Discovery News: Space Diary

Marsgate, Revisited

A few days have passed since the buzz about what is or isn’t on Mars and NASA’s handling of the matter so it seemed reasonable to have a think for a bit about what happened.

First and foremost, it’s striking that so many people apparently care whether there is or isn’t life on Mars, though why knowing whether some bit of bacteria absorbed energy, made microbial pee and/or poo and spun off 2.5 microbial kids is a bit hard to explain in this age of opposite-speak and skepticism.

Second, to the extent that my personal and professional integrity extends, I can state that there was no government cover-up about what information to release and when to release it, so if you’re totally into conspiracy theories, you can stop reading here.

Third (and if you’re into conspiracy theories you might enjoy this), the buzz that initially cast NASA as the villain for hiding information, not only allowed the government to step into a role most beloved by Americans -- the vindicated -- but also exit the drama with heightened awareness, even accolades, for its work. For anyone missing this subtlety, NASA spelled it out for us: “Phoenix Mars Team Opens Window on Scientific Process,” was the headline on the agency’s Aug. 5 press release laying the matter to rest. In addition to world-wide media coverage, the clan following the mission on the Twitter text-messaging network grew by more than 300 members.

Finally, will it happen again? Indubitably. That is the price we pay for our Freedom of Speech. It can make for an uncomfortable moment or two, but when it’s lacking, guess who is the first to take note?

“We strongly believe societies which allow the free expression of ideas tend to be the most prosperous and the most peaceful.”

-- President George W. Bush
Aug. 8, 2008
at the dedicated of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China

A World A'Twitter

Curious what’s happening on Mars? No need to comb the net looking for news. NASA’s newest robot probe will phone you with its updates.

Phoenix, which is busily analyzing ice and soil samples from Mars’ northern polar cap, is using the social networking site Twitter to text-message the science-minded about its progress. Apparently, more than 27,000 folks are following Phoenix’s words, which can flash across your cell phone, pop up in your Instant Messaging program or passively wait to be read on its Twitter homepage.

Hungry for a direct outreach to the public, NASA has given more than a dozen machines a virtual life. Among Phoenix’s colleagues on Twitter are LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) which hasn’t even left the ground yet, the Hubble Space Telescope, the new gamma ray observatory GLAST and the space shuttles Atlantis , Discovery and Endeavour. Even space shuttle missions are incarnating.

It’s not just the ‘droids who are coming into their ‘lectronic lives. Apparently blogs are Twitter-fodder too so I took the plunge and signed up Free Space. At least I think I did. I’m waiting for my cell phone to ring to let me know if I’ve posted or not.