Could they not simply be rocky outcrops that are covered and uncovered by seasonal sandstorms?
Are Those Spidery Black Things On Mars Dangerous?
21–30 of 122 posts
Re: Are Those Spidery Black Things On Mars Dangerous?
#22Earlier quoted context omitted.
You don't have to use a rover. What about a quadcopter or balloon filled with heated gas?
Good luck.. the highest atmospheric density on Mars is equal to the density found 35 km above the Earth's surface
I think a latex balloon filled with hydrogen could achieve positive buoyancy. Just bring a little bit of water and you can make your own hydrogen.
Re: Are Those Spidery Black Things On Mars Dangerous?
#23> they might be colonies of photosynthetic Martian microorganisms, warmed from the sun, now sunbathing in plain view. That's incredible. Is that really possible? I wonder why the rover doesn't check them out? It seems weird it's digging through soil looking for chemicals possibly related to life when there's potential life out in plain view. NASA has some very strange priorities.
From what I read, there's a big concern about contaminating Mars with Earth-based bacterium. To ensure the drill would be useful after landing, they pre-set one of the drill bits. By doing that, they broke the sanitized enclosure, and there may be contaminants present that survived the trip. They are supposedly avoiding signs of life with Curiosity.
Re: Are Those Spidery Black Things On Mars Dangerous?
#24Could they not simply be rocky outcrops that are covered and uncovered by seasonal sandstorms?
If that were the case, they would cast shadows.
Re: Are Those Spidery Black Things On Mars Dangerous?
#25This is such a trip! It kind of pisses me off that I'll die long before we gain a thorough understanding of this kind of stuff.
Re: Are Those Spidery Black Things On Mars Dangerous?
#26"Surely I'm not the only one thinking spiceblows..."
-- a commenter on that page, Melissa Swanson
Re: Are Those Spidery Black Things On Mars Dangerous?
#27Dangerous how? Toxic to humans? At risk of unsettling sand around a rover/human? Is the question asking if they are something that would consciously attack someone? Everything is dangerous. The key to mitigating that danger is planning ahead for it. A leaf seems harmless, but infection from a cut the leaf gave you could kill you. A marshmallow is fluffy and soft, but if you swallow it without chewing, it could expand…
Betteridge's Law of Headlines is an adage that states, "Any headline which ends in a question mark can be answered by the word 'no'". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridges_Law_of_Headlines
Breaking Headline! "Is Betterridge's Law of Headlines actually a Law?"
Re: Are Those Spidery Black Things On Mars Dangerous?
#28only Ziggy Stardust knows
Re: Are Those Spidery Black Things On Mars Dangerous?
#29Depends on your point of view I suppose, all of Mars is dangerous (100% lethal!) if you're a human.
Re: Are Those Spidery Black Things On Mars Dangerous?
#30The top comment here and on reddit is the same!!
Either kaax is martian, or just a plagiarist.
Here's the link:
http://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/10vrag/are_those_sp...