Were there puddles in Endurance Crater?

[MeteorWayne]

A few notes. <br /><br />First, to NS's credit they did state "It is a highly controversial claim, as many scientists believe that liquid water cannot exist on the surface of Mars today because of the planet’s thin atmosphere."<br />So they did insert an appropriate disclaimer, and the article fits into their "New" science <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br />They live on the fringe, IMHO. Sometimes you get a big scoop, sometimes it's a pie in the face.<br /><br /><br />Second, this was presented at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers conference, not exactly a hotbed of Astronomy information <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />MW <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>

 

[3488]

That is really funny MeteorWayne.<br /><br />This is getting sillier & sillier by the minute.<br /><br />Electrical and Electronics Engineers conference, what the hell has that got to do<br />with supposed puddles on the Fourth Rock from the Sun??? <img src="/images/icons/crazy.gif" /><br /><br />Are they hoping to get contracts on Mars??? <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Maybe, they were from Lockheed Martin <img src="/images/icons/smile.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>

 

[MeteorWayne]

A few comments from NS's own blog about the incident.<br />To read the whole blog, check out the link in the OP.<br /><br />"New Scientist is well known for hyping and sensationalizing science--this is just one more data point in the proof."<br /><br />----<br /><br />"Some guy said, "New Scientist is well known for hyping and sensationalizing science..."<br />Yeah, they seem to have a quota for childish science pranks. <br />A suggestion for the boss: save all this garbage for the April 1 edition.<br />Not that NS cares what anyone thinks of their pranks. Which is why I don't subscribe. Meh."<br /><br />----<br /><br />" NS:“The reporter had tried to contact numerous outside researchers, including those on the MER rover mission, for their analysis of the claim, but his calls were not immediately returned.<br />In light of this, we must retract the article. We work extremely hard to publish accurate, timely and interesting stories, so we regret the confusion this story has caused. I want to thank those readers who wrote in – we are indebted to you for catching the mistake.†/NS<br /><br />How long was "not immediately returned."? Once again we see that journalist 'truth' is sacrificed in the name of speed... worried you were going to get scooped? How many people will never see your retraction? This is irresponsible journalism."<br /> <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>

 

[brellis]

I feel guilty just for posting a link to the story the other day at the start of this thread. I was doing my usual 5-minute web surf, came across it and immediately clicked it onto a post here at SDC. I ran off and did my thing, and the expert voices had weighed in the next time I looked.<br /><br />If I feel bad, the NewScientist people who get paid to publish accurate stories should at least be reprimanded.<br /><br />I compose music for soundtracks for a living. If I produced a BS piece, I'd get fired on the spot. <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>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Don't feel guilty at all. It was "news" if nothing else which was entirely appropriate. Would have wound up here anyway.<br /><br />And you titled the thread well: "Were there puddles....", not "There are puddles...."<br /><br />Besides, it's been a rather interesting discussion, debunking, and NS bashing.<br /><br />stevehw33 would have been apoplectic, as he often used NS as his irrefutable fact source <img src="/images/icons/smile.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>

 

[robnissen]

I'm thinkin Halliburton. In fact, I think Cheney is going to announce at a news conference today, that we have finally found Saddam's weapons of mass destruction. It was water poisoned with biological agents that Saddam stored on a crater on Mars.

 

[brellis]

<font color="yellow">stevehw33 would have been apoplectic, as he often used NS as his irrefutable fact source</font> - there's a good bit of irony. Good day for it, I need to get some ironying done <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /><br /><br />That said, I miss more than 50% of stevehw's participation on these boards. I'm way too optimistic sometimes -- good example in this story here. If it were true, it would be great news for the entire science community. Exo-geologists would be treated more like rock stars (another pun, I'm on a roll now!) and the general public would be much more likely to throw their tax dollars into space exploration. <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>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Nice pun <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />Yeah I miss about 30% of steve. Kept everyone honest.<br /><br />Just could never admit he was ever wrong about anything, even when proven to him....which led to the 70% I don't miss.<br /><br />It's tough being infallible. <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>

 

[JonClarke]

<i>I am somewhat surprised that people here are dumping on the reporter, rather than the "scientists" who first reported this clap-trap.</i><br /><br />Part of the reason is that we don't have access to the original article, and so can only comment on the journalistic report. It would not be the first time that a journalist has misunderstood or misrepresented a story. Remember how SDC got in wrong some time back about the supposed discovery by Larry Lemke and Carol Stoker of methanogens on Mars? To NS's great credit they have acknowledged their error. AFAIK SDC never did.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

<i>The original authors were only working with the small images without looking into what context they were taken from and so did not truly know the angle of repose of the fluid looking dust without this context.</i><br /><br />The original authors could have profited from watching the episode of "From the Earth to the Moon" titled "Galileo was right". It explained very nicely why context is everything in geology.<br /><br />Jon<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>