Astrobiology Strategy for the Exploration of Mars

Astrobiology Strategy for the Exploration of Mars, Conference in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, May 10-12, 2006

ljk4-1 View Member Profile	Apr 28 2006, 06:14 PM Post #1
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2454 Joined: 8-July 05 From: NGC 5907 Member No.: 430	Wednesday, May 10-12, 2006 Astrobiology Strategy for the Exploration of Mars National Academy of Science's Keck Building 500 Fifth St., N.W. Washington, D.C. Meeting information here: http://www8.nationalacademies.org/cp/meeti...?meetingid=1352 If you would like to attend the sessions of this meeting that are open to the public or need more information, please contact: Contact Name: Rod Howard Email: rhoward@nas.edu Phone: 202-334-3477 Fax: 202-334-3701 -------------------- "After having some business dealings with men, I am occasionally chagrined, and feel as if I had done some wrong, and it is hard to forget the ugly circumstance. I see that such intercourse long continued would make one thoroughly prosaic, hard, and coarse. But the longest intercourse with Nature, though in her rudest moods, does not thus harden and make coarse. A hard, sensible man whom we liken to a rock is indeed much harder than a rock. From hard, coarse, insensible men with whom I have no sympathy, I go to commune with the rocks, whose hearts are comparatively soft." - Henry David Thoreau, November 15, 1853

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Guest_BruceMoomaw_*	May 19 2006, 02:18 AM Post #2
Guests	Noachian clays still strike me as by far the best possible site for any fossil search -- both as an environment where life might have evolved, and as a medium that's good at preserving fossils (both microscopic and biochemical). Every other possible type of Martian site is a very poor second, and even if MSL investigates such a site and comes up empty in a search for organics I would be inclined to think that its followup should be sent to another clay site. Mars Express' results in this regard are of enormous importance.

Bob Shaw View Member Profile	May 19 2006, 12:10 PM Post #3
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2488 Joined: 17-April 05 From: Glasgow, Scotland, UK Member No.: 239	QUOTE (BruceMoomaw @ May 19 2006, 03:18 AM) Noachian clays still strike me as by far the best possible site for any fossil search... Bruce: Yes - and preferably in locations where erosion has acted to provide a natural 'sorting' of materials, or where 'cuts' are to be found in the landscape. Exhumed bends in ancient river beds, or cliffs along 'recent' outflow channels would be good places to look. Both require rather sophisticated rovers, though - perhaps even (dare I say it) two-legged ones! Bob Shaw -------------------- Remember: Time Flies like the wind - but Fruit Flies like bananas!

Posts in this topic

ljk4-1 Astrobiology Strategy for the Exploration of Mars Apr 28 2006, 06:14 PM

ngunn Do we know if this will include consideration of C... May 10 2006, 10:20 AM

Richard Trigaux A good thing! The last hopes to find life on ... May 10 2006, 10:29 AM

ngunn Absolutely right. The question is do we limit wha... May 10 2006, 01:45 PM

Richard Trigaux QUOTE (ngunn @ May 10 2006, 01:45 PM) Abs... May 10 2006, 02:07 PM

ljk4-1 Have any real scientists made some serious studies... May 10 2006, 01:54 PM

ngunn The clay theory postulates that clay minerals star... May 10 2006, 07:33 PM

RNeuhaus The astrobiology strategy is to find any places wh... May 10 2006, 07:56 PM

ljk4-1 Small molecule interactions were central to the or... May 18 2006, 02:38 PM

BruceMoomaw Noachian clays still strike me as by far the best ... May 19 2006, 02:18 AM

Bob Shaw QUOTE (BruceMoomaw @ May 19 2006, 03:18 A... May 19 2006, 12:10 PM

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