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"We have ICE!!!!! Yes, ICE, *WATER ICE* on Mars! w00t!!!"

blog.wired.com — There is water ice on Mars within reach of the Mars Phoenix Lander, NASA scientists announced.

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  • matt510, on 06/20/2008, -2/+241Digging the actual story from the Phoenix mission might be better than from Wired. Here is the digg: http://digg.com/space/Perfect_Evidence_ICE_on_Mars
    • d1gg3r1, on 06/20/2008, -29/+2^ That's not "from the Phoenix mission"... it is from Phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu ; WHOIS shows: University of Arizona in Phoenix, Arizona. Try NASA next time *facepalm*

      Not to mention: They found Ice on mars in 2002: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/28may_mars ...
      • matt510, on 06/20/2008, -0/+21The University of Arizona is who is running the mission in collaboration with NASA and JPL. Try looking things up first. You needed WHOIS to tell you that arizona.edu was U of A?

        And the discovery of ice in 2002 was just via satellite observation. This is the first observed ice on Mars. Proof that the theories were correct.
        • sgiffy, on 06/21/2008, -0/+3Not to mention that while we had a good idea ice was there, actually finding it within range of Phoenix is amazing. Its one thing to know it's there, its another to be able to actually study it.
    • jake07, on 06/20/2008, -1/+11Yeah, this is yesterday to today, "I want my news back."

      What the hell is up with digg the last few months?
    • stopbrorape, on 06/20/2008, -0/+27I'll trust the science story with w00t in it.
      • Jawsh91, on 06/21/2008, -0/+4It's actually a quote of the tweet that the "rover" made yesterday :P
      • dbhalla, on 06/21/2008, -1/+1w00t defines a good digg story
    • ThinkBox, on 06/21/2008, -4/+1Nice to see some top diggers dugg yesterdays and today's Mars ICE sotry....

      How can we hold ourselves to a higher standard as diggers if the people we follow don't hold themselves to it as well?
    • AutoTom, on 06/21/2008, -1/+7Can we please flag this as inaccurate? its not necessarily water ice. we will know what kind of ice it is when the soil sample analysis comes back
      • sanman, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2We know this is water ice because of the temperature at which the sublimation occurred. CO2 ice would not have been able to exist at that temperature, so it could only have been water ice.
    • dasilva333, on 06/21/2008, -7/+1guys please visit www.marsanomalyresearch.com educate yourselves it the only way to end this censorship
    • Olivaise, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Dugg both; problem solved.
    • sanman, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2Anyway, here are some even cooler pics of weather on Mars:

      http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/06/martian_s ...
    • mission2mars, on 06/22/2008, -0/+0OK. If this was ice, why only stone shaped white stuff disappears? Look the top side white patch becomes slightly small but stays on. Second, the stuff in shadow disappears and stuff in sunlight does not. I am not convinced its water ice. may be its some salt and may be two different types. Or may be its ice - some Martian fellow just cleaned it up a bit :-)
  • nathangl, on 06/20/2008, -24/+2haha, classic
  • DryIceAtMars, on 06/20/2008, -28/+6Who says it's H2O? Dry Ice will evaporate too.
    • matt510, on 06/20/2008, -0/+17Dry Ice has already sublimated by this point.
      • cryonix, on 06/20/2008, -0/+16to quote Phoenix Twitter, "CO2 vs. H20 ice: Temp too high and pressure too low for CO2 ice. Sci team explains at 10a PDT/1p EDT live audio here: www.nasa.gov/newsaudio about 6 hours ago from web "
      • KidVicious, on 06/20/2008, -17/+1*sublimed
        • consoneo, on 06/20/2008, -1/+9Don't try to correct someone while being wrong yourself. It's stupid. Look it up before you try to correct someone you think is wrong, verifying your hypothesis. Even if you think you're correct, always assume you may be wrong, so go check up on it, and correct them if you, yourself, are right.
        • Handonam, on 06/21/2008, -1/+4this is why Grammar Nazi Hitler killed himself.
        • KidVicious, on 06/22/2008, -0/+1I apologize for correcting him, I had always been taught "sublimed". However, since both ways are valid, neither of us were wrong.
    • pedepy, on 06/21/2008, -2/+2its w00ter, apparently.


      ah!
  • bbandito, on 06/20/2008, -27/+19I was half expecting the the old "WATER FOUND ON MARS" photo in which a Mars bar has a glass of water balanced on it (ahh I've seen that one a few times), thankfully I was disappointed. I am however, looking forward to Evain's Mars flavoured range of water, hmmm interstellar flavour.
  • Grifter801, on 06/20/2008, -9/+425Okay, now we found ice. Time to start drilling for oil!
    • ontain, on 06/20/2008, -9/+12no need. Fresh water shortages are next.
      • Gorgonzola44, on 06/21/2008, -3/+1Wah Wahhhhhhhhhhh
        No you can't stop Debbie Downer!
        And yes, quoting unfunny SNL skits does make me feel good about myself.
      • sanman, on 06/21/2008, -0/+3I'm not trying to make fun of Why-Johnny-Can't-Read, but some jokes seem to imply an ignorance on where oil comes from: it only comes from the decay of living things. There would have had to be a lot of living things on Mars for there to be any significant oil deposits.
    • knoxchris, on 06/20/2008, -1/+28Yes and get to work on my Martian iced tea plz.
    • sotose, on 06/20/2008, -9/+3I think the time is right to declare war on mars.
      We just don't know for sure that they don't have WMD-lazorz.
    • TrevorPace, on 06/21/2008, -1/+5While I understand that was a joke...I just don't see how they are going to get the oil back to earth...
      • SchmuckofNI, on 06/21/2008, -1/+2Just like how we got supposed moon rocks back to earth, we send astronauts to land on Mars!
        • Maver1c, on 06/21/2008, -0/+3do you have any idea how much oil they would need to bring back to even make the trip worth it?
      • bwdd, on 06/21/2008, -0/+7use it as power source when coming back...?
    • FLarsen, on 06/21/2008, -2/+10How could there be oil without organic matter to decompose into oil?
    • vaxguru, on 06/21/2008, -0/+4Oil? Forget oil. Red rocks!
    • aComa, on 06/21/2008, -0/+15Time to bring democracy to mars.
      • maxer64, on 06/21/2008, -0/+5That'll happen before Chinese Democracy does.
    • vickers500, on 06/21/2008, -0/+4Better yet, lets melt the ice, then put whales in the oceans, then hunt the whales!
      • Smithamax, on 06/21/2008, -0/+4classic
        but remember its only for scientific purposes
    • nakhuda, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1If you can not find oil then bomb Mars
  • d1gg3r1, on 06/20/2008, -18/+3They didn't find ice... the story is written in a sensationalist manner. Quote:

    "One Sol 20, the the Phoenix Lander's 20th day on Mars, it observed some small bright objects in a recently dug trench. On Sol 24, they were gone. The small bright spots are now believed to be ice that sublimed—went directly from the solid phase to a gas."

    Source: ArsTechnica: http://digg.com/space/Phoenix_observes_ice_sublime ...
    • mrASSMAN, on 06/20/2008, -1/+3how does that statement differ from the story..? Nothing is certain, but they said that they "believe" it is ice.
    • matt510, on 06/20/2008, -1/+7How about you actually use the SOURCE, you know NASA, U of A. Witnessing sublimation is witnessing water ice.
    • rryanhayes, on 06/20/2008, -2/+6The comments in reply to what you have said, d1gg3r1, and the fact that you are being dugg down, are the consequences of what happens when people who have graduated from community college, try to read and decipher statements made by NASA.
      • d1gg3r1, on 06/20/2008, -3/+1Lol... Even NASA downplayed it today, stating publically that "there is possiblitity, albeit remote, that the imagery obtained is evidence of another mineral or substance yet unknown" & ".... we [NASA] have made it our highest priority to either prove or disprove the notion that liquid water does indeed exist on the Martian surface".
        • zdiddy85, on 06/20/2008, -2/+1Notice how he didn't defend the "community college" statement.
    • chuckDontSurf, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1NASA sounds pretty confident to me: ""It is with great pride and a lot of joy that I announce today that we have found proof that this hard bright material is really water ice and not some other substance," said Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, Tucson, during a Friday news briefing to announce the confirmation of water ice. "
      From: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/news/pho ...
  • fluidfoundation, on 06/20/2008, -0/+90ok, we need rum, mint, and some sugar and we're set. on to venus.
    • letitbleed62, on 06/20/2008, -0/+4A.K.A the beach planet
    • KrazyKoala, on 06/20/2008, -0/+8Scratch the rum. We get sugar and we'll probably be able to make the rum.

      First you get the sugar, then you get the money, then you get the women...Then you get the power!
      • Tonicks, on 06/20/2008, -0/+4That whole Homer and the sugar is one of the funniest Simpsons plots ever.

        I want it all: the terrifying lows, the dizzying highs, the creamy middles. Sure, I might offend a few of the bluenoses with my cocky stride and musky odors - oh, I'll never be the darling of the so-called "City Fathers" who cluck their tongues, stroke their beards, and talk about "What's to be done with this Homer Simpson?"
    • Cerebron, on 06/20/2008, -1/+8Just wait for the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster:

      * Take the juice from one bottle of that Ol' Janx Spirit.
      * Pour into it one measure of water from the seas of Santraginus V
      * Allow three cubes of Arcturan Mega-gin to melt into the mixture (it must be properly iced or the benzene is lost).
      * Allow four litres of Fallian marsh gas to bubble through it (in memory of all those happy Hikers who have died of pleasure in the Marshes of Fallia).
      * Over the back of a silver spoon float a measure of Qualactin Hypermint extract, redolent of all the heady odours of the dark Qualactin Zones.
      * Drop in the tooth of an Algolian Suntiger. Watch it dissolve, spreading the fires of the Algolian suns deep into the heart of the drink.
      * Sprinkle Zamphour.
      * Add an olive.
    • lucidapathy, on 06/20/2008, -0/+8Mojito.
      • Canadian0207, on 06/21/2008, -0/+4you're missing lime and club soda, but this was my first thought.
    • rgodfrey, on 06/21/2008, -0/+3Big whoop. We have water ice in Philly all summer.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_ice
      • mcomfort, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Exactly what I thought when I read the title.
    • Andysan, on 06/21/2008, -1/+1NASA absolutely had to find ice to justify the huge Phoenix Lander price tag. Besides, if everything else on Mars is kind of red, why is the ice nice and white? Frozen red mud would seem to be more likely if there really is/was water.
  • ethanlyon, on 06/20/2008, -27/+39They don't know that it is ice. They assume it is ice. Big difference. Just because it evaporated, doesn't mean it is water. This is a poorly written article meant to hype the story. It is exciting, but to spin the facts is disappointing. Just because they think it is ice doesn't make it so.
    • matt510, on 06/20/2008, -3/+14It didn't evaporate, it sublimated.

      And what else would it be?
      • BlackJackJester, on 06/20/2008, -3/+7Last I checked frozen CO2 also sublimes, which is what the initial theory was for Mars' ice caps.
        • bloodomen13, on 06/20/2008, -1/+10the temperature is too high and the pressure too low for CO2 ice.
        • feliks2, on 06/20/2008, -4/+4***** SUBLIMATES, how many times do people have to explain this in one submission.
        • shakbhaji, on 06/21/2008, -0/+5"Sublime" and "sublimate" are used interchangeably as verbs, ass clown.
        • ophello, on 06/21/2008, -1/+1last i checked, you should stop making suggestions for nasa scientists, who are QUOTED AS SAYING this is ice. maybe you should think about that for a second: the scientists responsible for landing the phoenix said its ice.

          maybe that should count for something.

          btw it is not cold enough for CO2, smartguy.
      • InfiniteNothing, on 06/20/2008, -3/+5dry ice?
        • matt510, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Nope, too high temp, too low pressure.
        • InfiniteNothing, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Apparently it's too high temp and too low pressure for water too if it's sublimating.
        • matt510, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Well not TOO high and TOO low because if that were the case there wouldn't have been any water ice around it would have already been sublimated.

          Just like in our circumstances (pressure and room temp): liquid water can evaporate into the air and condense into water. If our circumstances were different, we would see very different things.
      • verevi, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2Maybe its sumblimation juice and not water?? Did you think of that, smarty-pants?
        • matt510, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Oh right, I forgot they had that there.
    • bc289, on 06/20/2008, -6/+45nasa is confirming that it's ice. I don't know, I'm no scientist and maybe you are, but if nasa is going to confirm it, then I'll take their word for it.
      • semvhu, on 06/20/2008, -9/+2Remember that NASA lost an orbiter because of an extremely simple thing such as English to metric unit conversions. While I am hopeful at this moment, I'll fully believe it when I see it.

        FYI, the ARES program is still using English units. Maybe it's because many American shops are still set up for English tools or something, but it worries me that such conversion issues could pop up again. The problem this time would be that we'd lose more than just a robot.
        • ophello, on 06/21/2008, -2/+1"I'll fully believe it when I see it."

          and that makes you an idiot.
      • 1310nm, on 06/21/2008, -4/+6They are not confirming it's ice. They are assuming it's ice, water is not the only compound that has a solid and liquid form.
        • bc289, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2"It must be ice," said the Phoenix Lander's lead investigator, Peter Smith. "These little clumps completely disappearing over the course of a few days, that is perfect evidence that it's ice."

          Maybe we're dealing with semantics here, but this is something they feel pretty confident about.
        • Eiknujrac, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2*Sigh*

          I love all the diggers who try and disagree with the NASA scientists.

          Of course water is not the only substance that sublimates, but is the only feasible substance that sublimates at the Temperature and Pressure of the Martian surface at that location.

          When Digg sends a lander to the Martian surface that then takes pictures of a white substance that disappears, THEN we can first guess what it is. Let NASA do their thing.
        • matt510, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1I find it funny when people disagree with NASA when they don't even know what sublimation is. It is NOT from a solid to liquid. Yes, other things sublimate, but at these particular pressures and temperatures, it is H2O.
        • 1310nm, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1I hear what you guys are saying, but I don't think it's wise to assume that it's water ice sublimating before getting some positive test results in the oven.
      • DatumPirate, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1I'm sure, being NASA and all, they accounted for the the temperature and pressure of the immediate surroundings and calculated the time a chunk of water ice would take to sublime in those conditions. Either that or NASA aren't all they're cracked up to be.
        • Kyrgizion, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Well, as far as I know, they are still the only organisation so far to have gotten anything on Mars at all. So if they can pull that off, I guess distinguishing ice from other compounds isn't really a big deal.
    • rryanhayes, on 06/20/2008, -13/+2yeah, i mean, its a completely different planet, so things there MUST behave exactly the same way they do on earth! Since it evaporated there, and it would evaporate here, then it CANT be anything other than ice!
      The simple use of the word "beleived" as in "believed to be ice" supports the fact that they are not yet sure what exactly it is, otherwise, the article would read, "NASA believed, and has CONFIRMED that it is ice."
    • Tssst, on 06/21/2008, -7/+2Could it be from atmospheric moisture from earth? Or did they vaccum seal the vehicle before paking and launching it? Because most likely the water could have originated here on earth.
      • ophello, on 06/21/2008, -2/+3IT WAS DUG UP IN THE TRENCH YOU MORON
    • Lunarbunny, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1I'm sure NASA has the air temperature considered too, I'm not sure of too many naturally occuring chemical substances that solidify at 0˚C.
    • citnaj, on 06/21/2008, -1/+2While there's that chance it might be C02 ice, there's plenty of evidence that there's lots of water (even in liquid form to a limited extent) on the planet that we've known about for a while. It's not a stretch at all to believe that this is indeed water ice, though that remains to be confirmed for certain. See http://www.thinkerofthoughts.com/?p=5 to learn just how much evidence there really is.
    • merrychristmass, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2party popper?
    • nakhuda, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1That may be poisonous hazardous nuclear material, if you stare on "ice" you will loose your sight.
  • mgilbo1, on 06/20/2008, -20/+4who cares, like we didn't know there was ice on mars.... How about the remains of an old civilization they are hiding from us? Thats what we really want to hear, stop hiding the real story and tell the truth for a change.
  • Darren07, on 06/20/2008, -19/+5OLD! so old Benjamin Franklin saw it and was like, "REPOST"!
  • borez, on 06/20/2008, -1/+135 Chemical analysis please. Then I'll cheer.
    • KingVegas702, on 06/20/2008, -5/+10The forcast for MARS is

      ( HIGHS OF 68F and LOWS OF -220F)

      Dry ice sublimates changing gas at atmospheric pressure. Its sublimation and deposition point is -109.3 °F Its enthalpy of sublimation -109.3 °F

      DRY ICE CANT BE ON MARS!
      • thelock65, on 06/20/2008, -3/+2Sure....
      • borez, on 06/20/2008, -3/+8Did I mention dry ice?
      • d1gg3r1, on 06/20/2008, -7/+1Entropy, not enthalpy.

        • 471776, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1No, entropy is related to randomness and disorder in a system. Enthalpy is to do with energy and energy changes required to cause a chemical or physical change.
      • DoscoJones, on 06/21/2008, -0/+7You'd be wrong about that. There's plenty of dry ice on Mars, just not where the probe is sitting.

        http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Mars_Express/SEMMT0O7BTE_ ...
        • wishninja, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1mars' seasonal Ice caps are made of CO2.

          Here's an amazing fact: The seasonal polar caps are made of martian air that freezes during winter. Depending on the time of year, more than a quarter of the martian atmosphere can be found lying on the ground around the poles.
    • kingatrock, on 06/21/2008, -1/+4Exactly dude, I'm waiting until it is actually confirmed.
    • cnot3, on 06/21/2008, -1/+1ANALYSIS MISTER DATA!
  • whiterice0, on 06/20/2008, -10/+2I agree with borez. Typical scientific hyperbole. It'll probably turn out to be liquid nitrogen, if anything significant. I remember the last time they were sure of life on Mars. Bacteria!
    http://www.solarviews.com/eng/marslif2.htm
    • exomni, on 06/20/2008, -1/+2"I remember the last time they were sure of life on Mars."

      *blink blink*

      um...

      What does water ice have to do with discovering life on mars?
    • ophello, on 06/21/2008, -1/+1liquid nitrogen. right.

      OH GOD MY EYES I AM BLINDED BY YOUR STUPIDITY.
  • CrazyArcher, on 06/20/2008, -9/+78Ice doesn't have to be H20. A lot of things freeze into a white solid.
    • Rainemaker, on 06/20/2008, -3/+127Gross.
      • Snuff99, on 06/20/2008, -2/+24Old Alien Manjam.
        • AutoTom, on 06/21/2008, -1/+16I cant compete with this.. the term 'manjam' is brilliant
    • arekkusu, on 06/20/2008, -10/+5lol
    • Borgcube636, on 06/20/2008, -1/+24...ice cream? .. ohhhh....
    • jake07, on 06/20/2008, -5/+4It could be cocaine and some sort of mutant Keith Richards subspecies would explain the quick disappearance. I wouldn't be surprised, really. I'd rather see Keith up there than the Google dude anyway. This would be incentive I think. Imagine the Start Me Up riff booming through space and Keith all on camera on some new NBC series. That would be better than a few shows they got.
    • caramba420, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Maybe it's frozen Energon
      • Canadian0207, on 06/21/2008, -1/+2dugg for the transformers reference
    • megamod, on 06/21/2008, -0/+6they did say "water ice"
    • infoDRONE, on 06/21/2008, -0/+0Like the ice that is ALREADY visible on mars (frozen CO2): http://imgsrc.hubblesite.org/hu/db/2005/34/images/ ...

      Which is precisely why H20 ice is a big deal.
    • paulzov, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1It says water ice.
    • hsuperb0i, on 06/21/2008, -0/+0from the nasa article:

      "He said the disappearing chunks could not have been carbon-dioxide ice at the local temperatures because that material would not have been stable for even one day as a solid."

      educated guess. though i don't know what the freezing temp of.. is. gross.
    • lukas88, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1You are getting confused between "ice" and "frozen." Many compounds have a solid form, for which many it is referred to as frozen. Ice, however, always insinuates the solid state of H2O. One informal exception is "dry ice," frozen carbon dioxide.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice
    • davotoula, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1What's H twenty?
  • Rainemaker, on 06/20/2008, -2/+6I wonder if Vegas changed their odds on discovering extremophiles now?
  • damonic, on 06/20/2008, -0/+26Where is Arnold when you need him?
    • BlackJackJester, on 06/20/2008, -0/+34GET TO DA LANDAA!!!
    • exomni, on 06/20/2008, -0/+13He was on his way to take care of it, but then he was totally recalled to the governor's office.
    • d1gg3r1, on 06/20/2008, -2/+8Get your ass to mars / Get your ass to mars / Get your ass to mars / Get your ass to mars / {etc}
    • spookyttws, on 06/20/2008, -2/+3Turn on the oxygen!
    • SaucyJack, on 06/20/2008, -2/+3GET YAWAH ICE TO MAAAHS!!
    • insomniasystems, on 06/20/2008, -2/+3"Quade, start the reactor..."

    • Canadian0207, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Sector 7G is all but dead
    • onionoino, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1"wrap this towel around your head"
  • RedStateRetard, on 06/20/2008, -7/+18"Water on Mars?, big deal. Call me when they find oil on Mars." ~ Dennis Miller (paraphrased)
    • AutoTom, on 06/21/2008, -1/+1I will kill myself and take as many people with me as i can if we start pumping oil from mars back to earth
    • ohcyrus, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Dugg down for quoting Dennis Miller.
  • NEUTRINO50, on 06/20/2008, -7/+1most expensive popsicle ever
  • Twenty, on 06/20/2008, -3/+28Wait... didn't we already know that Mars had ice caps? From looking at it?
    • DoscoJones, on 06/20/2008, -0/+7Yes. We also know the polar caps are mostly co2 ice with water ice mixed in. The ESA probe told us there's buried ice all over Mars well over a year ago.
  • majestichazard, on 06/20/2008, -2/+118Obvious conclusion: aliens built the pyramids.
    • xexx, on 06/21/2008, -0/+8They were landing pads for their spaceships, everyone knows this.
      • chuckDontSurf, on 06/21/2008, -2/+3Is this related to the queers building landing strips for gay Martians?
        (5 points if you get the reference)
      • Vindicoth, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2Duh, anyone who watches Stargate SG-1 knows that the whole show is the truth and its just a big cover up show to make us believe that it would never happen.
      • bryceman111, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1I saw Men In Black...it is the space needle.
      • bakatrinh, on 06/21/2008, -0/+3You're wrong, Protoss used it back then to pump out Probes to mine minerals.
  • chaos7, on 06/20/2008, -2/+10blinking ice
  • aserer511, on 06/20/2008, -10/+5stop collaborate and listen, mars's back with a brand new invention
    • EwokPresident, on 06/20/2008, -1/+0I laughed.
    • aserer511, on 06/20/2008, -1/+1Thanks. I have -5 but i thought it would be a resounding success. more like suck-cess amirite
  • mandarin, on 06/20/2008, -5/+7Yay! Daiquiris for everyone!
  • Borgcube636, on 06/20/2008, -9/+14So apparently Mars was the moon of the missing planet Maldek, which was located where the asteroid belt is now (hence the asteroids). The inhabitants of Maldek destroyed the planet through war. Thoughts?
    • bagelmaster, on 06/20/2008, -1/+15Thoughts? How much PCP and crack did you do before you came to that conclusion?
    • apextek, on 06/20/2008, -3/+4you lost me on that one homie
    • knoxchris, on 06/20/2008, -0/+5I'll have to ask my Maldeken friend as to the accuracy of this.

      /passes to the left
    • Yage2006, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2Here's a thought stop posting on digg when your high on PCP.
    • ithejosh, on 06/21/2008, -0/+4This comment is full of win.
    • Sponky, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1I just channelled Mars Sector Six and he said "no".
    • McKoKslarge, on 06/21/2008, -1/+2is that scientology?
      • hendrixiloveyou, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1I dont think it is, but it does sound crazy enough to be!
    • odinfire, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Being as Michael Jackson has claimed to have had a little "Maldekian" in him (or was he in the Maldekian? well, no matter), perhaps we should make a call and ask him.
    • harveywalbanger, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Well, our moon was the result of a collision with Earth1 - afterwhich there was a small 'asteroid' field around Earth2 (post impact) - which in turn kind of coagulated into our moon over time. We only see time on a small scale, but over millions of years, our asteroid belt may too eventually form another planet.

      I've never really thougt about it until reading all the naysayer postings. Now, I think you might be on to something dildoolielly.
  • isuisorisuaint, on 06/20/2008, -13/+198"tweeted" is the gayest term ever.
    • BlackJackJester, on 06/20/2008, -1/+181.2x more gay than "tween"
      • 1310nm, on 06/21/2008, -4/+2The two are closely related, I suspect.
    • eschompthis, on 06/20/2008, -7/+62twitter is the gayest thing ever
    • sremick, on 06/20/2008, -17/+6"gay" is the most misused term ever.

      Find some other word for "lame" that doesn't somehow equate it with and insult homosexuals.
      • elmetald00d, on 06/21/2008, -2/+18get back in the closet.

        /fag
      • soulkitchen, on 06/21/2008, -4/+10Yeah, using the word "gay" to mean "lame" is so faggy.
      • daeken, on 06/21/2008, -3/+13I'm gay and I regularly use the term 'gay' to mean lame. Either you're straight and trying to be That Guy (TM) or you're gay and really need to realize that although we're here and we're queer, they're already used to it, and thus we have no need for the persecution complex we've grown as a community over the years.
      • yuutokun, on 06/21/2008, -2/+4Don't belittle my favorite term
    • caramba420, on 06/21/2008, -3/+15Doesn't "twitter" sound like something you would do to a woman's clitoris?
      • xkorbin, on 06/21/2008, -3/+1If you had a woman to do it to, more say.
    • tastethevenom, on 06/21/2008, -2/+8Do you prefer, "I *****?" That unintentionally pertains to the female genitalia, so perhaps that's less gay for you?
    • crazytaxi, on 06/21/2008, -2/+1unfortunately,

      tweeted * (gay) < twitted * (retarded and gay)

      as a consequence:

      t(g) = t(rg)*4 / number of related posts (nrp)

      therefore:

      (your gape) is expressed by [(nrp)*t(g) - (nrp)*t(rg) * how many times you've worn a beret.]
  • wannapiece, on 06/20/2008, -7/+2Are you serious?!? They are just going to go by what they see and not analyze the surface samples?

    I could've sworn they had a place to analyze the surface samples... rather than just by what the pictures show...
    • Knowltey, on 06/20/2008, -0/+0I think if I remember right that was the part that got damaged in the landing?
    • Laminarcissus, on 06/20/2008, -1/+2Nope, that's it, a couple gazillion bucks to get over there and all we end up with are a few Viewmaster slides to go over. It's crazy because we have the technology in the warehouse and everything, but I'm just amazed nobody mentioned something like that when we were building it.

      We did *not* think this one through.
    • xexx, on 06/21/2008, -0/+4eh, no, I think they're going to analyze it with the onboard equipment... it just takes time to do it.
  • vw2005, on 06/20/2008, -10/+4boooooooring ........ wake me up when they make the planet livable
    • Knowltey, on 06/20/2008, -7/+1That will be when September ends.
      • str1fe, on 06/21/2008, -0/+3A ***** Green Day reference, dude?

        wow
      • Knowltey, on 08/25/2008, -0/+0I don't know, I just remember I was sick of it playing so much on the radio when it came out. But I guess if it's by this "Green Day" it goes with the "planet livable" part. *shrug*
    • AutoTom, on 06/21/2008, -2/+2you sir, are an idiot
  • llama5492, on 06/20/2008, -3/+14This is a beautiful day in space exploration.
  • Seventus, on 06/20/2008, -5/+3No we can continue with our plans to destroy this planet before moving onto the next one. Brilliant!
  • portableteejay, on 06/20/2008, -14/+1Hell yeah, I love Rita's!
    http://www.ritasice.com/
  • iatethecake, on 06/20/2008, -9/+11Dugg for epic title.
  • NelsonR, on 06/20/2008, -10/+7Unbelievable that this would be a surprise as with the existence of other life forms in the universe. Are we that egotistical with dogmatic religious thought that we think we are solely a unique entity within the universe?
    Here is a positive thought, Ice, water and life exist throughout all galaxies. Dispute it.
    • Antialias, on 06/20/2008, -1/+5Sure there is a very high probability that life and water exist all over the universe, but the way you put it is just as dumb as religious people that say there isn't life. Until we find proof, yes, we may be the only life there is. Very unlikely, but that's the way science works. We have to find proof and make discoveries. That makes things like this very exciting.
    • Laminarcissus, on 06/20/2008, -4/+2"Dispute it?"

      How about you take off your ascot, quit playing college professor, and stop thinking that a contrived prose style is your shortcut to the intellectual elite?

      Think through your own ideas before you ask us to vet them. In this case, compare your statements to the standard of scientific proof that's necessary to keep them from being merely more "dogmatic religious thought."

      And for heaven's sake, when you do finally have something substantive to say, find a way to say it like a real person.
      • NelsonR, on 06/20/2008, -7/+0Well I must have struck a chord with your believe in wings after death. Quite extraordinaire that you would dispute the infinitesimal amount of universes and think that believers in alien life must be those who must prove the point. Using your analytical mind to reason would benefit your reasoning.
        You make way to many assumptions while thinking god wants you on his right side.
        Vet is so passe I question your conclusions.
    • thailand1972, on 06/20/2008, -0/+1You didn't know comets are full of ice?
      • maslic68, on 06/22/2008, -0/+0but are they really full of ice WATER? I don't know (and don't care really :D ) I'm just trying to make a point :)

        But it's an interesting discovery for sure .... dugg...
  • blademanx, on 06/20/2008, -0/+71Scientific progress goes woot?
  • speel, on 06/20/2008, -6/+1EPIC WIN!
  • dselliott, on 06/20/2008, -6/+1They have dookie gold chains too?
  • carpanthers91, on 06/20/2008, -5/+0lol?
  • CoreyHalliwell, on 06/20/2008, -0/+13It's only a matter of time now until the alien eggs left in the water come to earth, hatch and thrive on our bodies!
  • FreeTalkLIve, on 06/20/2008, -9/+1It's an optical illusion.
  • mastachicken, on 06/20/2008, -6/+0this news is *****, what did people think the white stuff on top of mars was? some liquid paper? just just some bald spot? is that robot going to drink the water? whats so exciting about this news?
    • Lith25, on 06/20/2008, -1/+3Whats so exciting? This is the first time we've have real evidence that there is water on another planet in our solar system. Seems pretty damn exciting to me.
      • DoscoJones, on 06/20/2008, -4/+3This is not the first time by far. The ESA orbiter proved there was water on Mars back in 2004.
        • DoscoJones, on 06/20/2008, -3/+2This is not the first time by far. The ESA orbiter proved there was water on Mars back in 2004. Why digg me down for stating the simple truth?
        • erad222, on 06/21/2008, -1/+1FACE THE WRATH OF UNHAPPY DIGGERS
    • Yage2006, on 06/21/2008, -1/+2RTFA
      It could have been salt or many other minerals or gasses nobody knew for sure. Now we do.
  • KingVegas702, on 06/20/2008, -1/+15They played golf on the moon when they got there...... this time i say..... MAKE A SNOW MAN!!!
  • majordanger, on 06/20/2008, -0/+34
    "... but the lander does not have instruments that could directly detect life."

    This is how you ensure future funding.. We need a sequel mission!!!!
  • apextek, on 06/20/2008, -0/+9"The samples are being examined for traces of organic molecules, among other substances, but the lander does not have instruments that could directly detect life"

    why do we send a robot million of miles away in a search for the potential water and lifes building blocks and not give it instruments to directly detect life?
    • DoscoJones, on 06/20/2008, -0/+4Money, same as always.
    • goddessophia, on 06/21/2008, -3/+2or maybe in case there was life on Mars we wouldn't give away are awesome technology ... we want them to believe we are all mindless robots here on earth so we don't pose a threat to way of life... oh wait, earth IS being taken over by mindless robots
    • Spoomeister, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1What exactly are you thinking of when you think "instruments to directly detect life"? A little box with a red lightbulb, a green lightbulb, and a thingy that goes "ping" when it finds something?
      • frooo, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1The machine that goes Ping!

        It is the most expensive machine in the hospital!
      • TadMC, on 06/22/2008, -0/+0No, I'm expecting a microscope with a camera attached to it... they only cost friggin 200 bucks
  • rationalbeats, on 06/20/2008, -4/+7I love how the MSM is breaking coverage to report this monumental discovery.
  • s0m31john, on 06/20/2008, -11/+3Buried for title.
    • DucoNihilum, on 06/20/2008, -5/+1Comment buried for faggotry.
      • Jackson0909, on 06/20/2008, -2/+0I would LOVE to know why you feel the need to defend this completely ridiculous title.

        Worst. Title. Ever.
      • Knowltey, on 06/20/2008, -0/+0oh nvm...
    • rationalbeats, on 06/20/2008, -0/+4That was the twitter message sent by the team
  • xxyglx, on 06/20/2008, -7/+2Couldn't it also as easily be CO2?
    • mopro, on 06/20/2008, -0/+4nope. the temp is way too high and pressure way too low for carbon dioxide ice
    • Laminarcissus, on 06/20/2008, -0/+2Could it be laundry detergent, like they use in movies?
  • beavismorpheus, on 06/20/2008, -7/+0http://www.youtube.com/user/aceBryan7ox
  • Jackson0909, on 06/20/2008, -13/+8Never use the word "woot" ever again. Thanks.
  • TheShero, on 06/20/2008, -11/+31. FIND ICE ON MARS
    2. TWEET
    3. ...
    4. PROFIT!!!
  • DannySpace, on 06/20/2008, -4/+4I wonder what a Mars Sno-Cone would taste like... mmmmmmm sno-cones.
  • Farmer77, on 06/20/2008, -3/+13Remember in Total Recall, the martians built something on Mars that turned the ice underneath the surface into air?
    • caramba420, on 06/21/2008, -1/+3Yeah, Cohagen would totally vote McCain.
    • pedepy, on 06/21/2008, -1/+14remember how that was a freakin movie ?
    • guregu, on 06/21/2008, -0/+4All I remember is the three-titted lady.
      • hendrixiloveyou, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1and the little mutant that lived in the guys tummy?
  • rmeddy, on 06/20/2008, -2/+6Good ,Martinis for martians.
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