Scientists uncover first evidence of water still on Mars

[brellis]

Conan the Bacterium - <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[qso1]

The problem with robots is confirmation. Here on earth, the ALH84001 sample could not be confirmed to be life on mars. I'd be willing to bet that if you really think about it...imagine yourself to be watching TV and its announced that marsbot 1 found life on mars and confirmation was given, despite there being no humans on site and no soil returned...would you be confident in the confirmation?<br /><br />Even if soil is returned, what happens if the microbes die enroute to earth which is highly probable given we wouldn't know how to sustain that which we do not yet know exists. therefore, upon arrival of the microbes to earth...someone is almost certainly going to question whether dead microbes are microbes, or chemical signatures such as the infamous PAHs that the ALH84001 sample may have contained.<br /><br />While its impossible to sterilize a human...we will have to develop the means to investigate potential life on site, otherwise, we may as well remain here and be satisfied with what I see as "Less than satisfactory" robotic confirmation and of course, that may happen. It sort of did when Viking was being prepped for launch while I was in community college. Even at age 20, I knew there would be controversy over any findings by robot...short of something jumping in front of the cameras so to speak. I was right and I'm not a professional scientist and only average in intelligence. I was also not the only one who thought this would happen. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[brellis]

hi qso1<br /><br />hmm, I wonder. If there are cameras involved, if the 'bot has human eyes, wouldn't we be pretty sure what we're looking at?<br /><br />Consider the OT of this thread. Our intrepid rover stumbled on to this discovery quite by chance, and it has the tools to take pics, spectro-thingamajigs <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> and such. We're able to improvise a great deal with our MERs. The Phoenix team hopes to be able to "touch water" with their Polar Lander. All this info and all this experience learning about Mars via unmanned missions will make it easier to handle the really big news like finding life. It has gotten easier and easier to rule out contamination as we have learned how harsh things are on the surface. If MPL digs in and finds water, I'll believe it! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

At launch of viking you were twenty .I deduce you are 50 plus now.I find most discoveries with grain of salt.Patrick Moore had stated so many things and NASA men are repeating.Latest is rain in titan.NASA is 50 science,50 ads.

 

[mooware]

<b>Given how difficult it is to find life on Mars, it's ironic how hard we have to try to make sure life doesn't survive a trip there! </b><br /><br />An excellent point. If life can survive the trip there, under the harshest conditions... Then maybe the universe isn't so steril after all.<br /><br />

 

[franontanaya]

I think many Solar System enviroments aren't totally inhabitable for short spans of time, but they'll more probably fail to host a self-sustaining enviroment where any "bad season" doesn't kill everything.<br /><br />In the very long term, we will contaminate the planets. Hopefully after deeply investigate them. But it's ok for me: even looking at how species from Earth interact and modify non-Earth enviroments must be of some scientific value.<br /><br />Although for that we should start with our "so exciting" Moon... there isn't much harm to do there. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[h2ouniverse]

there will always be doubters. or conspiracy theorists.<br />This being said, if there is a strange bacterium (see brellis, I've learned <img src="/images/icons/blush.gif" /> it's not my fault it's Charlie Chaplin's in the Dictator) that swims under a microsope of a robot, that should help. <br /><br />Also, in the 1970s, people were expecting too much or too few from Viking.

 

[h2ouniverse]

Brad, my revenge will be terrible <img src="/images/icons/mad.gif" />

 

[gunsandrockets]

oh, sorry. First time I ever heard it, so I thought you were the originator!

 

[mooware]

This drives me insane...<br /><br />There is water,<br />There isn't water<br />There is water <br />there isn't water<br /><br />now there is water.. So, what's next? There isn't water?<br /><br />

 

[MeteorWayne]

There was water.<br />There is ice.<br />There MAY be water in rare circumstances now. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[robnissen]

<font color="yellow"> bright, sulphur-rich material contains up to 16 per cent water. </font><br /><br />I'm going to show my ignorance here. Is this water that would be easily retreived as a liquid, i.e. could the substance be squeezed and liquid water would drip out? (Assuming, of course, that this article is correct.) If not, how is the water bound with the substance?

 

[h2ouniverse]

MWayne,<br />any ice vein should turn into liquid water vein at about 3km depth given expected thermal profile in the crust.<br /><br />We know bacteria thriving in such water veins at 3km underground on Earth. (for a pressure that would be three times more than on Mars)<br />

 

[MeteorWayne]

OK then let me add, there should be water underground <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />You H2O guys are so picky <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[h2ouniverse]

Yes, we do not like that people water down our hopes. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />