1 #ufotwitter - Longish thread that I think you guys will appreciate. It will end with this question:
Should we trust NASA?
We start with these two tweets (2nd one in Tweet 2) from @GarryPNolan.
Should we trust NASA?
We start with these two tweets (2nd one in Tweet 2) from @GarryPNolan.
https://twitter.com/GarryPNolan/status/1362118124284207105
2 Did they find evidence of microbial life on Mars in 1976, with Viking 1 & 2? (See Tweet 3)
https://twitter.com/GarryPNolan/status/1362163673083486214
3 New York Times - July 22, 1986
"A biologist who for several years has argued that tests of Martian soil 10 years ago did not rule out the presence of life there, yesterday described new experiments that he said strengthened his argument.
"A biologist who for several years has argued that tests of Martian soil 10 years ago did not rule out the presence of life there, yesterday described new experiments that he said strengthened his argument.
4 "The soil tests were conducted by two Viking landers on Mars.
"The biologist, Dr. Gilbert Levin, president of Biospherics Inc. of Rockville, Md., spoke at a conference on Mars held in Washington by the space agency at the National Academy of Sciences.
"The biologist, Dr. Gilbert Levin, president of Biospherics Inc. of Rockville, Md., spoke at a conference on Mars held in Washington by the space agency at the National Academy of Sciences.
https://twitter.com/TheUfoJoe/status/1362120647778861056
5 "But the prevailing view at the conference, as it is among scientists generally, was that the Martian environment is & probably always has been incompatible with life.
"That view was presented to the conference yesterday by Dr. Norman H. Horowitz, professor emeritus of biology
"That view was presented to the conference yesterday by Dr. Norman H. Horowitz, professor emeritus of biology
6 "at the California Institute of Technology, who participated in the analysis of the Viking test results. The findings were not ambiguous, he said. 'We have come to the end of the dream,' he said. 'We are alone in the solar system.'
7 "Dr. Joshua Lederberg (Who Nolan mentioned. ~Joe), president of Rockefeller University, said the tests by the Viking landers had decisively ruled out the presence of life on Mars.
"Dr. Levin, who took part in designing the Mars tests, based his case in large measure on his
"Dr. Levin, who took part in designing the Mars tests, based his case in large measure on his
8 "repetitions of the tests on Earth soils, including soils from Antarctica. The experiments involved exposing soil to radioactive substances used as nutrients by life on earth to see if any of them are consumed, releasing radioactive carbon dioxide. Such absorption
9 "occurred in the Mars tests, but it was attributed to chemical reactions unrelated to life processes.
"Dr. Horowitz noted, for example, that the Martian soil picked up for analysis by the Viking sampler had been contaminated by exhaust from the lander's braking rocket.
"Dr. Horowitz noted, for example, that the Martian soil picked up for analysis by the Viking sampler had been contaminated by exhaust from the lander's braking rocket.
10 "Dr. Levin & his colleague, Dr. Patricia A. Straat (She's part of the twist ~Joe), tested his samples of Earth soils in the same manner and found that when they were not sterilized the growth of incorporated radioactivity followed the same pattern as in the Mars tests.
11 "He deplored the apparent loss of interest in efforts to detect life on Mars and argued that a green deposit showing on one rock in the Viking photographs was strikingly like a lichen.
"Some scientists attending the meeting said that while they were not won over, they would
"Some scientists attending the meeting said that while they were not won over, they would
12 "like to see Dr. Levin's results explained.
"Dr. Tobias Owen, professor of astronomy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, suggested that life might have evolved on Mars when its environment was less hostile. 'Don't write it off,' he said,
"Dr. Tobias Owen, professor of astronomy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, suggested that life might have evolved on Mars when its environment was less hostile. 'Don't write it off,' he said,
13 "urging that provision be made in future Mars missions for seeking fossil evidence of life. The conference is also to discuss prospects for Mars exploration."
Link:
nytimes.com/1986/07/22/sci…
Link:
nytimes.com/1986/07/22/sci…
14 I suspect microbial life WAS detected in 1976 but certain gatekeepers may have felt it was 2 early 2 make such an announcement. Why? Bc, IMO, eventually, the connection between Mars, Earth & intelligent life will be obvious, & microbial life is the 1st step 2 getting us there.
15 Must not have that! 🙄
Now, a story most folks probably don't know about.
This thread was inspired by a story Richard Hoagland told back in the Art Bell-days of C2C (late 1990s), and a tweet @Go_Kick_Rocks88 shared with me today.
~~~
Now, a story most folks probably don't know about.
This thread was inspired by a story Richard Hoagland told back in the Art Bell-days of C2C (late 1990s), and a tweet @Go_Kick_Rocks88 shared with me today.
~~~
16 Excerpt: "Mars: The Living Planet," by DiGregorio, Levin & Straat 2011
~~~
July 21st, 1976
"At about 2:00 P.M. PDT, the first color image from the surface of another planet, Mars, began to emerge on the JPL color video monitors located in many of
amazon.com/dp/B004Q7CMFY/…
~~~
July 21st, 1976
"At about 2:00 P.M. PDT, the first color image from the surface of another planet, Mars, began to emerge on the JPL color video monitors located in many of
amazon.com/dp/B004Q7CMFY/…
17 "the surrounding buildings, specifically set up for JPL employees and media personnel to view the Viking images.
"Gil and Ron Levin sat in the main control room where dozens of video monitors and anxious technicians waited to see this historic first color picture.
"Gil and Ron Levin sat in the main control room where dozens of video monitors and anxious technicians waited to see this historic first color picture.
18 "As the image developed on the monitors, the crowd
of scientists, technicians, and media reacted enthusiastically to a scene that would be absolutely unforgettable - Mars in color. The image showed an Arizona-like landscape: blue sky, brownish-red desert soil, and gray rocks
of scientists, technicians, and media reacted enthusiastically to a scene that would be absolutely unforgettable - Mars in color. The image showed an Arizona-like landscape: blue sky, brownish-red desert soil, and gray rocks
19 "with greenish splotches. As with the previous pre-programmed black and white imaging - with panoramas taken in front and back of the Lander - so too was the color imaging sequence programmed for a panorama in front of the Lander and behind it.
20 "However, because the image was so spellbinding, only the first color image remained on the monitors for this day. Gil Levin commented to Patricia Straat and his son Ron, "Look at that image! It looks like Arizona."
(See Color Plate 5.)
(See Color Plate 5.)
21 "Two hours after the first color image appeared on the monitors, a technician abruptly changed the image from the light-blue sky and Arizona-like landscape to a uniform orange-red sky and landscape.
(See Color Plates 6, 7, and 8.)
(See Color Plates 6, 7, and 8.)
22 "Ron Levin looked in disbelief as the technician went from monitor to monitor making the change. Minutes later, Ron followed him, resetting the colors to their original appearance. Levin and Straat were interrupted when they heard someone being chastised.
23 "It was Ron Levin being chewed out by the Viking
Project Director himself, James S. Martin, Jr.
"Gil Levin went immediately and asked, 'What is going on?' Martin had caught Ron changing all the color monitors back to their original settings. He warned
Ron that if he tried
Project Director himself, James S. Martin, Jr.
"Gil Levin went immediately and asked, 'What is going on?' Martin had caught Ron changing all the color monitors back to their original settings. He warned
Ron that if he tried
24 "something like that again, he'd be thrown out of JPL for good. The Director then asked a TWR engineer assisting the Biology Team, Ron Gilje, to follow Ron Levin around to every color monitor and change it back to the red landscape.
25 "What Gil Levin, Ron, and Patricia Straat did not know (even to this writing) is that the order to change the colors came directly from the NASA Administrator himself. Dr. James Fletcher. Months later, Gil Levin sought out the JPL Viking Imaging System technician who actually
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