The MECA story, A place for speculation Options

[nprev]

Can I call you by your decimal equivalent, "105"? (Cool username, BTW!)

One possibility that just occurred to me is that MECA may have found carbonates in abundance, though obviously they've been mixed rather well into the soil given that they haven't been detected from orbit.

[fredk]

As far as the reference to the science advisor, I'd say that was clearly facetious, not at all meant to be serious.

Sometimes real life is sillier than what you can make up

Can any Americans out there give the rest of us some context here - what is the significance of briefing the Presidential Science Advisor's office? Does this happen often? Is the team obligated to do this under certain circumstances? Why do you think they would do this before going public? Etc etc...

[nprev]

Fred, to answer your question...no, it's not common (at least it's not common for such activity to be publicly announced). This accounts for most of the buzz.

AFAIK, there are no protocols for this per se. However, it would seem prudent for any Federal agency to brief the Executive Branch prior to making any potentially headline-grabbing or controversial announcements.

[01101001]

Can any Americans out there give the rest of us some context here - what is the significance of briefing the Presidential Science Advisor's office? Does this happen often? Is the team obligated to do this under certain circumstances? Why do you think they would do this before going public? Etc etc...

OSTP: Office of Science and Technology Policy

The Office of Science and Technology Policy advises the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs. The office serves as a source of scientific and technological analysis and judgment for the President with respect to major policies, plans and programs of the Federal Government. OSTP leads an interagency effort to develop and implement sound science and technology policies and budgets. The office works with the private sector to ensure Federal investments in science and technology contribute to economic prosperity, environmental quality, and national security.

I guess if you were a government scientist or contractor, and were on the way toward making an announcement that might cause reporters to ask opinions of the current White House resident, you'd probably want to give the OSTP a heads-up in advance, so they could get some answers ready.

[djellison]

Lots of speculative posts in various threads. A bit of restraint is almost certainly called for - keep it sensible - and keep one eye on the forum rules ( especially regarding Politics )

[Guest_Oersted_*]

WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!!

Oops, sorry... - Yes, restraint is certainly called for!

In the meantime, I suggest that MSL brings along plant seeds. We might as well start the terraforming asap.

[nprev]

Well, as I just mentioned to a noted forum member, I am fully prepared to be underwhelmed. Suggest that this might be a productive attitude to adopt.

[PDP8E]

my best guess

** methane **

the natural output of bacteria

[jmknapp]

Here's an MP3 clip of Craig Covault's question:

Phoenix press conf. question on MECA results (1MB mp3)

Doesn't seem to be much in the answer to justify the hype or the subsequent article. Drs. Smith and Meyer answered dispassionately that the analysis will take one or two months, that the two MECA samples are similar, that they've found the soil to be alkaline & contain salts, etc. The only possibly cryptic thing was some reference by Smith to some "signatures" that require further analysis before they can say anything, but isn't that always the case?

[JRehling]

Don't get really worried until there's a press conference announced with representatives of the TEGA team, the MECA team, and the US Strategic Air Command.

[nprev]

Don't get really worried until there's a press conference announced with representatives of the TEGA team, the MECA team, and the US Strategic Air Command.

We're clear, then. The Strategic Air Command (SAC) has been gone for more than a decade. Air Combat Command (ACC) is its successor.

EDIT: Oh, hell, now, wait a minute, stop this train! I just listened to Jim's excellent & very clear audio clip of the conference, and I think I get it now. Did not realize until now that Mr. Covault is a reporter for AW&ST, did not realize that he was the one who suggested briefing the White House Science Advisor, not any member of the Phoenix team!

The response to his question regarded ambigious signatures from the wet chem cells, which are not designed to detect organics or anything else controversial, really.

Move along, folks...nothing to see here. Dammit.

[01101001]

Doesn't seem to be much in the answer to justify the hype or the subsequent article.

You don't get the feeling from the article (Aviation Week: White House Briefed On Potential For Mars Life) that Covault is in contact with others (purported to be) on the team, the "sources", that are indicating provocative results, habitability results, briefing of the science adviser, and saying the key is water/soil behavior?

I don't think this speculation, nor the article, is only about what happened at the briefing: what Covault asked and what the response was.

[nprev]

I would be extremely cautious about reading more into this than what actually was said at the press conference, though.

Let me put it this way: The Planetary Protection Protocols (PPP) allow a minimal amount of organic contamination even at the highest level (IIRC, something like 300 spores and/or bacteria per sq cm, and please somebody correct me if I'm wrong) because it is literally impossible to avoid it. So, in the worst (or best!)-case scenario, if somebody saw something 'swimming' in front of the optical microscope, it's still not possible to distinguish it from possible, even probable, terrestrial contamination.

Bottom line is that we're not gonna hear a positive announcement of what we'd all like to hear very much.

Gotta quote my high-school biology teacher again, who was passionately interested in the Vikings back in the day: "There is certainly life on Mars--now." (And actually well beforehand with booster impacts & the early Soviet probes.)

[01101001]

Bottom line is that we're not gonna hear a positive announcement of what we'd all like to hear very much.

If you're referring to evidence of past or current life on Mars, the article says as much: that it's not about that.

Covault's article is about habitability. It's about provocative habitability results. Maybe his sources are wrong. Maybe not. Let's focus on what he wrote and what others know or think they know. But, I see no virtue in arbitrarily limiting it to the interaction at the press conference. Emily Lakdawalla spoke of hearing rumors about interesting MECA results. Maybe it's all rumor and no substance. Or not.

[nprev]

Maybe it's all rumor and no substance. Or not.

Gotta bet on the former, really. MECA's "habitability" detection abilities would seem to be confined to the wet chem experiment, so maybe they're just talking about finding carbon, phosphorus, etc.

I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the general media to grab this story & go crazy. This concerns me, because the build-up & subsequent let-down sure don't help the scientific credibilty of UMSF, nor does it foster public support.