Harvard astrophysicist John Brandenburg stunned many by claiming that intelligent life once thrived on Mars but was annihilated by a nuclear war. First proposed in 2014, his theory links Mars’ red color to a massive thermonuclear explosion, pointing to chemical traces—like xenon-129, uranium, and thorium—similar to those near Earth’s nuclear test sites.
Brandenburg highlights the unusual xenon-129 levels in Mars’ atmosphere, a gas released during nuclear reactions, with a unique isotope ratio unlike anywhere else in the solar system.
Read more: Mars Rover Verifies Presence Of Ancient Lake Sediments
NASA, however, disputes this. Although xenon-129 has been found in the Kidonia region—home to pyramid- and face-like formations—scientists attribute these to asteroid impacts and optical illusions.
Brandenburg’s theory has regained attention through science fiction writer Jason Reza Jorjani, who cited a declassified 1984 CIA document involving remote viewers who claimed to see giant pyramids, humanoid figures, and signs of a devastated civilization on Mars.
Despite criticism and a lack of support from mainstream science, Brandenburg stands by his belief that Mars may hide evidence of a destroyed ancient civilization.
