Robert Clark wrote:
It is common when proposing a theory to collect as much evidence as you can in support of that theory.

Alex writes:
Yes, but a truly objective scientist takes note of the dissenting viewpoints as well.

FWIW, I favor many of the H2O-based models for Mars, as do a majority of scientists in the community. However, unlike armchair amateurs we do not have the luxury of leaping to conclusions and must proceed carefully. Moreover, I've seen some people throw around abstracts without having read the fine print in a particular set of papers. As I mentioned, oftentimes "conclusions" are qualified or nuanced. At any rate, the issue is not one of volume (i.e., who can sling the most quotes from papers and articles), but rather one of digesting the myriad of results and trying to converge on a solution.

Alex R. Blackwell
University of Hawaii