Talk: Salty secrets - The search for life on Mars
This event is part of the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition 2025.
Salt minerals on Mars tell us that Mars had a complex history of saline surface waters and groundwaters. As salt minerals grow, they trap the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Microscopic fossils of plants, algae, bacteria, and organic compounds have been found preserved in salt minerals hundreds of millions of years old on Earth. If life ever existed on Mars, it may have been preserved in salt minerals. Studying life preserved inside of ancient and modern salt minerals on Earth can inform the search for life on the Martian surface.
Dr Martha Gibson is a palynologist at PetroStrat in North Wales and former Lindemann Trust Research Fellow with over 10 years’ experience. Palynology is a branch of palaeontology that deals with fossil pollen and plant spores, dinoflagellates, and other organic-bodies planktonic organisms.
Attending the event
This talk will be held in the Dining room on Saturday 5 July 2025, 4pm – 4.30pm.
- Free to attend, no ticket required
- The room has limited capacity, so we recommend that visitors arrive at least 10-15 minutes before the talk. We operate a first-come, first-served policy
- This talk will take place in person at the Royal Society and will also be livestreamed on the Royal Society YouTube channel
- Live subtitles will be available in-person and virtually
- Suitable for everyone
- Travel and accessibility information and details on planning your visit - contact us directly to arrange any specific accessibility requirements
- Food and drink will be available for purchase at our onsite café
For all enquiries, please email us.