Spudge wrote:

reading on the new scientist website about some of the mars rock analysis,
there are 2 formation possibilities left for the rock with 'balls'
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994658

"The first of the remaining two explanations is that the rocks are layers of
volcanic ash, interspersed with droplets of molten rock spewed out by
volcanoes or meteorite impacts and then frozen into glassy beads.

The second scenario involves layers of ash or fine windblown dust that later
were penetrated by mineral-rich water, which deposited successive layers of
material onto the grains, building them up into spheres"

it appears that by using the mass spectrometer the correct explanation will
be known.

it strikes me that the outcome of this test, and others, will have a huge
influence on the short term (100yrs or so) timetable for solar system
exploration, finding good evidence of water on mars should speed up the
space program but a lack of water evidence could curb public and financial
interest, the results of these tests could decide if a man walks on mars is
our lifetime

The money would be better spent sending probes to Europa - plenty of
water there with the potential for life.

--

Peter