Rovers Find Evidence Mars Was Once Hostile

AP on Yahoo ^ | 12/5/05 | Alicia Chang - ap

[Tinman73]

Being acidic is no barrier to life. Lots of critters seem to do fine in the immediate vicinity of "black smokers" in the ocean depths where the pH is quite low.

I was just going to mention this. Primordial Earth was that way.

I main problem I have is the Volcanic activity mentioned. Since there is a low magnetic activity, I don't see Mars as a "live" planet now (Magma movement in the core).

What could of happened to stifle that ? One theory was an asteroidal impact so large that is caused the atmosphere to be stripped and the internal magma to cool drastically causing a cooling "chain reaction" in the core.

It rotates with a 24.6 hour day, But could of it been spinning faster pre impact to cause the tidal forces for a "hot" core being slowed by the massive impact ?

Sorry, I don't know, I wasn't there at the time :)

I think We should get off this "rock" We are on before something is digging up "The golden Arches" ages from now wondering Why the Burgers are still fresh. (from a previous post).

[Verginius Rufus]

Looks like it may be time to give up on Mars and focus on Mercury.

Mercury's year is 88 earth-days long and its day (from sunrise to sunrise) is about 176 earth-days long (each Mercurian day is about two Mercurian years long). Near the north pole there may be ice. The average surface temperature is estimated to be 333 degrees Fahrenheit, but there would be a great difference between daytime and night-time--maybe there's a spot at the north pole where it stays half-way between the extremes.

If nothing else, it could be a useful place to send Al Qaida suspects, out of the reach of ACLU lawyers.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Heck, here in Arizona I see sunsets like that all the time across the river over in California, it too is a hostile forbidding place..

[Professional Engineer]

Bttt

[i_dont_chat]

Me too.

I thought they found evidence of "hostilities" between living things.

[Andrew_Kalionzes]

An ancient atmosphere would have held the heat better. Look at earth's... then at a much more extreme.... Venus.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Bacteria thrive at tremendous pressures and high heat in a H2s environment deep within the earth.

To many are hung up on the idea it takes, water, green and O2 to support life. Life in many forms is much more tenacious than we can even conceive.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Congress critter SJ Lee's martian flag was found flying on an ATV there.

[cripplecreek]

The early earth would have killed us in a matter of minutes.

[Oztrich Boy]

Rovers Find Evidence Mars Was Once Hostile
She's certainly got an attitude

[Wonder Warthog]

"Life in many forms is much more tenacious than we can even conceive."

Yup, I recall that the microbiologists were amazed when they found bacteria thriving at the bottom of a university "Cobalt pit" (Co-60 irradiation facility). Constant massive doses of radioactivity, which the "bugs" blithely ignored.

[Calpernia]

Was this a typo in the title then? Not by you Norm, by AP.

Was Hostile suppose to be Hospitable?

[NormsRevenge]

No typo, posted as found.

[Constantine XIII]

They should name the next rover Karl.

Karl Rover. :D

[Redcloak]

It's not the safest neighborhood for little robots these days either...

[Just A Nobody]

LOL! I agree.

[devane617]

Did they find a pair of panties in a tree? When they do, I will be interested.

[Trust but Verify]

Ack! Ack! Ack! Ack!

[CommandoFrank]

Geez ... for a minute I thought they had found traces of bone fragment indicating cannibals had once roamed the red planet.

And I thought wrongly too...

The Gusev Crater region where Spirit touched down revealed an even more violent history.

I was wondering if Gusev was a suburb of Detroit, DC or Philly...

[Jackknife]