Have you ever looked up at the sky and wondered if there are life on other planets? Life that is just forming or even much more advanced than us. Do you think it is even possible? Are we alone? Well, these questions about our universe has been literally the basis of understanding my own life the past few years. As I mentioned in my previous blog posts, I interviewed an astrobiologist who worked on a project that provided somewhat of an answer to the questions above and last week I spent a considerable time researching on that project she worked on. So, what is the project she worked on that got so much attention from the scientific community? Well, she was part of the team that analyzed the ALH 84001 Martian Meteorite. The elements they found in that sample gave rise to what we know today as astrobiology. Through my research last week, I learned a considerable amount of information from her work. I got a deep insight into how Mars would have been around 4 billion years ago and may I just say, I was blown away. ALH 84001 provided scientists with evidence that Mars may have been similar to Earth at one point and it also insisted that microbial life could've been present. Reading all about this just made feel more curious about the red planet. On top of doing research on this particular meteorite, I went to the public library and got a mountain of books on Mars. I swear, I think I carried 20 lbs of books from that library. You might be wondering why that many books? Well, for my ISM Original Work, I have decided to do a case study on Mars because the research I find through this will help me greatly on my ISM Final Product. Through all my research so far, I've learned one thing. Mars is not a dry and empty place that is no use for us. It is instead filled with treasure. As we learn more about Mars, we are starting to understand our own planet, Earth. The Red Planet has sent us the great gift of ALH 84001 and I am eager to see what else the planet will gift us.