International Space (or Insanely Stupid)Station
Hell is Other People.
Help help!!! Somebody has hijacked MY thread!!! Please return to the discussion I beg of you!!! Please, I won’t be able to live if you DON"T!!!
Hey as long as the thread inspires good conversation about something I don’t care where it goes.
I will say this though, I know what NASA said its mission was but the people at Newsweek and others saw through it. Odd how they are putting down the probes just where life MIGHT be found. Funny, if they do find it I can hear all the science buffs saying, I KNEW IT I KNEW IT, they are looking for “PROOF” of evolution and we have found MORE. NASA will probably say, " unexpected proof" or some such nonsense. It don’t take Einstien to see what they are up to!
Sheesh Maneesh!
For what a man had rather were true he more readily believes.
Phaedrus:
You seem to believe looking for life on other planets is an evil thing. If we did find convincing evidence of past (or present) life on Mars (or elsewhere for that matter), would it bother you?
Thank Goodness hardcore!
No, I don’t think looking for it is evil.
I was in full support of SETI and would have spent a lot more money than was spent.
If there was intelligent life out there I would be so happy I couldn’t tell you.
The universe is so big, feels lonely without anybody but us.
No, I just don’t like the way science plays apatetic legerdemain.
I will be posting some examples of that in the earth is flat thread.
If science could find life on other planets, even microbial life, no one would be happier than I. For one thing, I could scrap my own theory and have peace about the issue. Something I don’t have now.
Phaedrus
Phaedrus, I want some of whatever you’re smoking. Must be some good stuff.
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peas on earth
I don’t think NASA is guilty of any sleight of hand with the MPL. It clearly states on the website bantmof referenced that the MPL is “one in a series of Mars Surveyor program missions designed to learn more about Mars’ Climate, Resources and Life.” This one is just more concerned with the climate. The future sample return mission is more interested in the life aspect. And I have seen several NASA scientists on TV in recent days talking about the possibility of finding life on Mars. But I live in Houston, and NASA is just down the road.
They should try to do their best to discover evidence of life while the MPL is there, even though it is not specifically designed for that purpose. The reason you would not put that as an outright objective for this mission has more to do with trying to limit your stated goals to achievable ones, IMHO. Smart strategy for funding and salary review time.
hardcore: I was going to mention funding and salary review myself. Yes, I think that it was wise (from their objective) to state their case in the way they did. But I still feel they were a tad covert in what they are doing. Not in the sense of a scientific “conspiracy” but not being totally honest.
Do you think that they will find life?
Phaedrus: I think that we will eventually find evidence of past bacterial life on Mars. It will probably require a human presence to accomplish this. We could get lucky with landers and robots, but it would be hard to find fossil evidence of life this way on earth, much less Mars.
My hope is that the MPL will be able to find evidence of liquid water underground (I think it is capable of detecting it). If so, that would give us the best chance of finding life remotely.
I think our best chance of finding life outside of earth in our solar system is on Jupiter’s moon Europa. I just hope we send a lander capable of drilling through the ice within my lifetime.
Does anyone else think we should be establishing human settlements on Mars already? We could easily do it with current technology, and I am willing to bet that their would be no shortage of applicants.
hardcore, I don’t know about “easily.” Look how badly the two Biodome experiments went; we couldn’t even successfully maintain a self-contained, self-sustaining environment here on Earth within the experiment’s parameters, and it’s a lot harder to deal with a crisis on Mars. I mean, believe me, I’d volunteer in a New York minute, but I think it’s a long way off.
Incidentally, for those who are interested, the MPL begins its landing countdown around 1:00 p.m. EDT. A link to coverage from the JPL is available at http://planetfest.org/planetcast/index.html
"I prefer shows of the genre, “World’s Blankiest Blank.”
Yes, Hardcore, I do.
“The Earth is far too fragile a basket for humanity to put all of her eggs into.”
-Clarke
pldennison: But I don’t think the barrier is technological. I have an excellent book by Robert Zubrin titled “The Case for Mars”, which emphasizes a live-off-the-land approach. It details everything using mostly early 20th century technology.
I might have to wait until the internet is available on Mars before I go 
We may not learn anything. As I’m writing this, the Polar lander is 30 minutes overdue for establishing contact with JPL.
Is that 30 minutes in metric or English units?
< sigh >
As far as I understand it, it’s possible for the lander to miss the first communication window and still be fine. It might need some time to figure out where to point the antenna, especially if it landed on an incline.
However, the whole thing is a very risky endeavor, so let’s hope it’s OK.
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peas on earth
Well, it’s missed its second communication window now. From what I hear, this means the probe will now go to sleep for the night (the Martian night) and try to contact Earth again after the next Martian sun-up.
The official JPL Mars Polar Lander website is lousy at providing up-to-the-minute information. You have to watch one of their webcasts to get it, and I can’t get RealAudio or RealVideo streaming through my firewall.
“Love 'em, fear 'em, and leave 'em alone.” – Dr. Spockiavelli
You know, if Nasa had this kind of failure rate back in the sixties we’d never run out of names for new elementary schools.
Elmer J. Fudd,
Millionaire.
I own a mansion and a yacht.
Maybe we should change the topic to “The Mars Polar Lander, we will find the Mars Polar Lander?” 
Stepped upon by a banth. Told you so.
Here’s risky prediction for you. I noticed all the smug evilutionsists were to much of a wuss to make one.
THEY WILL NEVER FIND LIFE ON MARS!!!
Ever! because Earth is the only planet that ever had it, ever will!
THE INEXORABLE PHAEDRUS
For what a man had rather were true he more readily believes.
hardcore posted 12-03-1999 10:35 AM