Rediff On The NeT: Transcript of the Meenakshi Wadhwa Chat


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The Meenakshi Wadhwa Chat

Vikas (Mon Jan 20 20:14:56 1997 IST):

In your opinion, has NASA rushed to press too fast with this "life on Mars" hypothesis, a la Pons/Fleischman a few years back with "cold fusion"?

Viking (Mon Jan 20 20:15:38 1997 IST):

Andromeda (Mon Jan 20 20:18:05 1997 IST):

Thank you for your kind reponse. In your opinion,is it possible for life to exist on any of the planets in the vicinity?

Viking (Mon Jan 20 20:18:12 1997 IST):

Whether realy these meteorites samples from MARS prooved the evidence of past primitive life, water, weather surface or atmosphere?

Luke Skywalker (Mon Jan 20 20:18:36 1997 IST):

Why do you believe NASA overplayed the life on Mars theory? What did they gain by promoting a theory that was so shaky, scientfically?

QUE94201 (Mon Jan 20 20:18:45 1997 IST):

QUE94201 (Mon Jan 20 20:19:24 1997 IST):

Scientists found the rocks, called it EETA79001, QUE94201, ALHA77005.. could you please explain us the classification of the names like Y793605.. ALH84001..?

Meenakshi Wadhwa (Mon Jan 20 20:19:27 1997 IST):

QUE94201: It seems you already know something about the names given to the martian meteorites found in Antarctica. In anycase, names of meteorites such as EETA79001, ALH84001 etc. are given to identify the area in Antarctica and the year in which these meteorites were collected. For example, the ALH84001 meteorite was collected in the ALLAN HILLS area in the field season of 1984 and the specimen number was 001.

Luke Skywalker (Mon Jan 20 20:20:56 1997 IST):

What are you working on currently? Is all your work connected with extraterresterial activity?

Viking (Mon Jan 20 20:21:20 1997 IST):

How old they are? How long the meteorites spent time or years in space before landing at various sites on Earth?

Meenakshi Wadhwa (Mon Jan 20 20:22:10 1997 IST):

Luke Skywalker: I really do not believe that NASA deliberately pushed this "life on Mars" theory; the scientists did independant reasearch and announced their results. It is a question that still is very much open; it will be exciting to see is it holds up under more intensive study.

ZoRk39e4 (Mon Jan 20 20:22:27 1997 IST):

meenakshi, is the gas concentration in alh84001 the same as mars would have had 1.6 billion years ago, from a time when you claim the carbonites were formed. if that is so i will be more comfortable believing your results.

QUE94201 (Mon Jan 20 20:22:36 1997 IST):

Please tell us about MARS atmosphere evolution?

R2D2 (Mon Jan 20 20:23:40 1997 IST):

Meenakshi,to return to the is there life on Mars question? In the US of A, where everything comes under intense scrutiny, why is NASA's claim not being subjected the same scientific investigation? Do you think the life on Mars theory will eventually turn out to be a Piltdown Man- like hoax?

X-Files (Mon Jan 20 20:25:37 1997 IST):

Meenakshi: Is the American government holding back information about the existence of Extra terrestrial life? Do they have conclusive evidence to prove such a probability but they are hiding it? What is yuour opinion on this conpiracy theory?

astroidET422101 (Mon Jan 20 20:26:47 1997 IST):

meenakshi, from all this can we say mars is older than earth in terms of evolution of life?

Viking (Mon Jan 20 20:27:08 1997 IST):

Whether realy these meteorites samples from MARS prooved the evidence of past primitive life, water, weather surface or atmosphere?

Luke Skywalker (Mon Jan 20 20:28:00 1997 IST):

Thanks, Meenakshi. Having worked with NASA, what kind of an organisation is it? We in India know it only from accounts of the Apollo missions and, of course, from Ron Howard's Apollo 13. But how professional is it these days?

Luke Skywalker (Mon Jan 20 20:28:01 1997 IST):

Meenakshi Wadhwa (Mon Jan 20 20:30:39 1997 IST):

R2D2: Certainly the question of whether or not the evidence of fossilized primitive life in the Mars meteorite is true has already come under a lot of scientific scrutiny. There are quite a few other researchers who are currenly working on trying to prove/disprove this. I do not think this is a hoax; this is simply the scientific process at work.

R2D2 (Mon Jan 20 20:30:51 1997 IST):

Do you believe there is life out there? The search for life out there is, in my humble opinion, the search for the Holy Grail. Do you really believe we are all alone?

Viking (Mon Jan 20 20:32:32 1997 IST):

Whether realy these meteorites samples from MARS prooved the evidence of past primitive life, water, weather surface or atmosphere?

R2D2 (Mon Jan 20 20:32:42 1997 IST):

hanks, Meenakshi. I just want to ask you -- having lived in this country -- whether the scientific standards of investigation in this country are as vigorous. In India, we would perhaps blindly accept half-baked theories -- witness the Ramar Pillai petrol hoax -- would you have anything to say on this issue?

QUE94201 (Mon Jan 20 20:33:22 1997 IST):

Meenakshi, Whether life ever did or still does exist on the Red Planet???

Andromeda (Mon Jan 20 20:34:22 1997 IST):

A personal query: What are you doing in India?

ZoRk39e4 (Mon Jan 20 20:34:40 1997 IST):

meenakshi, why r u avoiding my gas question. it's important

HERE. I POST IT AGAIN: Is the gas concentration in alh84001 the same as Mars would have had 1.6 billion years ago, from a time when you claim the carbonites were formed. If that is so I will be more comfortable believing your results.

Meenakshi Wadhwa (Mon Jan 20 20:40:40 1997 IST):

QUE94201: Without going into too much detail, the atmosphere of Mars was initially formed from degassing of volatiles from the planet. It is believed that early in the history of Mars, the atmosphere was quite thick, and over time there has been significant loss (into space) of this atmosphere, such that the current martian atmosphere (which is made mostly of carbon dioxide and nitrogen) is orders of magnitude thinner than that of the Earth.

Meenakshi Wadhwa (Mon Jan 20 20:41:26 1997 IST):

X-files: I do not believe in any conspiracy thoeries.

Katie Shaw (Mon Jan 20 20:42:49 1997 IST):

Meenakshi: And why don't you belive in any conspiracy theories??

Meenakshi Wadhwa (Mon Jan 20 20:43:03 1997 IST):

X-files: I do not believe in any conspiracy theories.

QUE94201 (Mon Jan 20 20:44:46 1997 IST):

Thanks Meenakshi,

QUE94201 (Mon Jan 20 20:45:30 1997 IST):

What is the difference between martian meteorites and typical igneous meteorites from asteroids?

Max Castle (Mon Jan 20 20:47:25 1997 IST):

Meenakshi: What is it like being a researcher at NASA?

Meenakshi Wadhwa (Mon Jan 20 20:47:37 1997 IST):

ZoRk39e4: The gas question....well, we do not really know what the composition of the gases trapped within the carbonates is yet. You'll just have to wait for that one when the data becomes available with more studies of this rock. By the way, how many of you had even heard of meteorites from Mars before this "life- on-Mars" event happened last August?

Max Castle (Mon Jan 20 20:51:13 1997 IST):

Meenakshi: I have for one to admit I hadn't heard about meteorites before this life on Mars episode. But then I would also like to blame it on the so called unapproachability of these subjects that keeps away the layman.

QUE94201 (Mon Jan 20 20:52:12 1997 IST):

MARS had very simple forms of life before organic life forms appeared on Earth is it true?

ZoRk39e4 (Mon Jan 20 20:52:34 1997 IST):

hey guys. let's come up with 'ayes' and 'nays'to quickly find out how many of us knew about mars meteorites before the life on mars controvery

Meenakshi Wadhwa (Mon Jan 20 20:53:04 1997 IST):

Max Castle: I find my research to be a lot of fun! It can be quite grueling at time, but I wouldf never do it I didn't enjoy it so much. I recommend it highly.

ZoRk39e4 (Mon Jan 20 20:56:22 1997 IST):

Max is right Meenakshi. I too admit having heard of Martian meteorites but that's because I am a kind of a buff. But why are you scientists so damned jargoned and mystic. Why not collaborate with the media and keep the wonder level of the public high. It's better than leaglising marijuana.

Continued