BrianI'm beginning to conclude that yo...

Brian

I'm beginning to conclude that you view Official results through a tunnel and with glasses that totally filter out alternative possibilities to the explanations proffered by officialdom.

The determination of the pH of the soil at one point at the Phoenix site is not an overwhelming or even a "key" point in validating the superoxides explanation for the viking results. It could only be so if they have also found significant amounts of ferrate ions. It could only be so if they also found direct evidence of other superoxides. It is merely one simple data point that, if associated with other confirmatory points, could assist in validating the very theoretical and biased viking results explanations.

I also think that the McClennan and Grotzinger paper, even though an excellent one, may eventually be found wanting in the theory it proposes for the existence of the meridiani berries.

I agree with you that we will have to wait until the team has thoroughly examined the data developed by phoenix to get past the tantalising taste but why do you think that those snippets thrown out are totally representative of the whole? It has been reported that one Team member was in ecstacy as the pH data was unravelled. He was obviously a rooter for the superoxides theory but the benign soil theory was the one that came out.

It is still possible that the benign nature of the soil which is a huge data point for the bio alternative is also a huge data point for negation of the superoxides "theory".

I would suspect that Mann had already read your reference above and concluded despite it that the data available to us from the WCL was inadequate to back up your points.

However, having said all of that, I agree that Phoenix although it looks like it, is not blowing it. I think it has a quite good chance of providing mars-paradigm-shattering information if the remaining TECP, TEGA and MECA tests are successfully concluded in an expanded mission, which I think is very much on the cards.

Winston