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An ancient Martian civilisation was wiped out by a nuclear attack, according to a Harvard scientist.
Though it may bring to mind the alien warfare seen in The Edge of Tomorrow, the claims are rooted in scientific research. Dr. John Brandenburg from Harvard originally put forward the wild theory back in 2011. According to the researcher, ancient Martians, known as Cydonians and Utopians, were the victims of a planet-wide massacre. And Dr. Brandenburg believes traces of the catastrophe can still be found on Mars' surface today.
He first suggested that Mars’ red hue might not just come from iron oxide, but possibly from the fallout of a massive thermonuclear explosion. Dr. Brandenburg also claimed that specific chemical elements found on Mars closely resemble those left behind at nuclear test sites here on Earth.
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Many other scientists are convinced, however. They pointed out the lack of solid, credible evidence such as a crater or clear signs of a blast, adding that the paper was also published in a relatively low level scientific journal.
Still, the theory is getting more attention, thanks to social media. On an episode of the Danny Jones Podcast - with a subscriber count of over one million - philosopher PhD and science fiction writer Jason Reza Jorjani shared Dr. Brandenburg’s 'alarming evidence' of previous life on Mars.
"Every planet has a certain amount of isotopes of different materials on it, and apparently the isotopic ratio of Xenon 129 is consistent across the entire solar system, except for on Mars," he said. The research claims a 'high concentration' of Xenon-129 in the Martian atmosphere, which is a remnant of nuclear explosions. Xenon 129 is a stable, non-radioactive gas found in trace amounts in the Earth's atmosphere, and it is released during nuclear fusion.
Whilst NASA has detected higher-than-expected levels of the isotopes Xenon-126 on Mars' Cydonia region, the space agency also argued that it's an optical illusion caused by surface morphology.
They said the chemical elements 'could have been released into the atmosphere by impacts on the surface and by gas escaping from the rocky material, which is the soil and broken rocks of the surface.'
Jorjani, however, sides with the Harvard scientist.
"When a thermonuclear bomb is detonated, it leaves a trace of Xenon 129 in that area, which is not the normal," he explained. "And according to Dr Brandenburg, it's a very distinct signature. It's unmistakable, and it's specifically associated with thermonuclear weapons detonation."
The philosopher added that the scientist's findings were linked to a CIA report surrounding once intelligent life on Mars, which ceased due to 'corruption' on the planet.
Despite this, the government agency has never actually confirmed there is life on the Red Planet. "When you put the [CIA's] data next to Brandenburg's thesis, this nuclear event took place maybe a hundred million years ago," Jorjani added. "Joe McMonagle was tasked with remote viewing Mars in 1984. And this was a CIA operation run at the Monroe Institute. So he was working on contract for the CIA and this was done at the, at the Monroe Institute."
