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charlyv
All taxpayers in the U.S. are paying for these rovers. Sure, we want good science, but when one of these rovers photographs something that really looks weird, there should be a rover policy that humors the public, and occasionally goes and simply checks it out. Sure, they will probably turn out to be rocks, but at least it will make us feel like we are part of the project, not to mention some excellent entertainment. I think it would be great PR for NASA as well.
There should be a volunteer public citizen assigned to coordinate that effort. I vote for Arkin for that role. A representative from the public sector to decide what would be the top weird object to investigate.edit on 11-11-2013 by charlyv because: added content
JadeStar
charlyv
All taxpayers in the U.S. are paying for these rovers. Sure, we want good science, but when one of these rovers photographs something that really looks weird, there should be a rover policy that humors the public, and occasionally goes and simply checks it out. Sure, they will probably turn out to be rocks, but at least it will make us feel like we are part of the project, not to mention some excellent entertainment. I think it would be great PR for NASA as well.
There should be a volunteer public citizen assigned to coordinate that effort. I vote for Arkin for that role. A representative from the public sector to decide what would be the top weird object to investigate.edit on 11-11-2013 by charlyv because: added content
Are you this naive? What you're asking for is for actual real scientists to jeopardize a 2 billion dollar mission by driving a rover somewhere just because someone thinks they saw something 'weird'.
Meanwhile real stuff of scientific interest would have to be dropped from the observation list. I'm all for them putting a telescopic, camera and microphone installation that could be pointed for the public independent of the science that may be going on but that's as far as I would go on this.
That would be controversial enough as every instrument added to a mission drives up the cost of said mission.
Until the average person is willing to fund these missions to a greater extent than they have then science should never take a back seat to the curiosity of a mostly science illiterate public.
You don't ask to perform heart surgery. Don't ask to drive a Mars rover.
Even if they did what you propose there would always be charges that they "airbrushed it out" or otherwise covered up the pareidolia driven interpretation of rocks and other Martian terrain example is the: "They nuked the face on Mars" nonsense.
edit on 11-11-2013 by JadeStar because: (no reason given)
SecretKnowledge
Never mind that, what about the blue rock at the front?
charlyv
Yes, I am afraid I am that naive. That's 2 billion bucks that we all payed for.
The world needs to lighten up a bit and take some of the strict prejudice that some scientists have and try a little empathy for the public that is paying for all of that stuff.
Please tell me , that you are not curious about some of the things you have seen.
Perhaps you might even feel better if it turned out to be a simple rock,
then you are vindicated in your believe
and it puts a stop on all of the wild speculation that continues forever.
It is about people and human nature, as well as science.
My life revolves around science,
but I really like a mystery to be challenged, even if it is for the sake of entertainment.
There is a conundrum in science that states that if you keep looking for something with the same methods, you will eventually find only the things that those methods can reveal.
JohnnySasaki
reply to post by coolcatt
Another oddly shaped rock? That must be a shark tooth on right too, lol.
Listen, until you find an alien posing for the camera, can you please cut it out with all these bullsh*t threads? Why do you guys insist on seeing something that isn't there?
anonentity
Studio that has thrown up a few unedited mistakes like clouds around Olympus Mons.
The terminal velocity of the lander would have been to fast for a few seconds of rocket thrusters to slow the decent.
They pretended to go to mars and we pretended to believe them. They pretended to go to the Moon and we pretended to believe them. Its been a great series so far!
JadeStar
anonentity
Studio that has thrown up a few unedited mistakes like clouds around Olympus Mons.
Mount Sharpe not Olympus Mons. And seriously you believe a whole Mars mission was hoaxed? smh.
"the camera man might have just got bored with it all. I always wondered how the heck a parachute would slow the decent in a virtually airless world."
Because Mars is not "a virtually airless world".
The terminal velocity of the lander would have been to fast for a few seconds of rocket thrusters to slow the decent.
And you would be wrong. It doesn't even take rocket science to understand why you're wrong.
They pretended to go to mars and we pretended to believe them. They pretended to go to the Moon and we pretended to believe them. Its been a great series so far!
You realize how illogical all of that sounds right?
What would be the purpose of faking missions? Who benefits? How do you keep hundreds of thousands of scientists who handle the data from finding out its all a hoax?
Answer, 1) None. 2) No one. 3) You can't.
How big was the parachute they deployed to slow it down.
If the density of the Mars atmosphere is 1/100 that of earth it would have to be a hundred times as big to create enough drag.