecules of carbon were indigenous to the meteorites themselves and not contamination from Earth.

The team next looked at the carbon molecules in relation to other minerals in the meteorites to see what kinds of chemical processing these samples endured before arriving on Earth. The crystalline grains encasing the carbon compounds provided a window into how the carbon molecules were created. Their findings indicate that the carbon was created by volcanic activity on Mars and show that Mars has been doing organic chemistry for most of its history.

In a separate paper published by American Mineralogist, Steele and his team report their findings on the same meteorite announced in 1996 to contain possible — but subsequently discounted — relics of ancient biological life on Mars. Called ALH84001, the meteorite was found to also contain organic macromolecules of non-biological origin.

The Steele team’s research indicates that Mars does have a pool of reduced carbon. Their findings should help scientists involved in current and future Mars missions distinguish non-biologically formed carbon molecules from potential life.

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Starring Will Ferrell as “Armando”, Diego Luna as “Raul”, Gael García Bernal as “La Onza” and Genesis Rodriguez as “Sonia”, ‘Case de mi Padre’ is a romantic action adventure with an affectionate nod towards the classic telenovelas.

Armando Alvarez is an earnest, gentle soul, a dreamer. He has lived at and worked on his father’s ranch his entire life. He has a special bond with nature and enjoys his life in the countryside. He is the local patron saint of animals and lost causes. So what if he is not exactly un cientifico de la NASA or suspiciously never seems to be too interested in women? He is kind and dependable and loves his family – especially his brother Raul.  It is clear to everyone that they are siblings, they have so much in common. Their last name – for instance – they share that.

Raul is the shining star in the Alvarez clan. He is a sophisticated, suave and slick international businessman. Charismatic and successful, he has earned his father’s respect. Armando? Not so much. Still, Armando is happy and loyal and has only the utmost affection and admiration for his father and brother.

Unfortunately, the Alvarez ranch has fallen on hard times. Fortuitously Raul returns home and, ever the hero, pledges to settle all of his father’s debts and to shower the family with expensive and extravagant gifts. He also introduces his beautiful and feisty girlfriend Sonia, winning even more of his father’s esteem.

All is not what it seems, on so many levels. Raul’s business turns out to be less than legit and slowly Armando starts to realize what kind of a person his brother really is – oh, in the process, he also starts to fall for Sonia. But before that happens, he loathes her. It’s complicated.

The life Armando knew, everything he believed is turned upside down. His simple existence undergoes a sea change. Slowly he begins to embrace his manhood, to understand who he is, to accept his destiny. A magical white mountain lion helps. It’s tricky but ultimately makes perfect sense – to Armando, anyway.

Raul’s machinations will eventually lead them all into a war with Mexico’s most feared drug lord, the mighty Onza. The stakes are incredibly high. There are many guns and cigarettes. Yet Armando feels no fear. La Onza will soon find that he has never tangled with anyone quite like Armando Alvarez.

Where to begin.. Saturday Night Live

‘Casa de mi Padre’ began several years ago, mostly because Will Ferrell just thought starring in a Spanish language comedy would be funny.

“I don’t remember when I got the idea and there was really no good reason, but I always had the notion of doing a Spanish language comedy. I do not speak Spanish but I thought the concept of having someone who is – depending on who you talk to – either fairly well known or kind of well-known in American language film – placed in a foreign language film would be something you don’t see every day. And I love the Mexican-Western genre,” Ferrell says.

Fortunately, Ferrell knew some likeminded souls who also thought this pescado fuera del agua theme would be entertaining – writer Andrew Steele and director Matt Piedmont, both of whom won Emmy Awards for their work on Saturday Night Live.

“I just had the most general concept of what the movie would be about, but I had nothing specific and that’s where Andrew Steele, a writer who is a longtime friend from our time together at Saturday Night Live, came in. I pitched the potential, and asked him if he thought this would be fun to write? And he actually came up with the story of ‘Casa de mi Padre’. And then we reached out to another friend of ours from Saturday Night Live, Matt Piedmont,” Ferrell recalls.

Part of the Ferrell’s general concept revolved around the classic telenovela, dramatic, serialized melodramas in Spanish that are extremely popular in Latin American countries. Telenovelas typically revolve around a family and focus on a romantic couple. Often the storylines reflect sociocultural messages. They have also, in the past, provided rich comedy opportunities for Ferrell, Steele and Piedmont.

“From the outset, Will had always framed the project as something ‘like’ a telenovela. Telenovelas have always been a comedy staple for comedy writers. When I was at Saturday Night Live, we probably parodied telenovelas five or six different times. They are so over the top and so dramatic that they just lend themselves to satire.

We did not want to do a mere parody however, so we used the telenovela as a kind of springboard for something hopefully more imaginative, with an affectionate nod towards the format,” Steele says.

Image Courtesy of   Casa de mi Padre

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