http://www.universetoday.com/2008/08/02/the-white-house-is-briefed-phoenix-about-to-announce-potential-for-life-on-mars/?hl-en=n3

Quote :

" It would appear that the US President has been briefed by Phoenix scientists about the discovery of something more "provocative" than the discovery of water existing on the Martian surface. This news comes just as the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) confirmed experimental evidence for the existence of water in the Mars regolith on Thursday. Whilst NASA scientists are not claiming that life once existed on the Red Planet's surface, new data appears to indicate the "potential for life" more conclusively than the TEGA water results. Apparently these new results are being kept under wraps until further, more detailed analysis can be carried out, but we are assured that this announcement will be huge…"

I can't imagine what else they could have besides water that would be "huge" for the potential of life, that's not life itself. And it's a little odd that they felt the need to keep it secret for the time being.

Or they could have discovered oil (which would actually be very astonishing)

8/2/2008 10:32:54 PM

Cool. I'm curious to know what it is!

8/3/2008 12:46:57 AM

We already know the martian soil has nutrients suitable for growing certain crops. We know it has water, and the term "potential for life" is extremely vague, especially since we can't necessarily determine that considering our single data point on life (earth).

I'm thinking this is nothing, or somehow bacteria carried by the probe itself is surviving in the martian atmosphere.

8/3/2008 12:55:35 AM

Most likely giant space moles.

http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00000984/

8/3/2008 12:58:10 AM

^ wow that's amazing.

Could you imagine exploring that cave? Gives me goosebumps thinking about it...

[Edited on August 3, 2008 at 1:03 AM. Reason : ]

8/3/2008 1:02:15 AM

Quote :

"Heard about the recent news reports implying I may have found Martian life. Those reports are incorrect. about 1 hour ago from web"

According to Phoenix Lander twitter:http://twitter.com/MarsPhoenix

[Edited on August 3, 2008 at 2:07 AM. Reason : http://twitter.com/MarsPhoenix]

8/3/2008 2:07:20 AM

haha, you think if it was true, they would tell us?

8/3/2008 2:45:17 AM

They found oil.

I was going to post this this morning but forgot...

8/3/2008 2:52:59 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG9HqyMvCVo

8/3/2008 12:29:06 PM

8/3/2008 12:42:04 PM

Quote :

"implying I may have found Martian life. "

That's some gay ass Linux first person language there.

8/3/2008 1:15:54 PM

Quote :

"They found oil. I was going to post this this morning but forgot..."

Can you confirm this?

8/3/2008 1:47:00 PM

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/08/rumors-abound-a.html

It still may be something interesting though:

Quote :

" "The reason that all this seems so hush-hush is due to a future paper and press release that appears likely to pop out of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and its Science magazine," Leonard writes. "Whatever the poop is from the scoop that’s been studied by Phoenix, that information is purportedly going through peer-review"

8/3/2008 1:57:17 PM

They probably found that the soil would be suitable for certain plant-life.

We've "discovered" water on Mars at least 3 or 4 times now. A major development about the Martian soil would be bigger news. That said, the Phoenix isn't capable of detecting life one way or another, apart from anything its camera detects. It can vaporize some soil and give information about it's composition, though.

8/3/2008 2:29:54 PM

definitely xenomorphs

8/3/2008 3:08:08 PM

Probably a collection of organic compounds.

8/3/2008 3:27:39 PM

8/3/2008 3:51:49 PM

i can't imagine Bush would be intellectually curious enough to understand or comprehend the significance of whatever they're telling him.
This was the guy who apparently couldn't think of any questions to ask when NOAA briefed him 1 day before Katrina hit New Orleans....

8/3/2008 5:08:35 PM

Also from twitter:

Quote :

"Reports claiming there was a White House briefing are also untrue and incorrect."

8/3/2008 7:53:34 PM

so the real question is why do they name all the cave holes on mars with female names?

8/3/2008 9:11:41 PM

cave = vaj

8/4/2008 1:15:56 AM

naw, come on dude... this is NASA. they wouldnt be that crass.

8/4/2008 2:01:14 AM

There are several reports out that conclusively determine this rumor to be false.

But, I read this article: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/08/the-dirt-on-mar.html

And it made me think... if were confirmed that there are in fact on lifeforms of any type on mars, what would be wrong with indiscriminately spraying the planet with various types of bacteria in an effort to jump start an eco system? At the least, it would make an interesting experiment. The article there seems to suggest this may be unethical. But, it's very likely there are billions of mars-like planets in our solar system, and we'll eventually get to one of them (I hope). If we screw up this one, no big deal, I think.

8/4/2008 7:22:42 PM

Quote :

"it's very likely there are billions of mars-like planets in our solar system"

not likely, currently we've only discovered 8 planets in our solar system, the other few billion you speak of may be there but they're doing a good job of hiding

8/4/2008 8:06:20 PM

ehe

8/4/2008 8:26:47 PM

i'll be here all week

8/4/2008 9:06:17 PM

they found perchlorates.

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/aug/HQ_08199_Phoenix_Results.html

Interesting, but not That interesting. I guess it might make travel between the planets easier if you could refuel there.

8/4/2008 10:22:17 PM

Will the UAC be building there?

8/4/2008 10:31:48 PM

Quote :

"And it made me think... if were confirmed that there are in fact on lifeforms of any type on mars, what would be wrong with indiscriminately spraying the planet with various types of bacteria in an effort to jump start an eco system? At the least, it would make an interesting experiment."

the last thing you want to do is have bacterial play survival of the fittest on an otherwise assumed to be sterile planet

8/4/2008 11:38:03 PM

LOLafta

8/5/2008 12:23:45 AM