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?''

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.

* * ttps://www.coleparmer.com/tech-article/gilbert-v-levin-phd-d-tagatose Gilbert V. Levin, Ph.D.br>Gilbert V. LevinDR. GILBERT V. LEVINGilbert V. Levin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levin, Gilbert 1924 births 2021 deaths 20th-century American engineers 21st-century American engineers People from Baltimore

Publications

See also

References

External links