Perhaps you weren't around MSNBC when all of this started. Barry wrote a book titled "Mars: The Living Planet." In it, he makes a case (a weak one, IMO) that Levin's Viking experiments proved the presence of life on Mars. He attributes NASA's refusal to agree with that notion to a grand conspiracy in spite of all logic. He claims to have formed an organization called, I think, the International Committee Against Mars Sample Return (or something close to that). He has been quoted on CNN and other places opposing Mars Sample Return missions due to concerns about back contamination. He also seems unable to grasp the notion of terminal velocity when it comes to return vehicle design. IMO, he has a very loose grasp on science and even looser one on engineering. I seldom bother to read his posts anymore and I'm very thankful I never wasted money on his book.