# Mars where rover touched down looks ‘Earth-like’: How long before the conspiracy theories start? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 8, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-where-rover-touched-down-looks-earth-like-how-long-before-the-conspiracy-theories-start/630911 "2012-08-08T23:06:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-where-rover-touched-down-looks-earth-like-how-long-before-the-conspiracy-theories-start/630911/21 "2012-08-10T21:24:02Z")
That mountain range in the distance looks very earth-like. So it seems that Mars did have some plate tectonics, and enough crustal movement to form metamorphic rocks. I look forward to pictures of the rocks-hope they find some puddingstone. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-where-rover-touched-down-looks-earth-like-how-long-before-the-conspiracy-theories-start/630911/22 "2012-08-10T21:34:39Z")
Personally I am waiting for pictures of **umkay** flying by in her wheelchair O’ death, then we will know it is a hoax :eek:😃 **CAPT** Sorry couldn’t help myself ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-where-rover-touched-down-looks-earth-like-how-long-before-the-conspiracy-theories-start/630911/23 "2012-08-10T22:15:24Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Am I being whooshed? You can’t hug at work now? There is no reason that couldn’t be 100% platonic, or they are both single, or they ARE married, or they are related, or 100 other perfectly normal reasons. They knew there was media there, if they were having a secret affair don’t think you think that would have been the worst time to hug? > > Geez. Check out the body language in that photo - it obviously caught them in a unfortunate candid moment that betrayed something illicit. They probably haven’t hugged their spouses like that in years. Their spouses are probably hacking their email for evidence of an affair at this very moment. > [@Leaffan](#): > > This is a joke, right? > > It’s hard to tell anymore. If it’s a joke, it’s not as funny as Phil Kessel … or the new team in Markham. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Beastly\_Rotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Beastly\_Rotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastly_Rotter)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-where-rover-touched-down-looks-earth-like-how-long-before-the-conspiracy-theories-start/630911/24 "2012-08-10T23:34:47Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > Check out the body language in that photo - it obviously caught them in a unfortunate candid moment that betrayed something illicit. They probably haven’t hugged their spouses like that in years. Their spouses are probably hacking their email for evidence of an affair at this very moment. Relax, it’s obviously a Photoshop. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-where-rover-touched-down-looks-earth-like-how-long-before-the-conspiracy-theories-start/630911/25 "2012-08-11T00:24:26Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > That mountain range in the distance looks very earth-like. So it seems that Mars did have some plate tectonics, and enough crustal movement to form metamorphic rocks. Quibble. Thats not a mountain range, it’s the rim of the gale crater which the rover is inside. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-where-rover-touched-down-looks-earth-like-how-long-before-the-conspiracy-theories-start/630911/26 "2012-08-11T01:18:34Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > Check out the body language in that photo - it obviously caught them in a unfortunate candid moment that betrayed something illicit. They probably haven’t hugged their spouses like that in years. Their spouses are probably hacking their email for evidence of an affair at this very moment. > > If it’s a joke, it’s not as funny as Phil Kessel … or the new team in Markham. 😛 If you watched the landing live, like I did, you’d see that everyone in the control room was high-fiving and hugging. Also, please stop with the off-topic threadshitting hijacks? ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-where-rover-touched-down-looks-earth-like-how-long-before-the-conspiracy-theories-start/630911/27 "2012-08-11T05:56:12Z")
> [@gunnergoz](#): > > No, no HD cameras. The photos HD cameras produce require too much bandwidth to transmit and storage space to store on the lander. They have been optimized to be robust and reliable. From what I’ve read, the actual camera technology being used is apparently about 7-8 years old, having been frozen early in the design to be consistent with the KISS principle. Reliability is the key word here. Hrm, HD video is 2 megapixels. Two. They had 2 megapixel cameras 8 years ago. My understanding is that they can’t make/transmit higher rez images until the rover software is upgraded in the next few days and they turn on more of the instruments. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-where-rover-touched-down-looks-earth-like-how-long-before-the-conspiracy-theories-start/630911/28 "2012-08-11T06:19:04Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Hrm, HD video is 2 megapixels. Two. They had 2 megapixel cameras 8 years ago. > > My understanding is that they can’t make/transmit higher rez images until the rover software is upgraded in the next few days and they turn on more of the instruments. Well, hell – wiki says all 17 cameras are 1600x1200 resolution. Or just under 2 megapixels. So it is “HD”, but not terribly good resolution. What were they thinking? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-where-rover-touched-down-looks-earth-like-how-long-before-the-conspiracy-theories-start/630911/29 "2012-08-11T10:38:50Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > If it’s a joke, it’s not as funny as Phil Kessel … or the new team in Markham. 😛 LC Stawhouse, if you have an issue with Leaffan, please take to the Pit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-where-rover-touched-down-looks-earth-like-how-long-before-the-conspiracy-theories-start/630911.md?page=1)