Comments on: Presidential Science Advisor Briefed On Potential For Mars Life

By: Ed Darrell

Ed Darrell — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:44:38 +0000

The question is, why wasn’t President Bush at that briefing? Why did it go to the science advisor, who gets consulted by Bush very seldom?

The answer is that Bush doesn’t care. He’s not curious about whether there’s life on Mars, especially if it won’t donate to his library.

Who wouldn’t want to get the news from NASA on some of the most exciting space exploration we have going, first?

George Bush.

REPLY: You are making assumptions not supported by facts. There is NO mention of “life on mars” only an increased potential for it to support it. See the update at the head of this post on perchlorates. And, the job of an advisor is to sort the wheat from chaff. Does Bush need to know about perchlorates on Mars, perhaps, but how do you know he hasn’t already been briefed on it?

“The answer is that Bush doesn’t care.” well that’s an opinion, not an answer.

Do you have his daily meeting schedule for the Oval Office where you can show that he has/has not been briefed?

By: tty

tty — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:38:42 +0000

Actually finding perchlorates on Mars would seem to slightly improve the chances of finding life there, since perchlorate-eating bacteria are quite common.

By: statePoet1775

statePoet1775 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:56:57 +0000

Why no word from SETI? Is the human race not ready? Or are we unique and if so what does this speak?

By: yonason

yonason — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:35:01 +0000

Over two hundred years ago the first Lubavitcher Rebbe said that because we learn that G-d made his World (i.e., the Universe) to be inhabited, then we should not be surprised to find life nearly everywhere in it.

“Velvel Green” asked the most recent Rebbe about whether or not he should look for life on Mars when he was working for NASA, and the Rebbe told him that if he didn’t find it there, he should look elsewhere, because according to our Sages it should be there, …just that it would not be human-like life, since that is unique to Earth.

By: Evan Jones

Evan Jones — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:04:48 +0000

(The M’s don’t have spell check technology.)

By: Evan Jones

Evan Jones — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:03:46 +0000

THIS IS THE VOICE OF THE MYSTERONS. HEAR US, ERTHMEN . . .

By: mark

mark — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:27:41 +0000

McGrats,

From the Orlando Sentinel:

“In a dramatic reversal of policy, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Saturday told supporters on the Space Coast he no longer favors slashing NASA’s budget, declaring that the United States “cannot cede our leadership in space.”

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/community/news/ucf/orl-obama0308aug03,0,4293362.story

I see he was speaking on the Space Coast, so that is probably the reason for the dramatic reversal, not pending “life on Mars” news.

By: Glenn

Glenn — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:46:36 +0000

Looks like any White House briefing may have been premature:

“NASA’s Phoenix lander has discovered a toxic chemical in soil near Mars’ north pole, dimming hopes for finding life on the Red Planet, the probe’s operators said Monday.”
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/08/04/nasa.mars/

By: Mick

Mick — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:19:50 +0000

Finding life on Mars is not in NASA best interest. If indigenous life confirmed,
you can kiss good by any human exploration…

By: McGrats

McGrats — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:37:59 +0000

mark (18:26:45) wrote: “Well, one of the presidential candidates flipped over the weekend from slashing NASA’s budget to full support for NASA. Almost makes you wonder if Friday’s “leak” of an important discovery on Mars had any influence on that decision?”

Which candidate was that? Any link?

Jack Koenig, Editor
The Mysterious Climate project
http://www.climateclinic.com

By: mark

mark — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:26:45 +0000

“It appears that NASA has created the perfect funding feeding frenzy.”

Well, one of the presidential candidates flipped over the weekend from slashing NASA’s budget to full support for NASA. Almost makes you wonder if Friday’s “leak” of an important discovery on Mars had any influence on that decision?

By: jeez

jeez — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:13:10 +0000

no denier, no pogie, no warmista please.

By: McGrats

McGrats — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:10:46 +0000

David Gladstone (13:31:13) wrote: “…From Fox news…”

Even if the article didn’t violate any copywrite laws, be careful of anything that author has to say. From her past contributions on “Live Science” and “Space,” one can only conclude she is a seriously challenged Pogie!

Jack Koenig, Editor
The Mysterious Climate project
http://www.climateclinic.com

By: statePoet1775

statePoet1775 — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:05:52 +0000

“They’ve also found an oxidizing substance that they say is “detrimental” to us.” Custom Valances

The solution is obvious: The oxidizing substance must be reduced to a safe level.

By: Custom Valances

Custom Valances — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:54:26 +0000

It’s good that the question has finally been answered. However, it’s not all that simple. They’ve also found an oxidizing substance that they say is “detrimental” to us. We’ve got a long way to go before we can actually see a benefit in the red planet.