NASA: Seasonal Water Flows on Mars

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I doubt it's actually important because it would be a hell of a coincidence if really important Mars discoveries were made the week a Ridley Scott movie about manned missions to Mars opens.

I think this is NASA PR trying to make sure when people go to the theatre on Friday they think "oh hey, Nasa is a real thing we should totally go to Mars and abandon Matt Damon there"
 
jacksnap said:
Off-topic, but I've seen this blog linked on Facebook and he has such an insane boner for Elon Musk, reading his shit makes me feel embarrassed for him. His other posts about the dude are such wankery.
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http://www.clickhole.com/blogpost/americas-mad-scientist-24-hours-elon-musk-3015

When I arrive at the Los Angeles café where Elon Musk suggested we meet, he’s already there, sipping an espresso on the patio and sending an email to every single American that says the word “space.”

“Hello,” he says, shaking both of my hands at once with a sleek robotic device that enables him to do this. “My name is Elon Musk, and I think cars should be allowed to parallel park on Mars.”

The South African–born founder of Tesla and SpaceX has agreed to let me follow him around for 24 hours and observe his daily routine. It’s only the morning and I am already sensing that it is going to be difficult to keep up with him. Since I’ve sat down, he’s had two more ideas for game-changing technologies: one, a swear word that can be used in space, and the other, a red car. He shouts these ideas into the ear of an old, tuxedoed gentleman who is standing behind him.

“This is Notebook,” he says, gesturing to the profoundly tired-looking man. “I keep all my ideas in his brain so I can focus mine on innovation. When he started three months ago, he was 28 years old. The excess of ideas has prematurely aged him. I go through about four of them every year.”

It’s clear that Musk cherishes this part of the day—the time he reserves for idea generation. He screams an idea into Notebook’s ear about a spaceship that runs on yawns and the old man’s nose begins to bleed.
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The Technomancer said:
So what I'm really curious about is what causes their periodicity. There's not enough water mass for it to be tidal, there's no geologic effect I know of that recurs on such a short scale. They say they have some theories that aren't too exciting, but I hope they've figured it out.
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Perhaps the explanation for water slopes could be as simple as that. Massive subterranean aquifers, big enough to create tidal slopes. Not a confirmation of life in Mars per se, but a damn good enviroment for it to appear or be sustained.
 
jacksnap said:
Off-topic, but I've seen this blog linked on Facebook and he has such an insane boner for Elon Musk, reading his shit makes me feel embarrassed for him. His other posts about the dude are such wankery.
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Why do you think admiration for Elon Musk is wankery?
 
NASA is getting ready:

projectalf1.jpg
 
Well if there is an embargo ending in a moment, won't the press have articles up before the livestream?

Btw, ios9 video picture in picture is great for stuff like this :)
 
One day our grandchildren will ask us where we were when NASA found life on Mars. And we'll have to explain to them what online forums were.
 
Awesome news! It's long been suspected but getting actual proof is great. I'm sure we'll still get people coming in here and saying this isn't a big deal.
 
Water flows on Mars eh? I wonder where the source of the water comes from? Would be insane if there are lakes/small ocean areas on the surface but it sounds like it might just be coming from beneath the surface.
 
DarkChronic said:
So wait.

They found SIGNS of liquid water, right?

They didn't actually find any liquid water?
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From the Guardian:

Liquid water runs down canyons and crater walls over the summer months on Mars, according to researchers who say the discovery raises the odds of the planet being home to some form of life.

The trickles leave long, dark stains on the Martian terrain that can reach hundreds of metres downhill in the warmer months, before they dry up in the autumn as surface temperatures drop.
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Seem pretty sure. Could it be some other liquid, though?
 
MilkyJoe said:
To the surprise of no one... Back to work kids, nothing to see here.
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Not sure if serious? Evidence is what is exciting about science, not just theories. The fact that after so much speculation they might finally have evidence is huge. The implications are enormous.
 
Anton Sugar said:
From the Guardian:



Seem pretty sure. Could it be some other liquid, though?
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Sounds like they feel it must be water. From the New York Times article:
In a paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, Dr. McEwen and other scientists identified waterlogged molecules — salts of a type known as perchlorates — in readings from orbit.

“That’s a direct detection of water in the form of hydration of salts,” Dr. McEwen said. “There pretty much has to have been liquid water recently present to produce the hydrated salt.”
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The_Lump said:
Not sure if serious? Evidence is what is exciting about science, not just theories. The fact that after so much speculation they might finally have evidence is huge. The implications are enormous.
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Pfft. Show me a living alien on live TV or I'm not impressed.

/s
 
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