This chilling statement was made by the eminent astrophysicist at a recent gathering earlier this year^[i].  Following that, NASA recently announced a major plan to colonize the moon in the hope that mankind would be ready to live on the moon by 2020.^[ii]   Why the rush to the moon more than three decades after the first landing?  Actually, NASA wants to expand its scope beyond moon and eventually target Mars.  And now we find that water may have actually flowed on Mars-not many millions of years ago but in fact just a few years back!  Scientists said that pictures taken by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor show changes in craters that provide the strongest evidence yet that water coursed through them as recently as several years ago, and is perhaps doing so even now.^[iii]  This is truly a significant finding for a combination of water and heat suggests life! The red planet has always fired up the creativity of science fiction writers, but Arthur Clarke stands out as being prescient about the moon landing and Mars exploration.

And talking about water, a rather unusual phenomenon occurred in the state of Kerala, India, where red rain fell for several hours in several parts of the state in 2001.  Naturally this led to the local population pronouncing dire predictions regarding the end of the world.   Then Dr Godfrey Louis, Professor of Physics at the University of Kottayam stepped in and took a closer look at the red rain and found that it was actually composed of tiny cells, 3-10 micron diameter, as exemplified s under an electron microscope.  These cells were found to be rich incarbon and oxygen based on energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA).  Oddly enough these red cells were found to multiply upon standing and after extensive research, Dr. Louis came to an unusual conclusion and published his findings inAstrophysics and Space Science, saying that the cause of these red cells was of extraterrestrial origin.^[iv]

Before you dismiss this finding as another tall statement, the hypothesis has found significant backing by none other than Chandra Wickramsinghe, Professor of Applied Mathematics at the Cardiff University & Director of the Cardiff Center for Astrobiology, who along with Fred Hoyle furthered the idea of Panspermia.   Loosely stated, this theory suggests that the origin of mankind maybe traced to microbes that plummeted down to earth during a meteor shower or a passing comet.  So then are men really from Mars?  In fact Nobel Laureate Francis Crick who discovered the DNA strongly believed in the hypothesis of 'Directed Panspermia'.   Is it time to finally return to Mars and regain rightfully what is ours?  Elementary, dear Watson, or is it!