Posted on 11/24/2012 5:03:29 PM PST by lbryce
Data that NASA's discovery wee a sample of Martian dirt could be earth-shattering, but the space agency is taking time to check its work.
NASA's not sharing a 'historic' find on Mars... yet
Data from a sample of Martian dirt could be earth-shattering, but the space agency is taking time to check its work.
SAM, a mobile sample analysis lab, is currently mounted on Curiosity and finding interesting stuff in Martian soil.
It seems NASA and the Curiosity rover have found something exciting and nerd-tastic on Mars, but the space agency's scientists are holding back for now, despite how painful it appears to be for them.
NPR science correspondent Joe Palca happened to be in the room recently when John Grotzinger, lead scientist for the Curiosity mission at NASA, started receiving data on his computer from the rover's on-board chemistry lab, also known as SAM (sample analysis at Mars). SAM and NASA scientists on Earth have been busy analyzing a sample of Martian soil of late, and apparently the dirt from the Red Planet has a secret to tell.
"This data is going to be one for the history books, it's looking really good," Grotzinger said in the story that aired yesterday.
And that's about all he said.
Grotzinger and NASA have remained mum on what exactly Curiosity may have found in the Martian soil, saying it could be several more weeks until they're able to verify the data. The scientists need to make sure whatever earth-shattering find they have isn't an error or perhaps some kind of stowaway molecule or whatever it may be that hitched one really long ride from Earth.
So I contacted another space smarty-pants type not associated with NASA to see if he might have a guess.
Lewis Dartnell is a leading astrobiologist at The Centre For Planetary Sciences at UCL/Birkbeck in London. He makes it clear that with so little to go on, no one outside of NASA can know what the agency thinks it has, but, he says, "the SAM instrument is designed to detect organic molecules on Mars, so the smart money is on an announcement along those lines."
That's right, the smart money is on what we all were already thinking -- LIFE ON MARS.
The seas may be rising and more superstorms may continue to threaten humanity's most important megalopolises, but there could soon be an emerging market for condominiums on Mars to take our minds off of such challenges.
What do you think NASA's found on the fourth rock from the sun? Let us know in the comments. Or just tell us you know what it is, but then don't really tell us until next month.
Whatever they are claiming, it needs to be verified by outsiders before people just accept it. And even if it is verified, it needs to be put into context.
NASA's not sharing a 'historic' find on Mars... yet
Data from a sample of Martian dirt could be earth-shattering, but the space agency is taking time to check its work.
Sounds to me that NASA is waiting to withhold their findings until they doublecheck their work. Imagine that?
Them fellas say they found dirt on Mars eh?
Exactly! (You’re FAST!)
All the jobs obamacare was supposed to create..?
Thanks.
The enigma is that soon afterwards no methane had been detected.
MARS IS MADE OF GOLD!
MARS IS HALAL!
They’ve found Obama’s real birth certificate!
I am guessing that they found carbon and water.
Thanks lbryce!
Huge Mars Colony Eyed by SpaceX Founder Elon Musk
SPACE.com | Date: 23 November 2012 Time: 07:00 AM ET | Rob Coppinger
Posted on 11/24/2012 2:48:04 PM PST by BenLurkin
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2962677/posts
So NASA discovered a grease based lifeform?
I’d give odds that you are correct. I would suspect any finding that could be used expand their program, especially one that would require a new space shuttle and astronauts to go to Mars.
Probably something that’s a yawn to most people but exciting to the scientific community like amino acids in the soil or something.
If dirt on Earth is called “earth”, what would dirt on Mars be called?
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