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More on the Mars Ice Cap

bfwebster writes "In a striking example of how a preliminary (but wrong!) scientific conclusion can persist for decades, Space.com has a story about how the south polar ice cap on Mars is mostly water, not mostly carbon dioxide (dry ice), as has been stated since the late 1960s. The new finding is based on analysis of Mars Observer readings that show that the souther polar ice cap is too warm at certain seasons to be dry ice. This finding has negative implications both for those claiming that liquid flow structures on Mars were caused by C02 instead of H20, as well as those who were hoping to use all that CO2 for terraforming."

31 of 272 comments (clear)

  1. Terrorforming...... by isotope23 · · Score: 5, Funny

    What?

    If we can't Terrorform Mars then....

    The Terarrists HAVE WON!

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    Service guarantees Citizenship! Questions Guarantee GITMO.... Amerika Uber Alles!
    1. Re:Terrorforming...... by $$$$$exyGal · · Score: 2, Funny
      That joke was so really bad. I think you should go and "tear your wrist" until you bleed to death. HAHA!

      --sex

      --
      Very popular slashdot journal for adul
  2. Conspiracies... by Yoda2 · · Score: 4, Funny

    When are these so called scientists & astronomers going to give up on this whole "planet called Mars" bit?

  3. This just in! by Madsci · · Score: 5, Funny

    Scientists discover that the ice cap is cotton candy, not water. The "beer-foam" scientists are devastated. Life continues exactly as before.

    --
    Your paranoia is about as subtle as the alien probe in your neck.
  4. On the other hand... by vjmurphy · · Score: 4, Funny

    "This finding has negative implications both for those claiming that liquid flow structures on Mars were caused by C02 instead of H20, as well as those who were hoping to use all that CO2 for terraforming." "

    On the other hand, it has positive implications for those wanting to make slurpees.

    --
    Vincent J. Murphy
    Spandex Justice
  5. All hail! by DonkeyJimmy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Terraforming Mars amounts to making "gods out of geeks," as one critic put it.

    Shotgun not Atlas.

    --
    "Probably the toughest time in anyone's life is when you have to murder a loved one because they're the devil." -Philips
  6. Excellent news! by grub · · Score: 4, Funny


    Now future Mars astronauts can start out their camps right; they can build a brewery to use that water!

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  7. Water is good. by Cpt_Kirks · · Score: 4, Funny

    Water vapor holds in heat too. Just not as effectively as CO2.

    It's pretty damn good mixed with Bourbon, too.

  8. That's it by Spazntwich · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe someone should explain to the scientists we have to worry about not having our probes CRASH ON LANDING before we can worry about actually terraforming a planet.

  9. ice age party by goombah99 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm guessing the north pole is dry ice still. that means if the planet warms a bit we get club soda. I'll drink to that.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
  10. Re:Martian Vacation by DonkeyJimmy · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd still like to vacation on mars before I die...

    don't worry, you still can... only now it will be immediately before you die.

    --
    "Probably the toughest time in anyone's life is when you have to murder a loved one because they're the devil." -Philips
  11. QUAID! by The+Other+White+Boy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Start the reactorrr!!

    Sorry karma, I just couldn't resist.

  12. Re:Spectrometer? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Thats exactly the reason why you work as the IT guy in your uncle's company and not at NASA.

  13. Re:Spectrometer? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    So, to make it the easiest, why not just say some actor said that it is H2O, instead of bring temperature into it?

    Hi, I am not a scientist, but I play one on T.V....

  14. Re:Martian Vacation by Tumbleweed · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't worry, the Company has equipment that can terraform that biyatch planet in no time! Just make sure there's no live fire inside there - flame-units only, please.

  15. Mars Attacks! by handy_vandal · · Score: 4, Funny

    There's plenty of water, so ... when the Martians attack Earth, it's because they want our C02, right?

    --
    -kgj
  16. Re:Martian Vacation by athakur999 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can imagine what bars on Mars will be like when colonists first go over there.

    "Hey baby, want to help me heat up the planet?"

    --
    "People that quote themselves in their signatures bother me" - athakur999
  17. Interplanetary Axis of Evil! by Tumbleweed · · Score: 4, Funny

    Clearly we should extend the "War on Terror" to the planet Mars - they keep shooting down our probes. Time to implement a "No Orbit" zone around the Communist Red Planet Menace!

    I mean, really, think about it - their moons (Phobos and Deimos) - those are clearly suspicious names. (translate them for more info)

  18. problems teriforming..bah by the_2nd_coming · · Score: 3, Funny

    just put about 1500 coal buring power plants on the surface and in 50 years it will be a tropical island.

    --



    I am the Alpha and the Omega-3
    1. Re:problems teriforming..bah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yes, because coal is plentiful on Mars!

  19. easy, easy I tells ya by DrSkwid · · Score: 5, Funny

    Greenhouses could easily be built on the surface

    for sufficiently large values of easy

    --
    There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
  20. Re:But... by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Funny
    > Well, you could heat things up a bit by dropping a comet on it. That would give you your carbon dioxide at the same time.
    >
    > Of course, you'd need to pick an "earth crosser" (well mars crosser), or the energetic considerations would be a bit steep.

    Well, they've got it working for space probes. It's just a matter of scaling up. *rimshot*

  21. Isn't This Good News For Terraforming? by Cyno01 · · Score: 1, Funny

    Ok, instead of CO2 atmosphere, and CO2 poles, we have CO2 atmosphere and H2O poles. Plants, CO2 in the atmosphere, water, and sunlight. What good would CO2 in the poles do besides an easy source of greenhouse gases to warm up the planet. Lets just ship all the yuppie assholes and their SUVs over there, that'll heat the planet up real quick. Better yet, if we want to get people to Mars, just tell GWB theres either; a)oil there, or b)Saddams secret weapons cache.

    --
    "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
  22. News Headline : "Bush declares war on EARTH!" by isotope23 · · Score: 1, Funny

    News Headline : "Bush declares war on EARTH!"

    Washington DC. In a major foreign policy statement today President Bush declared war on
    the entire world population. When asked what justified this sudden policy change Mr Bush replied :
    "This is just an extenshun of our war on Terra. I have also directed Herr Ridge to do a thora
    backround check on all Nasa staff as there are rumas the place is crawln with many in favor of all Terra forms."

    "When I took ova this heah Country, I had no ideah
    how deep the roots of Terra had penustriated owa Gubment."

    In a related story, DICK Cheney is now aboard "Oil Force Two". Government spokesmen have stated he will be moved to a secured and undisclosed location somewhere on the Moon to ensure continuity of the chain of command.

    --
    Service guarantees Citizenship! Questions Guarantee GITMO.... Amerika Uber Alles!
  23. Re:Ionosphere by fordboy0 · · Score: 1, Funny

    Man... Didn't any of you see Total Recall, what with all the mutants and the digging and the Triple Breasted Whore of Eroticon Six and ... GLAVEN!

    --
    Ligaguinggligagiggagoogoogwillgo
  24. Re:Ionosphere by Fizzl · · Score: 3, Funny

    You mean ozone layer?

    Yeah, earth used to have one of these. ;)

  25. God is not a geek? by g4dget · · Score: 2, Funny
    Terraforming Mars amounts to making "gods out of geeks," as one critic put it.

    "Hmmm. Let's see. I'll make this big universe, and then I'll put billions of huge fusion reactors into it. Oh, let's make some red ones, some green ones, and some blue ones. And, wow, look at those galaxies collide. I wonder what would happen if I squeeze some of those things down into black holes. Wow, look at that explosion--that was fun. Let's see: some critters would be fun, too. What about putting in some little guys that kind of look like I do and that pray and sacrifice to me?"

    I dunno, God sounds pretty geeky to me. And what's wrong with that anyway?

  26. More on the Mars Ice Cap by gnovos · · Score: 2, Funny

    I don't know how others feel about this, but I for one am GLAD they finally put a cap on Martian Ice... Too much of it would cause all sorts of iceo-economic fluctuations that we just can't deal with right now.

    --
    "Your superior intellect is no match for our puny weapons!"
  27. Re:Anti-Terraforming? by KalvinB · · Score: 2, Funny

    The place is already freakin dead. It's not like we could do a whole lot more damage.

    "Let's deal with where we are right now"

    How about we use Mars to test theories we can then apply to Earth if they work?

    We only get one shot with Earth. The chances are pretty endless with Mars. If solutions create problems we can then find solutions to those problems without killing millions of people and baby seals in the process.

    Basically there's just a lot less to worry about if something goes wrong one mars.

    "Whoops! Oh well, the place sucked anyway."

    Ben

  28. Dubya by t0ny · · Score: 3, Funny
    as well as those who were hoping to use all that CO2 for terraforming."

    I guess we'll just have to make our green-house effect the old fashioned way. Can we send Texas to Mars?

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  29. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion