Mars Anomaly Research

{{conspiracynav|1}}
{{Cquote|But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at [[Christopher Columbus|Columbus]], they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright Brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.|||[[Carl Sagan]]}}
'''Mars Anomaly Research''' (MAR) is a [[crank]] website which claims that [[NASA]] and {{wpl|ESA}} have been doctoring [[space]] image data for many years, in an attempt to cover up the [[truth]]: that [[Mars]] and other bodies in the [[solar system]] are actually much more similar to the [[Earth]] than we are being told. The site is administered by one J. P. Skipper, who [[belief|believes]] that Mars, the [[Moon]], and various moons of outer planets are inhabited by a wide variety of [[Extraterrestrial|alien]] lifeforms, including several advanced civilizations. The bulk of his "evidence" consisted of [[Pareidolia|weirdly-shaped shadows which, with the right brightness/contrast settings]], look exactly like farms, buildings, giant (we're talking miles wide) trees, or [[Photoshop|deliberate airbrushing]] of key features by the [[Mad scientist|evil scientists]]. Skipper's theories were based on the idea that no information gathered by space probes is passed to the general public without inspection by "[[The powers that be|the authorities]]," who [[Psychological projection|censor and obfuscate all evidence which contradicts their "illusion"]] of desiccated, cold, empty worlds. How they could ''keep'' such a scheme secret is never examined in detail.

Most of this stuff is laughable, but a few images are, at first glance, pretty astonishing: the [[Hale crater]] [http://www.marsanomalyresearch.com/evidence-reports/2005/084/hale-civ-evidence.htm images] had [[User:JS Leitch|one editor]] scratching his chin for a few days before realizing that the original is not a photo, but a {{wpl|digital elevation model||.}} A common thread involved instances where multiple images of varying quality were stitched together; the blurrier areas are considered "proof" of deliberate airbrushing. The entire site is based on Skipper's [[ignorance]] of the differences between his own eyesight and [[scientific]] instruments operating millions of miles away.

Despite the obvious [[bullshit]], this site was once fairly [[Argumentum ad populum|popular]]: a [[Google]] search of the term "Mars research" formerly turned this up in the number two spot. It is now far down on the list, possibly thanks to improvements to the Google ranking algorithm. This is probably because the site hasn't been updated since 29 December 2014.

==Disgrace==
Claims such as these denigrate the work of those who are trying to learn about the ''real'' Mars. There are thousands of dedicated scientists for whom the discovery of [[Exobiology|Martian life]] would be the pinnacle of their careers, the greatest advance in [[human]] [[knowledge]] of our time. To suggest that these people, including the late [[Carl Sagan]], would ''intentionally'' obfuscate [[evidence]] of this is deeply disturbing.

==Orbital imagery==
Much of the evidence presented regards satellite photography by spacecraft such as the [http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/ Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter]. Skipper claims to see distinct evidence of life in what are, in reality, simple geological features: a series of dark smudges become a lush forest,<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20130116110255/http://marsanomalyresearch.com/evidence-reports/2009/168/forest-life-12.htm Mars Forest Life]</ref> fields of sand dunes become a giant colony of... things.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20130116105130/http://marsanomalyresearch.com/evidence-reports/2008/146/strange-biolife-2.htm Mars strange bio-life]</ref> Skipper loves to show microscope imagery of Earthly life side-by-side with orbital photos of the Martian surface, noting [[Improbable things happen|incidental similarities]].

==Don't bomb the moon!==
In October 2009, NASA's [http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/index.html LCROSS] spacecraft impacted a crater near the Moon's south pole, in search of possible deposits of [[water]] ice. Skipper was vehemently opposed to this action, as he believed it was possible the "attack" would agitate the "lunar civilization," possibly [[Lulz|starting a war]].<ref>[http://www.marsanomalyresearch.com/general-directories/commentary/39/LCROSS-potential.htm The Moon LCROSS Potential,] Commentary #039. July 7, 2009 (update 9/20/09)</ref>

Of course, meteors hit the moon '''all the time''', and they go one hell of a lot faster. Since the impact, there have been zero signs of any such civilization attacking Earth.

==See also==
*[[Lunar anomalies]]
*[[Pareidolia]]
*[[Mike Bara]], author of two very inaccurate books on Mars anomalies
*[[The Brookings Report]], inaccurately cited by anomalists as the reason why NASA airbrushes out ET

==External links==
*[http://www.marsanomalyresearch.com/ Mars Anomaly Research]
*[https://www.facebook.com/Mars.Moon.Anomaly.Research Official Facebook page]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140125063957/http://www.alienstudy.com/ Alien Study]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Internet kooks]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience]]
[[Category:Ufology]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Webshites]]

Categories: Internet kooks, Pseudoscience, Ufology, Living people, Webshites