Australian scientist claims Mars fluid breakthrough

Australian Broadcasting Corporation ^ | January 6, 2002

[HAL9000]

Melb scientist claims Mars fluid breakthrough

A Melbourne geologist believes he has identified the first-ever active flow of fluids on Mars.

University of Melbourne geologist Nick Hoffman noticed recent gully and channel development after examining images taken by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft.

NASA is desperate to find signs of liquid water on Mars, which would suggest life is possible on the Red Planet.

But Dr Hoffman says it is more likely the channels were carved by avalanches of frozen carbon dioxide, not water.

"It's an amazing find, it's quite sonic to have these things just jump out at me," Dr Hoffman said.

"A friend told me there were some interesting pictures on this part of the planet and there were things in them that I didn't understand at all and I spent a long time looking round the area trying to figure out what was going on and eventually I realised we were seeing flows in action here on Mars."

Dr Hoffman says his find will disappoint NASA, which is desperate to find liquid water, not carbon dioxide, because it suggests life on Mars is possible.

"The American public would be very happy to send an expedition to Mars to look for life," Dr Hoffman said.

"[But] the American public would not be so happy to send an expedition to Mars to look at odd carbon dioxide flows.

"Unfortunately we seem to be finding the wrong substances for public interest."

[etcetera]

Sand worms? Big ones!

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[WorkingClassFilth]

"NASA is desperate to find signs of liquid water on Mars, which would suggest life is possible on the Red Planet."

TRANSLATED:

NASA is desperate to find anything that might give life to the hope that their necks, stretched thin on a chopping block, will be worth continued funding.

[AndrewC]

A sublime find.