"I hope his wife is named Samantha."
June 26, 2010 7:25 PM   Subscribe

The whole of Mars' surface was shaped by liquid water around four billion years ago, say scientists. Scientists with the best names possible for the job.

Spoiler in the tags for them as wants it.
posted by cthuljew (19 comments total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 


And then they discovered petroleum, and within 200 years obliterated their environment and went extinct.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:55 PM on June 26, 2010 [4 favorites]




I've had conversations with my mom about this and she's told me that water will "never" be found on Mars, or, if it is found, it will have been "faked" because scientists hate God and besides, the whole universe was created 6000 years ago. What is wisdom to man is foolishness to God, etc.

The other day she called me and asked if it was possible to send pictures over "the email" and, if it was, could I help her do it over the phone or should she call Geek Squad and have someone come out to the house.
posted by Avenger at 8:08 PM on June 26, 2010 [15 favorites]


GIS for mars with water turns up some cool results.

I want to believe.
posted by digitalprimate at 8:15 PM on June 26, 2010


MARS!
posted by homunculus at 8:23 PM on June 26, 2010


Mars' entire surface was shaped by water
By Victoria Gill
posted by Threeway Handshake at 8:44 PM on June 26, 2010 [1 favorite]


I guess it was the right journalist, too.
posted by cthuljew at 8:47 PM on June 26, 2010


Avenger, how did you even make it out of infancy?

This is in serious competition with an ex's friend who let it her three year old roam free, as 'Paedophiles only go after little girls.'

She, an American, also asked me, a Briton, whether we 'Have electricity, or what?' over here.

Finally, to get back on topic, McDonald's are apparently making Mars milkshakes now.
posted by Quantum's Deadly Fist at 8:51 PM on June 26, 2010 [1 favorite]


John Carter, of the University of Paris, led the team of France- and US-based scientists.

Sheesh, talk about an appropriate name (I think there is an appropriate name for having an appropriate name but forget what it is).
posted by stbalbach at 8:53 PM on June 26, 2010


oops sorry alms and zarq.
posted by stbalbach at 8:56 PM on June 26, 2010


All the more reason to get our asses there, if just to shut up the conjoined psychic wiseman who refuses to stay in my belly and keeps going in about prophesy and some damn 'reactor'.
posted by chambers at 9:26 PM on June 26, 2010 [1 favorite]


I shall sit and ponder this news until I grok its fullness.
posted by Rhomboid at 11:37 PM on June 26, 2010 [5 favorites]


Mars. Do they have McDonald's, or what, over there.
posted by telstar at 12:08 AM on June 27, 2010


Nominative Determinism, stbalbach.
posted by salmacis at 4:40 AM on June 27, 2010


stbalbach, the word is "aptronym."
posted by lhauser at 8:24 AM on June 27, 2010 [2 favorites]


The BBC article mentions a report in the latest issue of Science, which appears to be this: Detection of Hydrated Silicates in Crustal Outcrops in the Northern Plains of Mars.

Sadly, it's not available without a subscription, but some of the other research by the same people is online (beware, PDF links):
Phyllosilicates and Other Hydrated Minerals on Mars: 1. Globel Distribution As Seen By MEx/OMEGA
Phyllosilicates and Other Hydrated Minerals on Mars: 2. Detailed Analysis
Mineralogy of Layered Deposits in Terby Crater, N. Hellas Planitia

This article from the ESA does a somewhat better job than the BBC article of presenting the findings in context, while still being accessible to the layperson (like me). Still, the BBC article is some of the least awful science reporting I have ever seen from the BBC.

Also: a Google Scholar search on the keywords "John Carter", "water", and "mars" does eventually find this stuff, but not without some really hilarious noise in the search results.
posted by moss at 8:49 AM on June 27, 2010


stbalbach may also be thinking of "eponysterical".
posted by moss at 8:52 AM on June 27, 2010


No, an appropriate name would be Ares Aquator Marsophile.
posted by plinth at 8:46 AM on June 28, 2010


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