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Mounting Evidence for Water on Mars

Posted by michael on from the BEM dept.

Kent Simon writes "Space.com has an interesting article discussing new evidence from the mars rovers that shows there may really be Water on Mars."

4 of 342 comments (clear)

  1. data and speculation by mike3411 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    what a weird / poorly written article. maybe i'm misunderstanding some of their statements, but the author makes certain important conclusions that totally lack support. In particular, the possibiliy of liquid water (as evidenced by mud) is suggested. The article states "Levin points to Opportunity imagery that offers conclusive proof of standing liquid water and running water on a cold Mars." The argument is that freezing areas in the rover's tracks are filled with ice, which is supposedly identified through pictures. This may be valid, but to suggest that such an important conclusion can be made by theorizing on what could make a shiny surface in imagaes... seems excessive. This appears especially absurd to me because the rover has tools specifically designed to answer this question. I mean, why is this guy attempting to conjecture this based on images when we can use IR & GC to find out exactly what is there? I suppose the point in this article is that this data has been collected, and is to be announced soon, but the confidence with which the article makes these assertions and its lack of explication for the possible errors in these theories really frustrated me and seems totally inappropriate in a scientific publication, even one online :\

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  2. Re:What is this all about? by Darkfred · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I don't think its the thought of the life forms themselves on mars that will give people 'sciencegasms'. It's the implications of what it would mean if we found similar cellular life to our own somewhere else in the universe.

    It gives us hope that somewhere else in the universe there would be life as well. After all if two planets in our own system have life it must develop quite easily, Or at least show that interplanet panspermia is possible.

    And most important to our motivations, it addresses two very basic interests inherant to our physque. Loneliness and the divine.

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  3. Where's the Pasta? by torpor · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Anyone know where the images of this 'pasta-like' object are? I'd sure like to see that!!!

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  4. Re:Spherical snowflakes? by art6217 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Several of the photographed spherules seem to have various features close to their tops, i.e. they seem to be pointed like here. There is also a photo of a cut of one of the spherules. If you brighten dark colors in the image something like a central stem, dendritic structures in, relatively to the image, upper part of the spherule, and a `glue' to the left of the spherule, can be seen.

    These can be illusions, of course.