Chapter 24, Problem 18EAP

For each of the following futuristic scenarios, decide whether it is plausible according to our present understanding of science or whether if is unlikely to be possible. Explain clearly; not all of these have definitive answers, so your explanation is more important than your chosen answer.

18. The first human explorers on Mars drill a hole into a Martian volcano to collect a sample of soil from several meters underground. On analyzing the soil, they discover that it holds living microbes resembling terrestrial bacteria but with a different biochemistry.