Hi BrianThe superoxides theory has bee...

Hi Brian

The superoxides theory has been promoted as being true for the whole of Mars. But would you consider that, given the chemical species found at Meridiani and their abundances, that the soil there could have been anything other than acid even though the rovers had no means to test this. So would you say that there is a possibility that at meridiani the superoxides theory is likely to be wrong.

Re. Phoenix, You are partially right in that if the soil sample was not alkaline the superoxides explanation could be invalidated for that case alone.

However, I don't think that anyone would suggest that if the soil were not alkaline the biological explanation for the Viking result would therefore be true.

There are therefore too many other factors related to this question to segregate pH alone as a key factor.

Therein lies the rub. Too many people jumped on the bandwagon and, instead of saying that the superoxide theory still lives, claimed that the superoxides theory was proven because of this one solitary data point that might not even hold up in the next sample. Remember that the phoenix MECA sample was only moderately alkaline with a ph of between 8 and 9 on a log scale of 1-14. In fact, I would bet that the pH was nearer to 8 than 9 as they would have said almost 9 if it were close to 9.

Re. the mindset of the researchers on these geology missions. They are good Researchers all who steadfastly seek to validate the current paradigm.

The paradigm is the impossibility of life near the surface. Phoenix was not equipped to look for life. Indeed there appears to be somewhat of an embargo on life seeking experiments since Viking. But If the results from the various instruments show that;
1) There is again no hint of superoxides in the soil
2) The soil has no intrinsic characteristics that would preclude life taking hold there.
3) The soil, in the MECA tests, look and have the chemical characteristics of a real soil and not a sterile regolith as is suggested by the images and the reported cohesivity
4) The OM, and perhaps the AFM also, show up some particles that are difficult to characterise as definitely derived purely from sterile regolith making processes and could just be biological
5) The TEGA finds some Organics
6) The TECP finds a water cycle in the arctic

It would be the start of the breaking up of the current paradigm.

I expect that some of these things will be found and not others but I think in the end the current paradigm will fall.

Winston