Curiouser and Curiouser: Curiosity Mars Rover

[David Nicholls]

Along with the exciting news that evidence of water on Mars may has been found, accompanying this story are some fine pictures here. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/27/us...html?hpt=hp_c1

Image 13 is somewhat interesting. We can only hope they chose a commonly accepted superstitious number to counter the motto.

It shows a 1909 Penny used as a calibrating target for a Curiosity camera. The motto, “IN GOD WE TRUST” is clearly visible. This motto was selected by President Taft who was a Unitarian. He ‘believed’ there was not a trinity but only one god with Jesus just being a product of the one god.

The oft touted motto presently represents a three in one god deal. Woo is so flexible.

I’m sure any aliens will be impressed with the human race if they ever come across this in their travels….Not!

Even our future descendants will be apologetic concerning the delusory nature of the human race.

David

[Loki]

Curiosity done found a rock!1!!1

First rock it stopped to look at and turns out to have interesting characteristics, similar to quite uncommon earth rocks formed in association with oceans, like the Hawaiian Islands.

The rock in question, the added spots are to show where Curiousity poked it.

[Loki]

NASA is getting very excited about data they are getting from their rock and soil analyser thingy.

They won't tell anyone what it's about though.

[Glob]

Thanks for the heads up, Loki.

Sounds promising.

Dramatic off-the-cuff remarks from NASA’s John Grotzinger - the top scientist investigating the rover’s findings - have stirred speculation the adventurous hi-tech robot has made a big discovery.

“This data is going to be one for the history books,” Grotzinger told a National Public Radio reporter. “It’s looking really good.”

[AUSloth]

I really hope it's not some blue suede shoes

[Centauri]

Originally Posted by AUSloth

I really hope it's not some blue suede shoes

Or little green men

[Loki]

The SAM (Sample Analysis at Mars) intrument is for detecting organic molecules and other other elements associated with life.

So it's a fair guess they think they might have found hints of large deposits of Unobtainium.

They are waiting for a large conference which is in a couple of weeks to make their announcement (my guess is just for the media hype)

Hope it's more than "we found organic compounds" cause we already know they aren't uncommon in the universe.

Also hope it's not a repeat of the Arsenic fiasco, though it seems unlikely they'd make that mistake twice.

[gruber]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/t...-1226529475561

NASA's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instruments have been sending back information as it hunts for compounds such as methane, as well as hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, that are the building blocks of life.

Researchers were excited to detect simple organic compounds in the soil scooped up from a crusted dune.

But they cautioned that the traces of carbon could have come from meteorites or even particles the instruments picked up before launch from Earth.

They hope to find more evidence of organic compounds as Curiosity makes its way across the barren, windblown sands of Rocknest towards Mount Sharp, searching for a good place to start digging deeper.

"It's not unexpected that this sand pile would not be rich in organics. It's been exposed to the harsh Martian environment," said Paul Mahaffy, NASA's principal investigator for Curiosity's sample analysis.

"It's going to be an exciting hunt to find early environments that might be protected from this harsh surface environment.