The MECA story, A place for speculation |
The MECA story, A place for speculation |
Jul 31 2008, 10:22 PM
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The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
Seriously, hasn't anyone else got any thoughts (dismissive or otherwise) on the "Have you briefed the President's Science Advisor?" (re MECA) question by C Covault? I am NOT going all woo-woo here, don't worry, I just thought it was an odd thing to ask... To my ears it sounded like C C was suggesting, subtly, to the panel that he had heard "something" about the MECA analysis and wanted them to comment. The question was brushed aside - rather uncomfortably I thought - and the discussion quickly moved on, but it seemed like a bit of a Moment to me. He actually began, if I remember correctly, by asking where the "MECA guys" were, asking if they had "been hidden under the table"... cue uncomfortable laughs from the panel...
Again, I have to stress, in case anyone thinks I'm 'suggesting' anything, I'm not getting all Muldur here, I was just struck by how out of the blue the question was, and wondered if anyone has any thoughts on it... -------------------- |
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Aug 3 2008, 03:20 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 903 Joined: 30-January 05 Member No.: 162 |
{Let me point out I have no inside information, and don't know in great detail how the MECA instrument works}
Can the MECA instrument image a particular sample more than once, and/or at regular intervals ?? And if it did, and something 'got bigger', 'changed color', disappeared, multiplied, or spelled out "all these worlds are yours, except Europa", we might speculate something is indeed "up". But I hasten to add, scientists would have to rule out vibration in the lander from shaking things around in the sample, or weird (inorganic) chemicals are etching the sample holder or crystallizing, or maybe volatiles are migrating around the sample, etc. There could be something going on, that while extremely interesting to scientist, might nevertheless be dull and boring to the public at large. Things like color changes, shifting of granules, and volatiles condensing, might at first glance be one of those "OMG!" moments, but then good old prosaictivity rears it's head, and for the public at least, it's all a big yawn. |
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