The MECA story, A place for speculation Options

[Stu]

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...

[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.

[Stu]

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.

I think that's the wrong way to look at this story, to be honest. I actually think this is a perfect and excellent example of what UMSF does - i.e. takes a story into a bare room, locks the door, sits it in a hard chair, shines a lamp in its face and interrogates it until the truth comes out. It's taken just three pages to sift some nuggets of truth out of this story, thanks to great input from some very knowledgeable members, and now we're all a lot clearer about what's possibly going on. So I think this kind of thing - as was the case with that "pools of water found in Endurance Crater" story - actually enhances UMSF's scientific credibility. It shows we think for ourselves here, are open to debate and discussion, and let the science, not the spooks, do the talking.

As for fostering public support, this isn't that big a story "Out There" yet, but when it becomes one, as it will as rumours spread, we're all better placed now to put it into perspective.

So don't feel too concerned Nick, these are all good things, I think.