Percival Lowell, Alfred Russel Wallace, and Life on Mars.
This talk is about Lowell's publications and Wallace's refutation. Their views are contrasted with what we know today. At the end we cover the current state of opinion about life on Mars. Areas covered include:
| Alfred Russel Wallace | His scientific and biological background |
| Percival Lowell | His background; Schiaparelli; His determination to study Mars; Flagstaff Observatory |
| Lowell's "Mars and its Canals" (1906) | Wallace's refutation: "Is Mars Habitable?" (1907) |
| Chapters covered | Lowell's discoveries and theories; Climate and physiography; Is animal life possible?; Temperature; Origin of "canals" |
| What we think today about Mars's history and the possibility of life there | Water; Atmosphere; Surface rocks; Alternative theories; Life crossing space |