NASA Curiosity Rover Now One Month From Arriving At Mars

[localzuk]

Yes. Yes it is. But only the once.

Joking aside, you shouldn't waste your time on the Daily Mail. Like an addictive narcotic, it's tempting to look in on it once in a while, but it leaves you the poorer for it. If reading an article in the DM doesn't make you angry or aggrieved towards a sector of society then the editors have not done their job well. As for the comments, the range from imbecilic to neurotic. The occasional sane soul has their comments down-voted to obscurity.

Very true. Its fun for a laugh sometimes though.

[jinnantonnixx]

Very true. Its fun for a laugh sometimes though.

I'm not so sure. I think it's a nasty, provocative and bigoted paper. It's best avoided.

[DaveP]

Very true. Its fun for a laugh sometimes though.

They sometimes make amusing editorial errors [Daily Mail, Daily Express, Daily Mirror,...]

Link: Daily Express Olympic Medal Picture Error

[Michael]

Given their education policies will they have any scientists left by 2030 or will they have all been thrown out or burnt at the stake by then.

I think they'll still be scientists, but in what capacity who knows. Maybe it'll end up being a real life Total Recall They just need to remember to plant some trees so everyone can breath!

[jinnantonnixx]

I think they'll still be scientists, but in what capacity who knows. Maybe it'll end up being a real life Total Recall They just need to remember to plant some trees so everyone can breath!

Quite so. After all, "Dees people need ayuh!"

[Michael]

I'm speculating the only reason no group of scientists have planted trees on Mars, is because it would change its atmospheric properties. I suppose in a way it could jeopardise any evidence of past or existing life.

Would I be right in thinking though that with enough trees, it would no longer be 'the red planet' but more like Earth, but considerably cooler?

[tmcd35]

I was going to poo-poo the idea, but according to the fountain of all knowledge (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars) Mars atmosphere is 95% Carbon Dioxide and the soil contains the right mix of nutrients so a hardy bread of tree might actually survive there if we could find enough water for it. Now how many tree's do you think it'll take to terraform the planet?

Thinking about life on mars though (no I'm not having a 70's flash back), haven't they found evidence of water? If they have then some bacterial or algae life can't be beyond the realms of possibility (not quite the over lords I was hoping for (but contenders for Dr Who villains non the less)). Even if life isn't already there, it'd be interesting to see if some our own lower order organisms could be introduced...

[DaveP]

I'm speculating the only reason no group of scientists have planted trees on Mars, is because it would change its atmospheric properties. I suppose in a way it could jeopardise any evidence of past or existing life.

Would I be right in thinking though that with enough trees, it would no longer be 'the red planet' but more like Earth, but considerably cooler?

The pull of gravity on Mars is substantially lower than that on Earth making it more difficult for Mars to retain an atmosphere.

But it is not just the lower gravity it is also a lack of geological activity in the core. Mars is smaller than Earth and it has lost heat to space more rapidly than Earth. Compare this with Earth: We see volcanoes as a result of very high temperatures at the core. Earth's outer core is liquid metal surrounding a solid metal inner core. This is where the Earth's geomagnetic filed originates and this protects our atmosphere from being blown into space by the solar wind.

Any more substantial that used to exist on Mars has been eroded by the solar wind.

[Michael]

I was going to poo-poo the idea, but according to the fountain of all knowledge (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars) Mars atmosphere is 95% Carbon Dioxide and the soil contains the right mix of nutrients so a hardy bread of tree might actually survive there if we could find enough water for it. Now how many tree's do you think it'll take to terraform the planet?

Thinking about life on mars though (no I'm not having a 70's flash back), haven't they found evidence of water? If they have then some bacterial or algae life can't be beyond the realms of possibility (not quite the over lords I was hoping for (but contenders for Dr Who villains non the less)). Even if life isn't already there, it'd be interesting to see if some our own lower order organisms could be introduced...

Probably a few million trees to make any difference (as a guess) and I thought there was water under the surface of Mars...

The pull of gravity on Mars is substantially lower than that on Earth making it more difficult for Mars to retain an atmosphere.

But it is not just the lower gravity it is also a lack of geological activity in the core. Mars is smaller than Earth and it has lost heat to space more rapidly than Earth. Compare this with Earth: We see volcanoes as a result of very high temperatures at the core. Earth's outer core is liquid metal surrounding a solid metal inner core. This is where the Earth's geomagnetic filed originates and this protects our atmosphere from being blown into space by the solar wind.

Any more substantial that used to exist on Mars has been eroded by the solar wind.

But it must have a strong enough atmosphere if it's able to hold Carbon Dioxide. It would simply be a case of turning that into Oxygen. As for the core, you're right but I think 'man' are stubborn and they'll do anything to make living on Mars possible.

[tmcd35]

Probably a few million trees to make any difference (as a guess) and I thought there was water under the surface of Mars...

There are 7.5 trillion trees in the Amazon rainforest. Transplanting all of them would have a major effect on both planets - Earth would become more like Mars, and Mars would have 7.5 trillion dead trees - oh hum

[DaveP]

...But it must have a strong enough atmosphere if it's able to hold Carbon Dioxide. It would simply be a case of turning that into Oxygen. As for the core, you're right but I think 'man' are stubborn and they'll do anything to make living on Mars possible.

There is a thin atmosphere of Carbon Dioxide [95% by abundance] Oxygen content is 0.13%.

Anything living exposed to the atmosphere on Mars would have to be able to tolerate high Carbon Dioxide concentrations, low atmospheric pressure [0.087 PSI vs Earth's at 14.69 PSI at sea level] and high levels of UV and cosmic radiation due to the lack of an Ozone layer and lack of geomagnetic field [as mentioned earlier]

[Michael]

There are 7.5 trillion trees in the Amazon rainforest. Transplanting all of them would have a major effect on both planets - Earth would become more like Mars, and Mars would have 7.5 trillion dead trees - oh hum

I meant just to make a very small noticeable difference, but yes trillions of trees would be needed for life (if it were possible).

[Miscbrah]

Yes, an astonishing achievement. And being nuclear powered, the experiments and data could continue for decades.

So, what I want to know is - why am I paying 135p a litre?

Because if you crash your car into a lamp post hard enough it'll go bang. If you crash your Mr Fusion car into a lamp post hard enough it'll go bang and so will the rest of the street, and irradiate the neighborhood.

And people would build bombs out of them.

And I wouldn't seriously buy a nuclear fission device someone at Vauxhall had made, because they can't even make you an EGR valve that doesn't fall off after 30 miles (right SirBendy?)