Photo from Reuters

You need to eat differently from males -- and probably from your usual diet.  This may also be applicable to human females.

There seems to be a genetic reason why Sub-Saharan Africans have high HIV rates.

And other science news simplified for reporters, not yet dumbed down by news editors.

Martian soil appears able to support life

"Flabbergasted" NASA scientists said on Thursday that Martian soil appeared to contain the requirements to support life, although more work would be needed to prove it.

Scientists working on the Phoenix Mars Lander mission, which has already found ice on the planet, said preliminary analysis by the lander's instruments on a sample of soil scooped up by the spacecraft's robotic arm had shown it to be much more alkaline than expected.

"We basically have found what appears to be the requirements, the nutrients, to support life whether past present or future," Sam Kounaves, the lead investigator for the wet chemistry laboratory on Phoenix, told journalists.

"It is the type of soil you would probably have in your back yard, you know, alkaline. You might be able to grow asparagus in it really well. ... It is very exciting for us."

http://news.yahoo.com/...

What does this mean?

Terraforming.

Yup! There's ice up there. And as a political junkie I'm psyched!

Why? Why should this news make a political junkie happy? Why is this news for a political blog? Because science best describes reality, and as our esteemed colleague Mr. Colbert said, "Reality has a liberal bias."

And when reality has a problem, we liberals have a problem. A triumph for science is a triumph for liberals.

Let's get on the Reality Express and go for a jump!

Wired is breaking a story right now on the Phoenix Mars Mission -- NASA scientists have confirmed that small white patches of material photographed by the rover are (or were) small pieces of water ice.  Via Wired:

"It must be ice," said the Phoenix Lander's lead investigator, Peter Smith. "These little clumps completely disappearing over the course of a few days, that is perfect evidence that it's ice."

From Breitbart.

Presumptive Republican White House nominee John McCain said Thursday he would like to see a manned mission to Mars as part of a "better set of priorities" for NASA that would better engage the public.

At a townhall event in Florida, the Arizona senator was asked about funding for the US space agency's shuttle program, which is due to end in 2010.

He said he "would be willing to spend more taxpayers' dollars" to continue the program but argued that NASA must do a better job of inspiring the American public, as when it sent a man to the moon in 1969.

"I am intrigued by a man on Mars and I think that it would excite the imagination of the American people if we can say, 'Hey, here's what it looks like," he said.

"We know that now, and here's what may be there and let's all join in that project. I think Americans would be very willing to do that."

John McCain enthuses about Mars exploration.

During a town hall campaign event in Lake Buena Vista, FL, John McCain said that Ray Bradbury's classic science-fiction story series The Martian Chronicles inspired him to consider a manned mission to Mars.

After warning that Russia and China are encroaching on America's waning dominance of "space business," McCain mentioned Bradbury.

"As a very young boy, I was intrigued by and read Ray Bradbury, and my favorite ... is The Martian Chronicles," said McCain. "I am intrigued by a man on Mars and I think it would excite the imagination of the American people."

Asks For $1 Trillion To Go Get Him

reposted from my fake news blog www.richieville.com

Richieville News Service – PASADENA, CA

NASA scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory made the startling announcement today that the Phoenix Mars lander, sent to find evidence of life on the red planet, had instead found the terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. The agency immediately submitted a request to Congress for a one trillion dollar budget increase so the al-Qaida mastermind could be brought to justice.

"Yeah, we found him, we really did," said Phoenix team leader Dr. Edward Li. "I know it's hard to believe, but he's there. And NASA won't rest until we can send a team of astronauts to Mars to get him."

If there are so many planets out there that COULD harbor intelligent life, how come none of them has successfully contacted us?

In last Sunday's Boston Globe, Nick Bostrom made a very interesting argument: that if we do find life on Mars, it would actually be a NEGATIVE development.

I pooh-poohed the argument when I first saw it, but, thinking about it some more, I realized there are some points worth considering here.

Despite the excitement and sense of accomplishment that this past Sunday brought when humanity landed another robotic device on a distant planet, there seems to be a lingering question of "is it worth it?"

Every thread on every news post about the subject seems split between those who think it is worth it, and those who don't.  I've been disappointed that threads have spiraled out of control on the merits of worth rather than what it all means in the grand scheme of things; in the grand scheme of humanity itself.  I'd like to know how The Mighty Orange feels.  More after the fold...

Before anything, I do want to congratulate all members of the DailyKos community. This is a great community. I am from France (Toulouse, south west) and like many people around the world I have been captivated by Senator Obama. Cross fingers, he'll be the next US President.

For the anecdote, I was willing to make a donation couple weeks ago but... as I am not a US citizen, I couldn't. His message of hope has no bound.

OK here is the reason of my post...

Go to this link or look below for a picture of Phoenix with its chute deployed as it descends to the Martian surface. It was taken by one of the Mars orbiters.

This is truly a first. There has never been a picture taken of a vehicle landing on another planet. The Phoenix lander promises many great discoveries, but for emotional impact it'll have a tough time topping this.

I don't know how to load the picture, which is why I linked to the site. If anyone knows how to do that please let me know. Update. With the help of mbyarob the picture is now posted.

I know this is not the usual subject for DKos, but this really is worth sharing.

TOP SECRET

Distribution limited to NOAH list

Re: Current Status Mars Project

The disinformation campaign proceeds with today's landing and upcoming broadcasts.  It is imperative that nobody outside this project's distribution list find out the true conditions on Mars.

The increasing rate of climate change on Earth has accelerated the ARK project but it is anticipated that the original evacuation dateline of REDACTED will be adequate.  

continued......

Dateline: Kennedy Space Center, June 4, 2008:

Hillary Clinton announced that her campaign would continue "...until
every Martian voice is heard and respected."  Pointing out that, as of
yet, no Martian delegates had been selected, "No one can say they have
won the nomination until each and every state -- red states, blue
states and little green states, have been heard from!"

(It gets even stranger after the cut)

10:52 PM, Ok, all those who want DevilsTower to step in here and try interpting some of the surface geology raise your hand (I'm raising mine now!)

10:00 PM EDT Images are pouring in at the Phoenix Image Gallery!

Youtube video courtesy of NC Amy Dem

The last few minutes were a nail biter, but Mars Phoenix successfully landed, flawlessly as best we can tell, right on time at 7:53 PM Eastern Time. Congratulations to the men and women of JPL, NASA, and the University of Arizona! Over the last hour and half, Phoenix's solar panels were being unfurled, a mast will be raised with a camera on top, and after the probe itself is checked out with that electronic eye, we hope to have the first ever pictures of the Martian polar surface posted here tonight. Via afx114: "We'll know when Odyssey comes back into view after orbiting around Mars, in about 15 minutes."

I should probably note that the total cost of this five year mission is about half a billion dollars. That's a lot of money, and honest people can and will disagree with each other on our priorities. But just to put it in perspective, that's roughly what we spend in Iraq in two or three days. And bear in mind Moore's Law applies in space: just like earthbound electronic gizmos, our unmanned mission capabilities are increasing geometrically while the cost plummets, promising ever greater return for every future dollar invested. So, while we're waiting, on the verge of a change election coming on the heels of the most miserable, antiscience administration in my lifetime, it's appropriate to ask what a progressive space exploration policy might look like when that new political era dawns. That very topic will be addressed at a special, first of its kind panel at Netroots Nation 2008:

GlobeHoppin -- I'm very pleased to announce that for the first time, The Netroots Nation Convention will feature a panel on space policy, July 18th or 19th in Austin, Texas. The panel, entitled, "Progressive NASA & Space Policy Under a New Administration," is an opportunity to bring critical space policy issues to light within a potent progressive political constituency– the Netroots– that hasn’t historically paid much attention to space. It is also an opportunity for the Netroots to weigh in on what a new progressive space policy agenda could be under a progressive Administration in 2009.

Back to Mars: Some mysteries won't be resolved right away. Is there liquid water hiding just below the surface? Did a warmer Mars really have lakes and oceans at one time? Was there some kind of microbial life in those ancient seas, might there be hardy descendents still eeking out a living in the harsh, rusty soil today? These are some of the fascinating questions Phoenix will attempt to shed light on. But whatever the result, from henceforth the arctic surface of Mars will no longer be an abstract. In the next few minutes, it will be forever transformed into a place.

Update 10:15 EDT PM: Kos and ct are probably gonna kill me, but I hope to drop a large mosaic below the fold in a few minutes.

Damn exciting, huge congrats to NASA, JPL, and the University of Arizona from Daily Kos. We're going to wait 20 mins for the dust to settle and then start taking Phoenix through her paces. The first ever images of the Martian poles will be posted to the front page if and when they're available in about 90 mins. Ain't science cool?

7:58 Phoenix is sending a signal from the surface of Mars!

7:56 Phoenix is on the surface of Mars. No word yet on her condition.

7:51: Main chute successfully deployed at 32,000 feet!

7:46: Phoenix now is entering the stratosphere of Mars and succesfully transmitting at a higher data rate. The next seven minutes are, needless to say, critical. A plasma cloud will develop, rentry fireball, and serious G's as Phoenix slows from 13,000 mph to about 1,000 mph.

As of 7:41 Phoenix has succesfully separated from it's cruise stage!

As of 7:36 PM EDL sequence now downloaded Phoenix traveling at ~ 13,000 mph and about 3,000 miles from Mars. Contact with Martian stratospherein 10 mins. Touchdown time in 17 mins.

Update 7:06 EST via Mem, MSNBC live video feed.

For the first time since the Mars Viking missions in 1976, a spacecraft will attempt to land on the surface of the mysterious Red Planet without airbag cushions. Will Phoenix make it, or will she end up a scattered collection of twisted silicon and metal fragments strewn across a frigid, rusty alien surface? More Mars missions have ended in failure than all other robotic missions combined. Hopefully, we'll know the fate of Phoenix in a few hours and have the first ever surface images of polar Mars. Updates will be posted here in chronological order, newest on top. In the meantime, a few mission parameters and other info below, all times shown are earth relative (Speed of light delay is ~70 secs 27 mins?):

• Touchdown: Verification of contact with the Martian stratosphere is expected at 7:46 PM EST. After "7 minutes of terror" touchdown follows, hopefully at 7:53 EST. If successful, first images are expected at about 9:30 EST.
• Discovery Science will be simulcasting the encounter. They have a great video posted discussing today's challenges.
• Phoenix's instrument package includes several cameras, chemical and spectroscopic analyzers, and a robotic arm to obtain samples of Martian soil.
• Principle & Lead Investigators: Peter Smith, University of Arizona's Lunar & Planetary Laboratory; Barry Goldstein, JPL project manager; Ed Sedivy Lockheed Martin; Leslie Tamppari lead scientist and international coordinator.

Much more below the fold.

Just a reminder that the Phoenix Mars Lander is happening NOW.  NASA channel coverage starts at 6:30pm Eastern (and is trickling in as I type).

Forget politics for just a moment, and watch another world.

The US Space Program is the most successful endeavor in human history.  A reaction to the cold war, it's spinoffs include the internet (funded by the same people), computers, weather satellites, hospital equipment, food packaging, metallurgy research.  The space program has literally touched almost everything you wear, see, hear or are transported on.

Not all Mars Missions are successful.  Let's see what the Martian Resistance Movement has in store for Phoenix.

Taking funds from NASA programs to support schools is
something I support and I would back Mr Obama's plans
to do that, but the question rapidly becomes which
programs should be cut and which are worthy of being
kept? The Manned Moon program is the one program I
feel is a necessity for America to persue.

It's no secret that I have long derided the Manned
Mars Mission as a one-off, bloated, dangerous,
spacebizcentric monstrosity designed to give the
maximum financial return to NASA and techonology
builders while having a minimum knowledge return to
the public.  NASA has tuned its internal program
advancment to the ability of the funding that any
one program can produce, and not to the long term
benefit that a program will have for the American
public. In that respect I have no qualms in seeing
many of NASA's programs .....