Posted on 11/15/2014 1:28:14 AM PST by Swordmaker
The “sounds” were really radio signals, sped up to the range of human hearing. The “smells” are just the detected chemical signatures, near the surface of the comet. I think they use these notions to make the pop-sci articles more digestible to the public.
It's because we know what these chemicals smell like. They always smell like that.
Just curious, who took THAT photo?
Not in space.
It’ll make you vomit.
It makes your teeth turn green.
I think Obola was rolling around on it like a dog. That would explain the flies.
LOL! Must have been the chap in Reply #7. Seriously, the folks at ESA are playing fast and loose with images. Yesterday's Sacramento Bee had a lede from them about Philae that it was drilling 14 inches into the comet. . . second paragraph was about how they really didn't know where it was and how they had been unable to anchor it down.
Then they provided a supposed PHOTOGRAPH of Philae on the surface of the Comet!!! If they don't know where it is, how in blazes did they take a photo of it??? And, if they couldn't anchor the lander to allow the landing pad screws to deploy, how can a much more forceful auger drill penetrate 14 inches into the surface to take samples??? Also, if your battery is dying and you're worried about energy to get your data home, don't drill 14", drill 7", and save some energy to be assured you have juice to transmit! These guys are rocket scientists?
It was only later that someone thought to say, "Oh, that photo was a composite picture of what we think Philae might look like on the surface." It was photoshopped!
A chemical has the same properties no matter where it is. The perception of those properties is dependent on observation. . . and the receptors used to interpret those perceptions. Some observers use instruments. . . and can determine what other observers using other receptors would perceive. In this instance, the interpretation of the data provided by the instruments used by the probe in space has determined that IF a human snozzola of the appropriately sensitive nature perceived these particular chemicals in an environment that would not be instantly fatal, that human would interpret these to have the aroma of horse pee, vinegar, bitter almonds, and pre-chickens that have become extremely late in hatching, etc. . .
Then there are people who have no sense of humor.
I tend to believe that it is a well developed sense of humor that prevents me from finding such references humorous.
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