Curiosity may have big news soon - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: MikeK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2012, 12:44:00 pm
content: http://www.wbur.org/npr/165513016/big-news-from-mars-rover-scientists-mum-for-now

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 20, 2012, 01:30:14 pm
content: They don't want another Italian job. Quite understandable.But what did they found? Methane in the Martian atmosphere? This was known (or suspected) for a long time, not news really. There is got to be something else.Now if they found something in the atmosphere that implies living organisms then...........then we found the first.....aliens!!!

author: MikeK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2012, 01:59:27 pm
content: But they haven't officially confirmed methane. So it could be the confirmation they'll announce. Last week or so they had made some methane measurements, but the detection threshold was higher than the suspected global dissipated level. And they said they were going to recalibrate to achieve a much lower detection threshold.Whatever it is, I can't wait for Santa!

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 20, 2012, 02:38:19 pm
content: The existence of Methane on Mars has been known for a while now, another confirmation wouldn't make big news. The problem is that it shouldn't have been there - it decays under UV. Then there are seasonal changes in the amount of methane and they can't explain where it goes either because the depletion rate is much faster than the UV decay. The hopes are high for it to be some sort of biological process i.e. aliens, but there are other likely explanations as well. I'm rooting for the aliens anywayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_MarsQuote

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2012, 03:11:43 pm
content: Most likely got a photo of a little green man in a traffic wardens uniform slapping a parking ticket onto the rover.

author: firewalker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2012, 03:20:52 pm
content: I believe the Methane was a just fluke (air brought from Earth). It has something to do with soil samples.Alexander.

author: Sionyn
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2012, 03:21:12 pm
content: maybe they've found Mayans selling fake iphone chargers

author: JuKu
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2012, 03:42:06 pm
content: Quote from: firewalker on November 20, 2012, 03:20:52 pmNope, it was discovered in 2003, and found to be seasonally dependent in 2004, from orbit. One of the reasons why Curiosity was sent was to find out the reason.

author: MikeK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2012, 10:21:23 pm
content: Quote from: JuKu on November 20, 2012, 03:42:06 pmThere were different methane discoveries. The one that turned out to be a fluke was the measurement that Curiosity performed, and it was indeed found to be air brought from Earth.There have been separate methane discoveries from orbit.

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2012, 12:07:48 am
content: I had onions for dinner. Lots of methane around me at the moment. Dunno why they had to send a probe all the way to Mars.

author: xygor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2012, 12:09:37 am
content: This is old. From Spirirt. But in case anyone hasn't seen it:http://www.flickr.com/photos/74041939@N07/7733924430/#

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 21, 2012, 12:20:45 am
content: I'm betting the aliens ran out of ink:Dave.

author: george graves
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2012, 02:09:00 am
content: With this statement:QuoteIf it's anything less then life on Mars - I hope someone bends him over and gives him a spanking.

author: glicos
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2012, 02:29:09 am
content: Maybe they found Optimus Prime roving around Mars...

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 21, 2012, 03:00:18 am
content: Quote from: george graves on November 21, 2012, 02:09:00 amI agree!He has set the bar high with that statement.If they have just found some calcium-watchmacallit that will only give all the geologists a nerdgasm, then prepare to be attacked with pitchforks!Dave.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2012, 04:24:59 am
content: Either that or it will be the lamest/copolest practical joke ever;We have made a discovery! We have found traces of magnesium iron silicate hydroxide, very exciting, it looks like curiosity ishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cummingtonite, budum tsch!

author: Sionyn
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2012, 10:50:09 am
content: how long till the religious extremists turn up and claim it was a trick by the devil ?

author: MikeK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2012, 12:54:24 pm
content: 5 minutes.

author: MikeK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2012, 01:00:31 pm
content: According to The Register: "Grotzinger plans to attend the American Geophysical Union's fall meeting on December 3 and will present some results then."

author: HackedFridgeMagnet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2012, 01:05:10 pm
content: Doesn't sound like they photographed martians then.

author: MikeK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2012, 07:28:19 pm
content: Quote from: peter.mitchell on November 21, 2012, 04:24:59 amTo be fair, neither NASA nor the Curiosity team have announced any discovery yet. What we've heard is snippets from an interview.

author: MikeK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2012, 09:49:13 pm
content: I guess too many people had too high of hopes:http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jatX4MrMZgJpnEcPbSVm31ePbErQ?docId=CNG.6611fb1b0c38c4c3fd36e91b1738c55e.f31