"Big News From Mars? Rover Scientists Mum For Now"

[symesie04 911]

Unless of course the Time Team Geophys guys have plotted the foundations of an ancient Roman Villa?

[stringbean 12]

I know what Curiosity found on Mars but I'm sworn to secrecy until the official announcement.

[notaclue 102]

I will hazard a guess that it might be a bacterial form of life. May put a pound on it at the local bookies just for fun.

[robbie c 455]

That's just great its like your other half telling you they just got you the one Astronomy related thing you've always wanted and then saying you can't have it until Christmas

[Cath 1,106]

I greatly suspect their is going to be a lot of disappointment over this when/if they reveal what they have/haven't found. I would have thought NASA would have learnt from their past experiences of getting peoples hopes up only to be shown their was an error made.

Of course it may be an exercise in keeping those that have put money into it interested and optimistic about having put their money into.

Time will tell.

[lukebl 4,408]

I will hazard a guess that it might be a bacterial form of life. May put a pound on it at the local bookies just for fun.

I'd be willing to stake the entire contents of my observatory on the fact this doesn't involve the discovery of any form of life, bacterial or otherwise, living or extinct!

We've had these 'leaks' before. It'll probably be something about a minor geological discovery, which is exciting to the scientific community but of little interest to Joe public. Not that I'm knocking anything! Curiosity is an awesome and fascinating acheivement.

[Naemeth 1,042]

I'd be willing to stake the entire contents of my observatory on the fact this doesn't involve the discovery of any form of life, bacterial or otherwise, living or extinct!

We've had these 'leaks' before. It'll probably be something about a minor geological discovery, which is exciting to the scientific community but of little interest to Joe public. Not that I'm knocking anything! Curiosity is an awesome and fascinating acheivement.

That's brave .

[lukebl 4,408]

That's brave .

Ha. ha! Much as I'd love it to be about the discovery of alien life, I'm certain it won't be!

[scoobee 82]

Mmmmm take your pick I guess, methane, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, that would mean life could once have existed on mars.

[notaclue 102]

That's just great its like your other half telling you they just got you the one Astronomy related thing you've always wanted and then saying you can't have it until Christmas

Sounds like your wife is doing the Christmas "I know what you want but will be annoying to you until you get it" type of person. This is why I am single. lol

I'd be willing to stake the entire contents of my observatory on the fact this doesn't involve the discovery of any form of life, bacterial or otherwise, living or extinct!

We've had these 'leaks' before. It'll probably be something about a minor geological discovery, which is exciting to the scientific community but of little interest to Joe public. Not that I'm knocking anything! Curiosity is an awesome and fascinating acheivement.

Maybe, just maybe, they have found microbial life that was there prior to Mars losing its own thicker atmosphere to what it is now. Maybe in an assumption, it is that. You never know with science and the entire universe in general.

[sologuitarist61 1,583]

They found Elvis?

Don't be silly, he works down our chip shop

[J_M_Franklin 104]

I honestly believe the historical discovery with be Geophysical in nature and so I am playing my cards on evidence of recent (geologically speaking) electromagnetic activity in the core. It is possibly showing that Mars is not the dead world often assumed, it is possible that it is undergoing a period of magnetic reversal, as Earth does, because it lasts a few thousands of years on Earth with no field, on Mars it could be tens of thousands of years or more.

As much as I wold love it to be life related, I am not convinced, my money lays closer to home on a truly alien world...

[notaclue 102]

Don't be silly, he works down our chip shop

Wondered why they tasted of hamburgers.

[VigdisVZ 621]

Actually the rover's own twitter account tweeted this a few days ago:

Curiosity Rover ‏@MarsCuriosity

What did I discover on Mars? That rumors spread fast online. My team considers this whole mission "one for the history books"

[kenmyers 45]

latest RAW images on the curiosity website show close ups of some samples. Couple of pics have fractle, vein-like structures in the samples. Could be water/microbes/or marble lol. I don't have a clue but it's very nice to see these RAW files.

Maybe someone with some know-how could take a look?

[Cath 1,106]

I honestly believe the historical discovery with be Geophysical in nature and so I am playing my cards on evidence of recent (geologically speaking) electromagnetic activity in the core. It is possibly showing that Mars is not the dead world often assumed, it is possible that it is undergoing a period of magnetic reversal, as Earth does, because it lasts a few thousands of years on Earth with no field, on Mars it could be tens of thousands of years or more.

I'm led to believe that the magnetic field never reduces in intensity when it goes through a reversal, but it does go mish-mash around the planet before it settles on it's new position.

If Earth had ever lost it's magnetic field in the past for that length of time then I doubt very much their would be any life forms much bigger than a microbe alive today, the radiation that would reach the earth would be too harm full to life.

Though looking at this simulation their are gaps in the field as it progresses ..

Edited November 23, 2012 by Cath

[cowasaki 16]

I'm led to believe that the magnetic field never reduces in intensity when it goes through a reversal, but it does go mish-mash around the planet before it settles on it's new position.

If Earth had ever lost it's magnetic field in the past for that length of time then I doubt very much their would be any life forms much bigger than a microbe alive today, the radiation that would reach the earth would be too harm full to life.

Though looking at this simulation their are gaps in the field as it progresses ..

Scary stuff !

[Demo johnny 32]

I'd be willing to stake the entire contents of my observatory on the fact this doesn't involve the discovery of any form of life, bacterial or otherwise, living or extinct!

We've had these 'leaks' before. It'll probably be something about a minor geological discovery, which is exciting to the scientific community but of little interest to Joe public. Not that I'm knocking anything! Curiosity is an awesome and fascinating acheivement.

I accept your offer and under English law we now have a a written contract

[lukebl 4,408]

I accept your offer and under English law we now have a a written contract

Ah, but what are you offering for your side of the bargain?

(Note to my lawyer: I staked the entire contents of my observatory, so if I make sure I empty my observatory, I should be OK?)

[lukebl 4,408]

I'm led to believe that the magnetic field never reduces in intensity when it goes through a reversal, but it does go mish-mash around the planet before it settles on it's new position.

If Earth had ever lost it's magnetic field in the past for that length of time then I doubt very much their would be any life forms much bigger than a microbe alive today, the radiation that would reach the earth would be too harm full to life.

Could some of the mass extinctions in the past been as a result of the temporary reversal or loss of our magnetic field? I'm sure it can't be good for life as we know it, Jim.

[cowasaki 16]

Could some of the mass extinctions in the past been as a result of the temporary reversal or loss of our magnetic field? I'm sure it can't be good for life as we know it, Jim.

It'll certainly confuse the scouts

[kenmyers 45]

wouldnt it be awesome if they were taking a picture and a fly flew past!? lol

[cowasaki 16]

wouldnt it be awesome if they were taking a picture and a fly flew past!? lol

Or they came across a Peruvian flag. They were clever people them incas.

(apologies in advance if my history/geography is wrong here )

[kenmyers 45]

On a more serious note... Could curiosity detect a MarsQuake?

[VigdisVZ 621]

On a more serious note... Could curiosity detect a MarsQuake?

I don't think it has specific instrument for seismic activity, but there may be accelerometers that could double as rudimentary ones.

However, NASA's next mission, InSight will be a little different in that regard: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InSight