BARRY: "The issue of life on Mars has hinged on 27 year old data from Viking. NASA never sent any other experiments to Mars to elucidate on organic molecules or oxidants."

MY REPLY: Not necessarily. While Viking may not have found evidence of life, life on Mars may still be possible.

BARRY: "I find this so odd since they cling to their no life on the surface of Mars hypothesis like a religion."

MY REPLY: I don't think most planetary scientists are that dogmatic. I just think the consensus is that Viking failed to provide conclusive evidence of life on Mars. And most think that the surface environment is inhospitable to life. But I think very few would absolutely rule it out.

BARRY: "Why not send an oxidant sensor suite? Why not send a more sensitive GC? or MS? No, it took the British to do this."

MY REPLY: Must be a conspiracy of some sort. Or perhaps they just simply had other science they felt more worthy to pursue.

BARRY: "If successfully landed and functional, Beagle 2 could prove extremely embarassing to NASA and lots of people on this page. I can't wait!"

MY REPLY: Well, you'll just have to wait, Barry. But, frankly, if Beagle improves upon the odds for life on Mars, I think most at NASA will be ecstatic. If the results prove the opposite, however, it could be very embarrassing for those who've staked their entire reputations upon their pedantic defense of Gil Levin's labeled release experiment.