New Mars Forums

But in order to breathe without a space suit, you would need at least, say, 5psi of pressure--and even that low presure would require a high--dangerous (fire, explosive) concentration of oxygen--around 35% (instead of earth's 21%).

How is this pressure going to be retained?  Certainly not with any simple structure.  And even "bedrock" does not seem hermetic enough.  So the entire dome would require an air tight floor.

Suddenly the dome becomes much more complicated.

My solution is to forget human habitation in our life-times (I know, boo-hoo.)  Instead, send teams of construction engineers to rig huge sail-like covers of lexan sheets to cover small channels.  These football-sized (and even much larger) sheets would protect the ground from deadly UV radiation, and thus give any deposited plant-life a chance to grow.  That would be a start, and if successful, this new plant life (fungus, whatever) would be free to adapt to the martian environment outside of the sheets.

"There is a vast literature on the direct spectroscopic detection of ice, water vapour, and hydrated minerals on Mars extending over many years. Likewise there are many papers on the presence of hydrogen in the Martian regolith, almost certainly indicative of water ice and hydrated minerals. There is also considerable geomorphic evidence for past water flows, the literature for this goes back more than 30 years. There are also modelling studies that show that liquid water is episodically stable over large areas of the Martian surface even now. Have you read any of this? "

Well, of course.  But have you read any of my rejoinders?  I keep bringing up the tenor and slant of these pro-water claims.  If you read these articles carefully, you willusually see some subtle disclaimers such as: "If these findings can be substantiated," Based on initial findings," and the one you never read (I haven't) "Based on similar results on Earth."

However, I admit that NASA has opened up a little bit.  Occasionally one sees a tiny mention that the water layer could also be wind-born deposits-layering.  But to my knowledge, the CO2 hypotheses has never seen the glare of print.

BTW, as to your anguish that I am not following the party line, let me include a letter to the editor of the WSJ on that subject, sent a few days ago:

Wall Street Journal, 02-Feb-06   

A lot of heat would be replaced with light in scientific debates (such as the Hurricane Debate) if, after giving the technical evidence of opposing sides, you then gave the political leanings of the scientists involved.  Few scientists, if any, discover facts that contradict their politics.  Revealing their political bent will be just the additional evidence we readers need to weigh more accurately any bias in their "scientific" claims.

If you believe in Darwin, then aliens on similat planets to earth must look just like us.  We humans are perferctly adapted to earth.  Indeed, each group of humans (or race, to use the scientific term) is slightly better adpated to its specific locale.  High altitude Mongolians, and Peruvians have larger vital capacity, shorter noses (to avoid burns from high-altitude ultrviolet rays) and other metabolic differences that make thenm more adpated to living on thin air.  Transport them to sea level, and many of them get Mongier's disease.  Likewise, bring a sea-level person to high altitudes and yes, they will "acclimatize" somewhat, but then they will gradually weaken.  They will never adapt to the same level as the locals.

On the question of intelligence, intelligence is not needed if it can't be used. (Thus dolphins do not have a human-level intelligence because what would they do with it?  (In other words, it would give them no surival advantage, and thus die out.)  Our opposable thumbs enable us to make and use complex tools--in other words, having the manual capability to be skilled, intelligence then does offer an advantage--mostly in the making of weapons.  First the club because humans (and no  other animal) can hold a club in its hand and swing it to deadly effect and so magnifying the hunting/survivability.

Then the spear, the spear with a throwing lever and finally the bow and arrow.  Each of these inventions required the ability to use them--not just dream them up.  thus, intelligent species need to be able to make things, and this requires arms, hands, fingers, eyesight, etc., etc.

Gladly.  Here is a paragraph from that site:

Large reserves of water-ice are known to be held at the poles on Mars but if this discovery is confirmed by follow-up observations, it would be a first for a region at such a low latitude.

(Notice the "but if this discovery is confirmed" clause of the assertion?  In other words, the same old stuff.  The REALLY REALLY hope there's been a lot of water on Mars.)

I blush...

I guess you see what you want to see.  To me those fans look like fine dust that has poured down after it collected in the dark cracks during a dust storm.