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Mars Rover Finds Changing Rocks, Surprising Scientists
- peter303 11y agoGot to pump up that funding with continuous new discoveries.
- astrowilliam 11y agoFunding is a byproduct of new discoveries.
- GFK_of_xmaspast 11y agoIf you're not making new discoveries, what's the point of doing science.
- gnur 11y agoConfirmation of existing discoveries perhaps?
- GFK_of_xmaspast 11y agoMaybe once there are a few hundred rovers driving around up there.
- mturmon 11y agoIt is fascinating to see how much geological history the team has been able to uncover with the various point measurements and a stratigraphic analysis. The best summary I know of is in this article in Science (http://www.sciencemag.org/content/350/6257/aac7575.abstract?sid=4250fa26-519a-4e0c-bec2-907515c707fc http://www.sciencemag.org/content/350/6257/aac7575.abstract?...), which documents the discovery of stream beds feeding an ancient lake within Gale crater, river delta formations with progressively finer sediments, and small eroded canyons. It's impressive work. (Full text article appears to be here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Linda_Kah/publication/282734758_Deposition_exhumation_and_paleoclimate_of_an_ancient_lake_deposit_Gale_crater_Mars/links/561bb9e308ae78721fa102b8.pdf https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Linda_Kah/publication/2...)
- hellbanner 11y agoDoes the end say there is life on mars? "The scientists did not present new findings on organics, the carbon-based molecules that could serve as the building blocks for life. Dr. Vasavada said that signs of organics had been spotted, but the scientists were still analyzing them. “Stay tuned,” he said. “There are organics in several of these samples we’ve been seeing lately.”"
- AlphaSite 11y agoOrganic molecules aren't life.
- ubernostrum 11y ago"Organic" simply means "containing carbon". Not all organic molecules originate in living organisms; in fact, probably the overwhelming, stupefyingly huge majority of organic molecules in the universe are of non-life origin.
- nmc 11y agoOriginal story from NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/rocks-rich-in-silica-present-puzzles-for-mars-rover-team http://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/rocks-rich-in-silica-present...