History of The Concept
Historically, life on Mars has often been hypothesized. The idea of intelligent Martians was popularized by Percival Lowell and in fiction, especially by Edgar Rice Burroughs's John Carter (Barsoom) series, H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds and Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles. Despite the observation by Alfred Wallace that Mars's atmosphere was too thin to support an Earth-like ecology, various depictions of a Martian civilization were popular throughout the 20th century. The first pictures of Mars returned by space probes dashed hopes of contacting Martians, although claims of past Martian civilizations have continued into the 21st century (see Cydonia for one such claim).
Read more about this topic: Martian
Famous quotes containing the words history of, history and/or concept:
“The second day of July 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more”
—John Adams (17351826)
“The history of every country begins in the heart of a man or a woman.”
—Willa Cather (18761947)
“Terror is as much a part of the concept of truth as runniness is of the concept of jam. We wouldnt like jam if it didnt, by its very nature, ooze. We wouldnt like truth if it wasnt sticky, if, from time to time, it didnt ooze blood.”
—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)