Mars: A Water World? Evidence Mounts, But Scientists Remain Tight-Lipped

Space.com ^ | 2/29/04 | Leonard David

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Yeah. I was thinking about the uniformity in the wee hours this morning. It's a very strong argument for biological origin.

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OK, then it has changed since I got my system. I'll look into more arrays as soon as I get a real job. I could triple my power output at minimal cost with the existing converter.

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So, I think it's quite possible that the ground temp, esp. a few inches below the surface, may be much warmer than anyone would ever suspect given the commonly understood air temps. The implications for ground level (and lower) life speak for themselves. Good point!

[Paradox]

This could be the announcement of the (new) century! And of course, here on FR, we (you guys with the keen eyes) have been ahead of the curve, and we don't even have access to some of the data the "real" scientists have.

If those "thingies" (Mars Maggot, Martian Trilobyte looking things) are "real", I think it would be an astounding find. I am sure most would not be surprised to find some kind of bacterial size life on mars, but friggin critters? Wow...

[RightWhale]

This IS breaking news.

I don't know how long it takes for Leonard David to get his articles posted on space.com, but I assume it isn't a newsflash in the sense of something unanticipated. Even when they announce water, or brine, near the surface, the press conference will have been planned for at least some hours or days. But for the space program, this might be considered breaking news.

[RightWhale]

something other than science was involved in this decision.

It comes down to the work of one anti-nuke person a couple decades ago. But, it looks like this administration is not interested in listening to such a small special interest group, so the reasonable power sources for space exploration once more include nuke and isotopic modules.

[Merdoug]

If one goes into their backyard in Tennessee, they can find limestone that has abundent life similar to the critters that are being found on Mars. If those really ARE critters, then what has been found so far may not be the highest forms of life that have existed there. I presume that higher life-form fossils are more rare than the primative lifeforms. I'm also struck by the similarities between OUR primative life and Mars'. I guess evolution always follows the same path for similar enviroments.

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It's called convergent evolution. Similar problems give rise to similar solutions...

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ping

[Pagey]

bump

[Dog]

It's called convergent evolution. Similar problems give rise to similar solutions...

This is a Major finding....Mars had life.

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Yup. Unless all we are seeing is 'faces in the clouds'...

[Dog]

They have mentioned brine seeping up from under the surface....what are they talking about?

The water has a salt base?

[null and void]

Exactly. An underground sea. The salt acts as an antifreeze and retards evaporation.

AND we already KNOW there are terrestrial bacteria that tolerate high salt levels...

[Dog]

That explains why when the Rover dug that trench....there was a white powder type material in the bottom of the hole...there was water there and had frozen over....WOW!

[null and void]

Yes. Our universe just changed.

[Dog]

What would have caused the water to go underground.

With water underground ......there could be life underground.....right now.......not fossilized life in a rock.....teeming life under the Martian surface.

[chimera]

With water underground ......there could be life underground.....right now.......not fossilized life in a rock.....teeming life under the Martian surface.

What was the one Outer Limits episode back in the '64 season about "sand sharks" living under the sandy areas of Mars? Something like "The Invisible Enemy"? I remember it had Adam West in his pre-Batman (TV) days. A pretty cool show, ahead of its time in many ways.

[chimera]

But, it looks like this administration is not interested in listening to such a small special interest group, so the reasonable power sources for space exploration once more include nuke and isotopic modules.

We have a subcontract to work on the JIMO systems and word has it that nuclear-based power sources will continue to be developed at least as long as Bush is in office. I must admit that such appears problematic at the moment, but we have to have hope, and do what we can to help achieve that outcome.

[Monty22]

I'm almost certain there's teaming life there. Look at some of the sat pics. There's weird blue-ish/green-ish hazes that grow and shrink in certain areas near the poles.

I also heard someone explain that the surface temperature may be somewhat warmer than the air temp that the probes so far measured. That, and a high salt content means a highly likely fertile growing ground on and near surface.

I really hope they discuss this possibility today.