NASA to Announce 'Significant' Mars Finding Thursday

Looks like the Drake equation just changed... kidding. kinda.

At the end it was interesting to hear them speak of "them" did anyone else notice that?

in regard to the permafrost theory: "Maybe the uppermost layers are acting as a little umbrella to keep "them" from getting fried"

FACINATING.

I think that's a first where a NASA press conference actually referred to "them" in literal terms and basis.

Originally posted by PW229
I'd like to personally thank Paratus for bringing this to the ATS community's attention.

I had no idea this was happening today and but for a quick visit to ATS I would have completely missed a fascinating news conference and something that will provide us all with some deep questions to ponder.

Kudos to you sir!

I think the whole ATS community is great and thanks to you all, things like this are always at the tip our fingers, and only thanks to our little family here.

Personally, thanks to you for enjoying, CAUSE I"M FLIPPING PSYCHED OVER THIS!!!!!!

Originally posted by paratus
Looks like the Drake equation just changed... kidding. kinda.

At the end it was interesting to hear them speak of "them" did anyone else notice that?

in regard to the permafrost theory: "Maybe the uppermost layers are acting as a little umbrella to keep "them" from getting fried"

FACINATING.

I think that's a first where a NASA press conference actually referred to "them" in literal terms and basis.

Yep

I kept reading where Dylan from NASA made several statements about life being abundant in the universe.

He did say the Drake equation isn't valid, meaning we can't just conclude that life can only exist where the conditions are like Earth...

something I have been trying to get people to understand for a long time.

reply to post by JoeGuitar

The new findings further support other evidence of transitory liquid water on the surface of Mars. Transitory because the atmospheric pressure is too low for it to exist for very long.

If this (and earlier evidence) really does represent the presence of liquid water its source is a real puzzle. One idea is that there may be vast subsurface "glaciers" which, when warmed by the spring Sun, yield some of their water to the surface.

If this is being caused by water, it does significantly increase the possibility that life may exist on Mars. Not on the surface, but underground. Something that may lie dormant through the winter and revive when the ice melts.

I think that the current landing for the MSL might be reconsidered with these new findings. The terrain does look a bit on the rugged side though.

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by JoeGuitar

 

If this (and earlier evidence) really does represent the presence of liquid water its source is a real puzzle. One idea is that there may be vast subsurface "glaciers" which, when warmed by the spring Sun, yield some of their water to the surface.

Like the Phoenix lander with the water droplets forming on its landing struts.

Although I'd argue the composition of the droplets, more likely a chlorine based saline, they formed and evaporated just the same...

But where is it coming from?

Did anyone record the stream? Link plz.

If we were to announce that life exists on Mars even in microbial form, we can conclude that life exists everywhere.

Prediction, we will discover absolute proof of life on Mars before this time next year.

I realized that there were two posts about this - and I really wanted to thank both OP's for their threads.

I would love to know more about the timing surrounding this news conference. How long ago was it announced? If it was very recently put together, is that common for these types of news releases? If the press had pieces prepared to go (as an earlier poster mentioned) - how long have they been "fore-informed?" And is this common for NASA?

Thank you to the OP - it was the only reason I was able to catch the last half of the live news conference on NASA TV. And my apologies if the above information has been previously supplied - I am looking forward to digging into this a bit!

Before anyone gets too excited about this water offering the possibility of life on Mars:

"Water salty enough to be liquid on Mars today is too salty for life," planetary scientist Christopher McKay, with NASA's Ames Research Center in California, wrote in an email to Discovery News.

Link

Originally posted by Open2Truth
I realized that there were two posts about this - and I really wanted to thank both OP's for their threads.

I would love to know more about the timing surrounding this news conference. How long ago was it announced? If it was very recently put together, is that common for these types of news releases? If the press had pieces prepared to go (as an earlier poster mentioned) - how long have they been "fore-informed?" And is this common for NASA?

Thank you to the OP - it was the only reason I was able to catch the last half of the live news conference on NASA TV. And my apologies if the above information has been previously supplied - I am looking forward to digging into this a bit!

The pleasure is all mine!
I'm glad you caught some of it.

It was sprung on us pretty much like a surprise party however I think there was a pre-release of the story to some news outlets with a 2pm info-embargo on the data and images.

The reports that popped up immediately were way to thorough to be off the cuff.

Originally posted by SavedOne
Before anyone gets too excited about this water offering the possibility of life on Mars:

"Water salty enough to be liquid on Mars today is too salty for life," planetary scientist Christopher McKay, with NASA's Ames Research Center in California, wrote in an email to Discovery News.

Link

What a joke. "Let's tease everyone then dismiss the hype."

Originally posted by SavedOne
Before anyone gets too excited about this water offering the possibility of life on Mars:

"Water salty enough to be liquid on Mars today is too salty for life," planetary scientist Christopher McKay, with NASA's Ames Research Center in California, wrote in an email to Discovery News.

Link

For our predetermined requisite of life?

The earth was flat not too long ago as well.

Microbial and single celled life is very diverse here, who knows what is on Mars.
That statement seems like it may be damage control or clearly not thought out.

Originally posted by Cryptonomicon

Originally posted by PW229
It's intensely interesting that they keep talking about life. Are we being eased into an announcement a bit further down the line?

To answer your question, yes. They've been doing this for decades (start watching at 1:35)

Although you make a perfectly valid point using a clip from a classic film I think you may have misunderstood my comment. It was not made from a naive point of view, I am well aware of the conjecture that extra-terrestrial life has been known about for decades. Indeed some even argue it is visiting us right now, I hasten to add, an argument I am not a huge fan of for various reasons.

My comment is made in the context that if NASA is sitting on this great secret about life on Mars they are easing us into what could be one of the most amazing discoveries in the history of humanity. A discovery that proves the Earth is not the only life harbouring planet in the Universe, in fact there is one right next door to us and therefore there must be many many more of them "out there."

A couple more links:

www.nasa.gov... gallery

www.nasa.gov... video


amazing

This is fascinating stuff! Brine sea(s), NASA referring to an unknown substance or life form as "them" multiple times, and the fact that we're actually HEARING about it.

How long before we see a remake of Red Planet in real life?

reply to post by BIGPoJo


They had the pope on the phone

"Whats a gully?"

The best question of the news conference.

I don't know who she was, but I hope it makes it to The Daily Show.

reply to post by ThePeopleParty


Ok ...first creationists and now the Pope. What is the relevance?

reply to post by Phage


Please don't hate me for going off topic, but the first thing I thought of after reading this was, maybe all of the inner earth theories, really pertain to mars. Wouldn't it be awesome to find a planet so different from ours, yet it sustains life on the inside, or sub terrestrially.

Originally posted by paratus

Originally posted by SavedOne
Before anyone gets too excited about this water offering the possibility of life on Mars:

"Water salty enough to be liquid on Mars today is too salty for life," planetary scientist Christopher McKay, with NASA's Ames Research Center in California, wrote in an email to Discovery News.

Link

For our predetermined requisite of life?

The earth was flat not too long ago as well.

Microbial and single celled life is very diverse here, who knows what is on Mars.
That statement seems like it may be damage control or clearly not thought out.

Also don't forget the scientists looking at extremes on Earth and finding that bacteria and other microbes can and do thrive in extremely salty environments. That would mean that any life forms that evolved from those bacteria and microbial entities would also be tolerant of that kind of extreme.

So yeah, I'm in agreement with you there, contradictory to actual scientific evidence to the contrary.

Thanks for bringing it to us, I only just managed to see this thread in the past 30 minutes but a very interesting and exciting find.

There is no water on Mars and there is no evidence to suggest that there ever has been water on Mars or liquid ANYTHING of any kind.