Using the rover’s Microscopic Imager, the strange spherules, thread-like features and even a larger object detected in rock outcrop have sparked scientific discussion -- both inside and outside of the Mars rover team -- as to whether they are tied to biology. NASA to Announce 'Significant Findings' of Water on Mars Tuesday Robert Roy Britt And Leonard David Senior Space Writer 01 March 2004 NASA will hold a press conference Tuesday to announce "significant findings" about water on Mars based on evidence from its Opportunity Mars rover. "It's going to be the most significant science results that we've had from the rovers, and it's bearing on their primary mission," NASA spokesperson Don Savage told SPACE.com . That mission is to find signs of water that might support life. If there is liquid water presently at the surface of Mars, as several lines of rover evidence have hinted, then most scientists agree there is the possibility that life could exist. Water does not mean life, but it is the key ingredient that makes life possible. Speculation that the announcement might involve any discussion of biology has not been confirmed. However, there have been repeated observations at the Opportunity site that have puzzled the Mars rover scientists. Using the rover’s Microscopic Imager, the strange spherules, thread-like features and even a larger object detected in rock outcrop have sparked scientific discussion -- both inside and outside of the Mars rover team -- as to whether they are tied to biology. Opportunity has been investigating the soil and a rock outcropping in a shallow depression at its Meridiani Planum landing site, which may once have been the site of a giant lake or ocean. The rocks are layered and may have formed as sediments settled in the bottom of an ancient lake or ocean, or as part of a river bed, but that is only one hypothesis. Both Opportunity and Spirit have found sticky, clumping soil that scientists already said could contain water. Only small amounts of water, perhaps sucked from the atmosphere, would be needed to mix with salt in the soil and create a brine, which could exist in liquid form even in the frigid environment of Mars. http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/opportunity_nasa_040301.html ------------ Mars: A Water World? Evidence Mounts, But Scientists Remain Tight-Lipped One scientist eagerly awaiting the news from Mars, particularly from Opportunity, is Gilbert Levin. He is Chairman of the Board and Executive Officer for Science of Spherix Incorporated in Beltsville, Maryland. Levin is a former Viking Mars lander investigator. He has long argued that his 1976 Viking Labeled Release (LR) life detection experiment found living microorganisms in the soil of Mars. In 1997, Levin reported that simple laws of physics require water to occur as a liquid on the surface of Mars. Subsequent experiments and research have bolstered this view, he said, and reaffirms his Viking LR data regarding microbial life on Mars. Levin points to Opportunity imagery that offers conclusive proof of standing liquid water and running water on a cold Mars. Other images show the rover tracks clearly are being made in "mud", with water being pressed out of that material, Levin said. "That water promptly freezes and you can see reflecting ice. That's clearly ice. It could be nothing else," he said, "and the source is the water that came out of the mud." http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/opportunity_evidence_040229.html ----------- Scientists Say Mars Viking Mission Found Life Several scientists have found compelling evidence that Viking Mars landers did indeed discover life on the red planet in 1976. A re-examination of findings relayed to Earth by the probes some 25 years ago, claim the experts, show the tell-tale signs of microbes lurking within the Martian soil. The idea was that any living organisms present would digest the radioactively labeled nutrient solution, then belch off gases as life metabolized the nutrient. And guess what? The LR experiments on both Landers coughed up puffs of radiolabeled gas - evidence for microorganisms in the soil of Mars. Another find in the two decades-plus Viking treasure-trove of data was outlined by Joe Miller, associate professor in the Department of Cell and Neurobiology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. To my surprise, in their LR experiment, they seemed to have clear periodic oscillations in the release of gas from a Martian soil sample injected with a nutrient solution. The oscillations in gas release had a period of what appeared to be one Martian day. Being a circadian biologist, I became very excited," Miller told SPACE.com. On Earth, Miller said, circadian rhythms -- oscillations with a period of nearly 24 hours -- are present in every species examined down to blue-green algae. http://www.space.com/news/spacehistory/viking_life_010728-1.html
This is pretty interesting. If they find evidence of life (micbrobial or otherwise) on Mars, this would have to rank up there among the biggest discoveries of the past several hundred years. Can't wait.
There certainly is a lot of circumstantial evidence leading up to this press conference, I just hope this isn’t another of those over hyped letdowns. I think just about everyone is sure that there is liquid water on the planet – I guess the major question is whether there is life in that muck.
I was thinking about the "overhyped" angle, too. I hope it's not a situation where they come out and say "yeah, we think based upon what we've seen there could have been life on Mars at some point... ok... donuts and coffee in the back, grab 'em on the way out... we're done here".
Man, I just realized how stupid my "solid water" wisecrack was. Ice. Thanks for taking it easy on me.
A crystalline forest? With a red sun, purple spires and a labyrinth of mirrors? That would be pretty cool.
