Levin's whole argument stands on the notion that there are no oxidants on the Martian surface. The presence of oxidants on the Martian surface were actually predicted before Viking in an Icarus paper written by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis. Prior to Viking, Levin was regarded as a clever engineer and respectible scientist. His unwillingness to accept the possibility of oxidants on the Martian surface (despite the abundant supporting evidence) has reduced his stature to that of a common crank. He is pathetic to watch with his repeated attempts to publish his junk papers in respectable journals but always failing.

Gary