Gilbert Victor Levin (April 23, 1924 – July 26, 2021) was an American
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...
, the founder of
Biospherics
The biosphere (from Greek βίος ''bíos'' "life" and σφαῖρα ''sphaira'' "sphere"), also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος ''oîkos'' "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be ...
and the
principal investigator
In many countries, the term principal investigator (PI) refers to the holder of an independent grant and the lead researcher for the grant project, usually in the sciences, such as a laboratory study or a clinical trial. The phrase is also often us ...
of the
''Viking'' mission Labeled Release experiment.
He was born in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
.
In 1997, Levin published his conclusion that a 1976 Viking lander had discovered living microorganisms on Mars.
He is noted for still claiming that his experiment on board the
1976 Viking Mars landers to detect microscopic
life on Mars
The possibility of life on Mars is a subject of interest in astrobiology due to the planet's proximity and similarities to Earth. To date, no proof of past or present life has been found on Mars. Cumulative evidence suggests that during the ...
rendered a true positive result. On April 12, 2012, an international team including Levin reported their analysis "support the interpretation that the Viking LR experiment did detect extant microbial life on Mars." The team used
cluster analysis of the Labeled Release experiments of the
Viking program
The ''Viking'' program consisted of a pair of identical American space probes, ''Viking 1'' and ''Viking 2'', which landed on Mars in 1976. Each spacecraft was composed of two main parts: an orbiter designed to photograph the surface of Mars f ...
.
He was one of the science advisers of the International Committee Against Mars Sample Return.
[Richard Stenge]
Mars sample return plan carries microbial risk, group warns
CNN, November 7, 2000
He also patented an inexpensive method to make
tagatose
Tagatose is a hexose monosaccharide. It is found in small quantities in a variety of foods, and has attracted attention as an alternative sweetener. It is often found in dairy products, because it is formed when milk is heated. It is similar in t ...
, an artificial sweetener, in 1988.
[.]
Levin died in
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...
after an
aortic dissection
Aortic dissection (AD) occurs when an injury to the innermost layer of the aorta allows blood to flow between the layers of the aortic wall, forcing the layers apart. In most cases, this is associated with a sudden onset of severe chest or ...
on July 26, 2021, at the age of 97.
Publications
''Can Chirality Give Proof of Extinct or Extant Life?''
See also
*
Extraterrestrial life
References
External links
GilbertLevin.Com*Gilbert Levin's publications on Mars research: https://asu.academia.edu/GilVLevin
Gilbert Levin Interview The Space Show, broadcast no. 2203, 2014.
*
*
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1924 births
2021 deaths
20th-century American engineers
21st-century American engineers
People from Baltimore