Note the discussion on this thread at a mainstream space discussion form.

http://uplink.space.com/showflat.php...=0&fpart=1

people are not happy with the "slow" release of images from Spirit and so are crying conspiracy.

The issue seems to that images are being released "slowly", this is linked to the supposed "slow" release of THEMIS data, supposedly missing MOC images, and the 6 month "propiotory" period on Mars Express. Therefore comments appear like:

"If there's nothing to hide...why hide the data?"

"I hate to scream conspiracy but the facts are starting to show that data is in censor mode."

"...there is some sort of problem that they're hiding in order to keep from tarnishing the successes so far."

If this is going on in a serious board, what are the nutters saying? :roll:

Seriously, I think the time has come for a Mars related bad astronomy forum. With this sort of stuff happening, plus Hoagland and his hencemen, it is as if the Moon hoax was alive an active during the preApollo period (why are all those Rangers and Lunas failing?). I know I have said this before and I am new here, but I do tender it as a possibility.

Cheers

Jon

Images of what? The rover isn't even scheduled to move for a few days yet. They are still checking out all of the systems.

My point exactly, but some people expect all this stuff to magically appear on the internet. Once the rovers start rolling people will be staying why are they moving so slowly?

People in that forum are swashing the nutters fairly firmly, but it surprises (maybe it shouldn't) that people are already crying conspiracy. I suspect this shows several things:

1) A big mismatch between public expectations and mission realities

2) a lack of understanding of space missions (surprise).

3) a readiness when either 1) or 2) throw up something they don't understand to claim a cover up.

4) A general expectation that is this life on Mars and probably once was (if not now) intelligence.

Cheers

Jon

Ugh! Why are these folks always looking for something sinister? Spirit is a remarkable achievement for JPL and it promises to deliver some good science. There have been a good number of pictures released including the beautiful high-res color image released today. The rover is still strapped to the lander so the view is pretty limited for the time being. What exactly do these people expect? Did they forget the first images came in only a few hours after the rover landed?

I just don't understand this kind of thinking. We should be reveling in this amazing accomplishment instead of looking for bogeyman and secret plots.

I think I'll go look at that beautiful high-res picture. That'll make me feel better

No argument from me. But it means we need to be vgilant or the wonder of what is being done will be lost amidst the hoo-ha over what the nutters think is hidden.

Jon

Tell them if they want the data any faster, they're going to have to go and get them.

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No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?

I wonder if some of this is that people have no clue as to how difficult this is to do, how careful they have to be (can't call the road service to go fix something) and how much time it takes. Plus, they have an attention span of about 30 seconds. Heck, if the TV program can solve the problem in 60 minutes (with commercials!) why can't NASA.

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At night the stars put on a show for free (Carole King)

What a bunch of whiners. So they can't point-and-click their way instantly to leading-edge scientific data within seconds of its reception? I can remember when we had to wait weeks or months until these things were published in paper form.

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"Facts are stubborn things." --John Adams
Clavius Moon Base

I agree...

Off topic...I wonder if these same folks realize that the only reason that the Apollo 11 Moon walk happened during "prime time" was because Neil and Buzz were "ichy" to get out on the Lunar surface?

Richard Hoagland is already crying foul here

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Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

Richard Hoagland...what a birdbrain...pun intended.

This quote on the amateur picture is telling:

Using only two filters and then producing an "averaged" green image from the first two won't produce a totally accurate color image. It also doesn't make sense to compare CCD imaging to low ISO Kodachrome imaging exposure times.

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Hanlon's Razor - "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
Asimov's addition - "Or ignorance."

"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage

If you look for evil you will find it. Same thing applies to a conspiracy. I can't imagine the mindset it requires to do that tho.

Mars Color Images:

"Ah, Excellent, we see the Airbag Trails now. It will offer us a chance to get some excellent samples later..."



"Here we're panning up to the horizon...yes, many interesting targets here..."



"My goodness! What's that?! Oh My!"



(Sorry all - I couldn't resist - just a little humor!)
Congratulations to JPL for outstanding work and unlocking more wonders.

Not that I buy the conspiracy claims, but I did notice something rather odd in one of the photos. (Warning link to huge pic coming!) If you look at this photo, you can see where the images aren't correctly stitched together. (To find it, scroll down to the bottom of the pic, then scroll over to the left, and you'll see two spots where there's rocks which are cut off because of the stitching.)

What I find amazing, though, is that at the top left portion of the image, just above what I assume is a dry riverbed, is what looks, for all the world, like a turtle.

The Mission website itself discussed why things seem to be moving slowly. They are getting hit hard, everyone wants to see the pictures. They say that once the traffic dies down, they will be able to keep up with the demand.

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Those who repeat History are doomed to learn it.

Along with your turtle I counted at least 7 rocks with faces and one large rock in the background that looks like an engine block. What are the odds that all that would be in on place on Mars? Just ask Hoagland.

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I'm not a scientist, but I play one on the internet.
http://www.rrac.org

That darker soil where the airbags hit is really interesting. It looks "clay like." Though conditions are very dry, that soil looks as if its more held together by something - or some process. :wink:

Does the fact that Beagle 2 made a hole in the desert and supplied no data add to or subtract from the conspiracy?

It's hard to learn how to think like a conspiracist, but I'll help you out.

Of COURSE it's a conspiracy!!!!! The Beagle 2 IS supplying data, but it's data they don't want us to see!!!

Notice the all caps and the exclamation points. That makes what I have to say even more important. There should be spelling errors as well, but I couldn't bring myself to go that far.

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"The oxen are slow, but the earth is patient."

Two other points: I should have been a lot more long-winded. I've noticed that crackpots go on and on and on ad nauseum making their points.

Second, the Spirit has just been delayed by 3 days in going down the ramp, so expect a flurry of posts insisting it's a cover-up. :roll:

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"The oxen are slow, but the earth is patient."

LOL Chip!

It's early in the morning and I've had a lot of coffee so I'm going to be particularly blunt. The mindset is one of ignorance, fear, and distrust. 200 years ago these same people would be burning witches at the stake. Think about it, many of the arguments made in favor of various conspiracy theories are the cliche witch hunt arguments you'd expect to see on Monty Python. Arguments like "well, she looks like a witch" and my favorite, "if you do not confess, we shall know your guilt."