"Compelling Discovery" on Mars!

LazyLion

LazyLion

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http://www.astroengine.com/?p=596

Phoenix has Found Something More Compelling than Water: President Bush Informed
by Ian O'Neill (August 2, 2008)
On Thursday, NASA held a press conference to announce that the recent TEGA experiment on board Phoenix had confirmed the presence of water in the Martian soil. Whist exciting, Phoenix scientists were expecting that result. However, behind the scenes, something else was being discussed and it had little to do with melting water…
Having just covered this story on the Universe Today, I can’t help but be intrigued. Apparently, an undisclosed Phoenix scientist has been in communication with Aviation Week concerning a “compelling” discovery on the Red Planet. What could this news be? Obviously it’s something important as NASA and the University of Arizona are going to great lengths to keep the details out of the public domain. Plus, Phoenix scientists have presented their preliminary findings to the Bush Administration’s Presidential Science Advisor. The report suggests that there has been an even more significant discovery from the robotic explorer, not only from the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (or “TEGA,” the instrument used to bake Martian samples) which confirmed the presence of water, but from the Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA) instrument. MECA has apparently found even more evidence for the “potential for life” on Mars. But this “evidence” will be the biggest discovery yet.

However, the Phoenix team need more time to analyse the complex data they’ve received and will wait till mid-August at the earliest to make a press release. Scientists are keen to point out that they have not discovered direct evidence for life on Mars (after all, Phoenix is not equipped to do this), but the indication is this new data will be even more profound than the discovery of water.

As if that wasn’t enough, it looks like they’ve had to take this news to the top. Advising the White House is a pretty big deal, so we’ll just have to wait and see what Phoenix has uncovered…
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Is it just me or is this being dramatized as much as a National Geographic episode?
Some conflicting reports also in the news saying there were never reports to the White House.
And this brings into question some of my earlier concerns: What about contamination from earth, was the robot really that clean? Maybe earth bacteria (/life) also love the Martian atmosphere and decided to make it their new home after a free ride with the rover?
 
werries2 said:
Is it just me or is this being dramatized as much as a National Geographic episode?
Some conflicting reports also in the news saying there were never reports to the White House.
And this brings into question some of my earlier concerns: What about contamination from earth, was the robot really that clean? Maybe earth bacteria (/life) also love the Martian atmosphere and decided to make it their new home after a free ride with the rover?
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never thought of that,but i think they got that covered.
 
I thought it was this one...

Life%20on%20Mars.jpg
 
dablakmark8 said:
never thought of that,but i think they got that covered.
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I would not be supprised if they don't have it covered. Atleast they will claim that all were clean and sterrile. But scientists (me being one) will often be quite fanatic in their views and will have an answer for everything :o
So little is yet known about life on earth (new species still being found, etc etc) and we already want to play expert on life on other plannets ;)
 
hyperian said:
Wouldnt it be cool if the little robot took a picture of a transformer like in the movie, before it smashed the hell out of it?
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Oh yeah, and then they come to earth and kill us all .. woot!!!

Be careful what you wish for, you may just get it.
 
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