Anytime someone sees an absorbtion spectra near that of a molecule associated with "life", there's a rush to claim it might be evidence of "life" on Mars. Someone sees a greenish tint, life!!

There's evidence of hydrogen, must be water, must be liquid sometime or another, bigawd, must be "life". And they write it up, and present it to some group of people who somehow manage to sit through most of it politely.

It looks as if everyone is scrambling for a Nobel on the off chance their little contribution may eventually turn out to be evidence of life.

I suggest the Nobel Committee adopt the policy that no one who ever claims to have discovered evidence of "life" on Mars ever be considered for a Prize unless their "evidence" is actually shown to be associated with life on Mars within 3 years of the announcement.

The same goes with "cold fusion". No one who claims to have created "cold fusion" will ever be considered for the Nobel unless very shortly after the announcement their experiment can be replicated on another continent by folks speaking a different language.

It's tiresome. These people seem to have courtiers standing outside the labs with trumpets, just waiting for a "reinterpretation" of the data. The horns blow, the master comes forth with the proclamation:

"Let's not be too hasty. I'm not saying there is life on Mars, that's for the sensationalist press, I am saying that I have found something green, which is, coincidentally, the same color as chlorophyll, which, as you know, is the engine of photosynthesis.

I will add that Mars has plenty of sunlight, and nitrogen, somewhere, which is also necessary for photosynthesis. There is also carbon, too, another necessary element. Oh, yes, and hydrogen, therefore water, therefore liquid water, therefore life.

Now, I'm not saying that there is life on Mars. I am saying that there are many, many "nodes of consistency" which should encourage other workers to keep looking. In the meantime, I am analyzing my little speck of "green" in hopes of nailing down my Nobel. But be warned, this green speck is mine. I saw it first, and I'm claiming it. But I'm not saying it's evidence of life, only that it's consistent with green life here on good old Earth.

What a crock!!

Arf