# Poop found on Mars? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 4, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823 "2008-08-04T17:41:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/1 "2008-08-04T17:41:12Z")
[NASA’s next small step may be into Martian manure](http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/have-they-found-poo-on-red-planet/2008/08/04/1217701947632.html) > [@](#): > > HAVE they found poo on the Red Planet? > > Space websites around the world are abuzz with speculation about what NASA’s latest Mars probe may have found. > > The excitement has been triggered by a report in the journal Aviation Week that the space agency alerted the White House to "major new Phoenix lander discoveries concerning the ‘potential for life’ ". > … > MECA > … > Asked to speculate yesterday on what it may have now found, Dr Clarke said the instrument was designed, among other things, to spot dissolved ammonium and nitrate salts. > “On Earth, if you have a lot of ammonium and nitrate it usually means there is organic activity. We excrete it as waste and other organisms use it.” NASA isn’t saying, and probably won’t for several weeks. Others speculate that Phoenix may have spotted organic amines or methane in the soil. Out on the fringe, it’s bacterial colonies, for sure! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/2 "2008-08-04T17:42:50Z")
Curb Your Zitidar! ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/3 "2008-08-04T18:00:14Z")
And You Will Know Them by the Trail of Poo. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/4 "2008-08-04T18:12:19Z")
I thought everyone knew that extra-terrestrials consider Mars to be the toilet paper of the solar system. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/5 "2008-08-04T18:39:45Z")
“The excitement has been triggered by a report…” I read this as “The excrement…” :o ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/6 "2008-08-04T18:44:09Z")
[QUOTE=Santo Rugger] “The excitement has been triggered by a report…” I read this as “The excrement…” :o [/QUOTE] Me too! 😃 There’s something about a Martian taking a crap outside that tickles my funny bone. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/7 "2008-08-04T18:54:27Z")
Not to be a party-pooper or anything, but I wouldn’t get too excited yet… This story was all over yesterday, followed by denials from someone purporting to be in MECA denying that any White House briefing had taken place at all (and of course I can’t find any cite now! I’ll keep trying.). ETA: Here we go… [NASA Scientist: Reports of Mars Life Finding Are ‘Bogus’ | Space](http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080804-phoenix-meca.html) ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/8 "2008-08-04T18:56:04Z")
This might explain Mars’ rusty color, after all. It’s one giant poop-stain. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/9 "2008-08-04T19:03:17Z")
[QUOTE=Astroboy14] Not to be a party-pooper or anything [/QUOTE] Every party needs a pooper! The Unmanned Spaceflight board has been all over this: [The MECA story, A place for speculation](http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=5365) ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/10 "2008-08-04T19:06:50Z")
[QUOTE=Astroboy14] Not to be a party-pooper or anything, but I wouldn’t get too excited yet… This story was all over yesterday, followed by denials from someone purporting to be in MECA denying that any White House briefing had taken place at all (and of course I can’t find any cite now! I’ll keep trying.). ETA: Here we go… [NASA Scientist: Reports of Mars Life Finding Are ‘Bogus’ | Space](http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080804-phoenix-meca.html) [/QUOTE] They’re trying to get the president to stop giggling first before making any formal announcement. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/11 "2008-08-04T19:14:24Z")
Given Duh-bya’s alledged Christianity and reports that NASA and other data have been altered or suppressed by his administration, and that finding evidence of extraterrestrial life would seriously upset a subset of Fundamentalists, I wonder about the denials. 😉 (That bulge in my cheek is my tongue.) ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/12 "2008-08-04T19:24:30Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] Every party needs a pooper! [/QUOTE] See you at the potty, Richter. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/13 "2008-08-04T19:28:24Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] Given Duh-bya’s alledged Christianity and reports that NASA and other data have been altered or suppressed by his administration, and that finding evidence of extraterrestrial life would seriously upset a subset of Fundamentalists, I wonder about the denials. 😉 [/QUOTE] My sources tell me that they’ll claim that Jesus used Mars for a rest stop, so NASA has discovered some Holy Shit. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rich\_Mann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@Rich\_Mann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_Mann)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/14 "2008-08-04T21:18:41Z")
I find it weird bordering on surreal that they mention growing asparagus on Mars twice in that article. I had to go back up to the top to see if it was from The Onion. Why mention any specific vegetable and why _that_ particular one? Is it because it turns your pee green? Why not a less-disliked veg like lettuce or tomato? If they want to discourage manned missions to The Red Planet keep talking about asparagus. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/15 "2008-08-04T21:28:39Z")
[QUOTE=Rich Mann] Why mention any specific vegetable and why _that_ particular one? [/QUOTE] [Asparagus prefers a soil pH of 6.5-7.5., and will not do well if the pH is less than 6.0.](http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1603.html) Other probes have found very acid soil down south, not suitable for much of anything. Asparagus likes a soil with a high pH, which is what Phoenix found. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/16 "2008-08-04T21:40:37Z")
[QUOTE=cmyk] This might explain Mars’ rusty color, after all. It’s one giant poop-stain. [/QUOTE] That’s nothing; Jupiter is covered in skid marks. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/17 "2008-08-04T22:20:25Z")
This far down already without one single Uranus joke? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/18 "2008-08-04T23:18:49Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] Every party needs a pooper! The Unmanned Spaceflight board has been all over this: [The MECA story, A place for speculation](http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=5365) [/QUOTE] But…isn’t that a 200 Credit Fine…? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/19 "2008-08-05T03:08:44Z")
[QUOTE=Astroboy14] Not to be a party-pooper or anything, but I wouldn’t get too excited yet… This story was all over yesterday, followed by denials from someone purporting to be in MECA denying that any White House briefing had taken place at all (and of course I can’t find any cite now! I’ll keep trying.). ETA: Here we go… [NASA Scientist: Reports of Mars Life Finding Are ‘Bogus’ | Space](http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080804-phoenix-meca.html) [/QUOTE] He who denies it, supplied it? ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823/20 "2008-08-05T05:14:55Z")
I for one welcome our micturiting martian masters… FML [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poop-found-on-mars/458823.md?page=2)