And the Sailor home from the sea.

I forget who originally penned that, but the message is clear. It's nice to be back home with my small domestic crises and a familiar heap of paperwork. I even got a fair bit of sleep and am nearly back on the local timezone.

The USA trip went well, as others have already noted. I will produce a write-up of the trip shortly, and Alex and myself are working on something to analyse the GeoMars conference.

For now, let us simply note that I have planted a serious seed of doubt in many minds about the role of water on Mars. In return, I have to admit I have learned that I cannot rule out water everywhere and everywhen. The result, as so often in Science, is a compromise. The Mars we have to deal with in reality is far more complex than the ideal one we imagine.

If you don't all shout at once, I can answer specific questions that may arise. (Justin, I have some spreadsheets that contain data defining the phase diagrams for CO2 and water).

- Nick