So, what do you think it will be? Have they found little green men?
NASA is sitting on a big announcement: http://www.space.com/18599-what-did-curiosity-find-on-mars-video.html
The space agency isn’t saying what they’ve found, except that it’s “one for the history books.” They want to double- and triple-check their results before the big reveal. The last thing you want to do is make a big announcement, then have someone crunch your research and find a mistake.
Personally, I think the premature announcement is ridiculous. They might have figured news would leak out anyway, so might as well tell the world they have “something.”
What is it? Well, the Curiosity rover isn’t equipped to “find life,” apparently – not sure why that would be – but it can find chemical evidence of compounds or substances that would be indicative of a presence of life now or in the past…or something.
“One for the history books” sounds like an understatement if they’ve found clear evidence of life, past or present. “Biggest news ever” would be more like it. So my guess is this big reveal will be underwhelming for laypeople: another brick in building a case for whatever: life did exist, life has never existed, or something else.
In other, more frivolous news, you can buy a castle in Scotland for half a million bucks: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2236509/Your-chance-king-castle-Ruined-15th-Century-Scottish-fort-goes-sale-220-000.html
Kind of cool, but condition is an issue: is a heap of rocks still a castle? I might prefer a new build, like this one: http://castlemagic.com/castle-for-sale.html, or even a vintage structure in better condition. This looks about right: http://www.luxuryrealestate.com/residential/1552541-for-sale-prestigious-castle-in-exceptional-condition-luxembourg-belgium
Of course, in keeping with the mission of this blog – promoting fear and overreaction – why not just build something from the ground up. Small historical structures can serve as inspiration, of course. This little fortification proves cute is compatible with deadly: http://www.asiaexplorers.com/malaysia/fort-margherita.htm
And our own province can provide lots of inspiration, from the Fort Edward blockhouse, to Port Royal: http://www.madawaskahistorical.org/images/Port_Royal_Habitation_Terriau_Family_website.bmp
This story reminds me of the time I had to step in and drive because my friend asked me to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2235746/Passenger-steps-land-747-pilot-falls-ill--happens-duty-pilot.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
It isn’t that you’re likely to die while on vacation in Mexico that makes me nervous. It’s the fact that if the unusual happens and you run into trouble – medical or legal – you won’t know who to trust. An investigation is underway into the reasons CIA employees and a Mexican naval captain traveling in vehicles with diplomatic plates had more than a hundred bullets fired at them by plainclothes cops in unmarked cars: http://news.yahoo.com/mexico-focus-police-commanders-cia-shooting-184012908.html
I’m not going to get weepy about a single tree being chopped down. But I will freak out about someone going on someone else’s property to cut down a tree because it obscures their view: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2235732/Tree-rage-hot-tub-bather-Dorset-businessman-paid-neighbours-protected-tree-felled.html.
And speaking of cutting things, we’ll end with these geniuses: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/11/20/tiletto-surgery-removes-pinky-toe-for-better-fit/?intcmp=features