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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
 Posted - 01/04/2004 : 19:22:47 [Permalink]
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Speaking of Mars probes, Bob Park had this to say on Friday, December 26, 2003:quote:
1. MARS: COALITION FORCES LAUNCH AN INVASION OF THE RED PLANET.
Oblivious to the frantic efforts of earthlings to make contact, Beagle II, a 63-centimeter saucer-shaped British lander, has so far maintained radio silence. Meanwhile, Beagle II's mother ship, the European Space Agency's Mars Express, successfully entered Mars orbit. It is equipped with a long-wavelength radio probe to search for subsurface water. Mars Express joined two American orbiters, Mars Odyssey and Mars Global Explorer. Two American rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, are approaching Mars. They are expected to land in January. Efforts to contact Beagle II will resume later today. The painful vigil is reminiscent of the loss of the Mars Polar Lander in December of 1999 (WN 10 Dec 99). In fact, two-thirds of the missions launched to Mars have failed. This should be put in perspective: no lives have been lost, and robotic missions to Mars cost less than shuttle flights into low-Earth orbit, where they just go in circles. The Mars missions, on the other hand, are searching for extra-terrestrial life, which is perhaps the most exciting quest in science.
I'm glad to know the win-loss ratio is inching upwards again. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2004 : 20:59:59 [Permalink]
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Indeed! I am excited by what the lander might find, when (if, Mars being what it is) it wakes up.
I'm sorry, but I fail to see what the big deal finding life on Mars is. I mean, it would be great to find some, sure, but I think geological exploration should be more important.
I am more interested in the origins of the Solar System than digging up a few microbs that might not be something that we want to bring home to meet the family.
It would be all very interesting, but I'm convinced that if conditions are right, life will begin. The only question is: what conditions are right?
I think that a search for life should be a secondary objective, but, due to popular demand, it's what we've got. Better'n nothin', so let's go with it!
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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@tomic
Administrator
USA
4607 Posts |
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walt fristoe
SFN Regular
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2004 : 17:35:04 [Permalink]
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| What a barren piece of real estate! I hope they don't find any life there, since, if they did, we'd probably be prohibited from mining the dang planet! Imagine the mineral recources that must be there! We will eventually need them for the outward push. |
"If God chose George Bus of all the people in the world, how good could God be?"
Bill Maher |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2004 : 18:26:51 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by walt fristoe
What a barren piece of real estate! I hope they don't find any life there, since, if they did, we'd probably be prohibited from mining the dang planet! Imagine the mineral recources that must be there! We will eventually need them for the outward push.
There is so much peroxides in the top soil that no life could exist on the surface. If we dig deep enough to find water though, we might eventually find fossiles of bacteria. But since there is no noticable geological activity, the chance of finding hot-spots is non-existant, so there will be no habitat for bacteria. I believe that Mars is now a dead planet. |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
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Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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