# Mars discovery is "one for the record books." But what is it??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 20, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639 "2012-11-20T20:01:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/21 "2012-11-20T22:09:17Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > It found an Illudium P-36 Explosive Space Modulator. They’re waiting for Bugs to get there to take care of the situation. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/22 "2012-11-21T00:45:53Z")
ice-nine. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/23 "2012-11-21T01:06:35Z")
A large, black, featureless obelisk standing in the exact center of the crater. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/24 "2012-11-21T01:10:10Z")
Polywater perhaps? Thats what clogged up all the canals and finally killed off the Martians. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/25 "2012-11-21T01:59:30Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > The ‘one for the history books’ is that the rover did a touch sample test and then moved to a different location, _all in the same day_. It’s never been done before. I doubt they’re leaving us waiting for a couple of weeks to tell us this gem. ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/26 "2012-11-21T14:58:49Z")
An interesting article about this is on the Time magazine web site this morning. The piece generally downplays the possibility that the news will be exciting to anyone other than scientists and science geeks (like us). They quoted JPL spokesman Guy Webster: > [@Time](#): > > “As for history books, the whole mission is for the history books,” he wrote. That’s not to say he rules out the possibility of truly big news. “It won’t be earthshaking,” he said in a later phone call, “but it will be interesting.” [Read more](http://science.time.com/2012/11/20/a-mars-announcement-for-the-history-books/#ixzz2CrvrZo7W) ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/27 "2012-11-21T15:15:45Z")
As **JWT Kottekoe** says, this has been over-hyped. > [@Ethilrist](#): > > A large, black, featureless obelisk standing in the exact center of the crater. That would be [old news](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_monolith). ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/28 "2012-11-21T15:42:22Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > they’re making it seem like a Big Deal. Even describing the discovery as “Earthshaking.” > [@](#): > > “It won’t be earthshaking,” he said in a later phone call, ummm…which of these things is not like the other? ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/29 "2012-11-21T16:50:47Z")
They found Jimmy Hoffa? My honest guess is that they found some compound that will excite geo-geeks, and once again proclaim it as proof that some kind of life might/may/could have been possible billions of years ago. Not 100% proof, but more evidence that there is at least an inkling of a possibility. Of course, if they found gold, or uranium or Twinkies or something like that, my guess is we will be building a factory up there in short order to export it back to earth. Maybe they found a cockroach or pigeon - I think those things can live in any environment. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/30 "2012-11-21T16:54:19Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > ummm…which of these things is not like the other? I think he meant to say Marsshaking. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/31 "2012-11-21T18:04:32Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > ice-nine. :eek: But probably no damn cat and no damn cradle. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dr\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/32 "2012-11-21T19:04:27Z")
Official Twitter of the Curiosity Rover: > [@](#): > > What did I discover on Mars? That rumors spread fast online. My team considers this whole mission “one for the history books” Sounds like there is nothing (any more than “usual”) fantastic about to be announced. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/33 "2012-11-21T19:12:02Z")
The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one, or so I heard. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/34 "2012-11-21T19:39:30Z")
> [@dimmy\_derko](#): > > If Mars had lost an Earth-like atmosphere 1 billion years ago, how would we be able to determine this just by observation? Would it look remarkably different than what it does now? A quick check of Wikipedia shows that: a) we know Mars has a very slender atmosphere because we can see it from ground-based telescopes. b) we also know that Mars cannot sustain an atmosphere at this time because it has no magnetosphere (the planetary magnetic field generated by the planet’s core, responsible for deflecting solar radiation) c) evidence of ionized atmospheric particles trailing Mars in space led to speculation that Mars once had an atmosphere. d) meteorites on Earth from Mars show evidence of paleomagnetization. That is, when the rocks formed, there was a planetary magnetic field which caused magneto-ferrous minerals to align with the field. 3) using uranium-lead dating, it would be reasonable enough to determine the age of Martian meteorites with magnetic alignment versus Martian meteorites without magnetic alignment and determine when it was the Martian core stopped producing the protective magnetic field and allowed the atmosphere to be stripped away by solar winds. This appears to be approximately 4 billion years ago. ---
**Author:** ![OtisCampbellWasRight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d78d45/32.png) [@OtisCampbellWasRight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtisCampbellWasRight)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/35 "2012-11-21T19:52:38Z")
Khuatto scat! ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/36 "2012-11-21T20:20:46Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one, or so I heard. But still, they come. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/37 "2012-11-21T20:45:49Z")
I think you guys are misreading this. By “for the history books” he surely means “boring stuff that nobody reads”.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/38 "2012-11-21T21:15:39Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > A quick check of Wikipedia shows that: > > b) we also know that Mars cannot sustain an atmosphere at this time because it has no magnetosphere (the planetary magnetic field generated by the planet’s core, responsible for deflecting solar radiation) This keeps getting posted but is actually wrong according to new research, as [this article](http://www.space.com/11187-earth-magnetic-field-solar-wind.html) explains: > [@](#): > > Each of the three planets [Venus, Earth and Mars] is losing roughly a ton of atmosphere to space every hour… > > …“The magnetic field is an obstacle to the solar wind, but it is also a funnel,” Strangeway says. The effect of the solar wind on Earth is less uniform than on Mars and Venus, but apparently the net loss rate is about the same. (note that Venus also doesn’t have a magnetic field, and while bigger, is also much closer to the Sun) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/39 "2012-11-21T21:27:32Z")
Well, the last rover was small and found “blueberries”. This rover is bigger so maybe its strawberries this time around? ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639/40 "2012-11-23T21:33:10Z")
I think they will announce the discovery of life on Mars. Well, except for some qualifier or another. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-discovery-is-one-for-the-record-books-but-what-is-it/641639.md?page=3)