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From: UFO UpDates - Toronto <updates@sympatico.ca>
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 11:29:58 -0400
Fwd Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 11:29:58 -0400
Subject: 'Mars Face Breaks Under Questioning'

http://www.space.com/opinionscolumns/opinions/ford_000613.html

Mars Face Breaks Under Questioning

By Pete Ford
posted: 07:10 pm ET
13 June 2000



Opinions

Many people remain convinced that the "Face on Mars" is
artificial, and that the government is concealing its true
nature. Such arguments raise a number of questions that Face
enthusiasts have yet to convincingly answer, writes Pete Ford.



There's been controversy about the "Face on Mars" since the
Viking orbiter photographed it in 1976. The feature's
resemblance to a human face is intriguing, and many people see
in that resemblance not an accident or trick of light, but
rather the work of intelligent extraterrestrials.

After nearly a quarter century the debate has, if anything,
intensified. Numerous books and websites claim that the Face was
built by aliens, from Mars or elsewhere. The argument often
extends to other features of Mars' Cydonia region, such as the
"Pyramid" and the "Inca City."

Proponents of such artificiality often argue that NASA has been
aware of such since 1976 but is engaged in a cover-up, since if
the agency acknowledged "the truth," global panic would ensue.
They also tend to complain, as in a recent letter to SPACE.com,
that their arguments aren't taken seriously.

(NASA, for its part, states it has "no official opinion" on the
Face, but adds: "Most planetary scientists agree that, although
there is insufficient data to make a definitive analysis of the
feature, it is highly unlikely to be anything other than a
combination of a natural feature and unusual lighting
conditions.")

The arguments for artificiality raise a number of questions:

If NASA knew, or even suspected, that the features of Cydonia
were not of natural origin and had reason to hide the discovery,
why did they not suppress the images in 1976?

Why would extraterrestrials sculpt a human face on the surface
of Mars? If this is an indication that it is intended for human
eyes, why didn’t they make it large enough to be seen with an
Earth-based telescope or, better still, build it on Earth’s
moon?

The Viking orbiter pictures were taken when the sun was very low
in the martian sky. The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft took
pictures when the sun was about 25 degrees above the horizon,
and these show no resemblance to a face. If somebody wanted to
create such a feature and make it large enough to be seen from
space, why would they carve it in such a way that it is only
visible when the sun is low in the sky?

If NASA were to state publicly that the Cydonia features were
artificial, would people really panic? A few years ago a hole in
the ozone layer was discovered and later was reported to be
growing. Further reports indicated the hole may already be
causing increased incidence of skin cancer. Here was a real
danger with immediate consequences. Did anyone try to suppress
the information? Did anyone panic?


Why Would Extraterrestrials Sculpt A Human Face On The Surface
Of Mars?

Another example: every few weeks we get more news about the
possibility of life on Jupiter's moon Europa. There appears to
be water there, and many scientists think the chances for some
kind of life are good. Both the scientific community and NASA
appear excited at the possibility. Are you panicking yet?

Could NASA, or any government agency, keep information about
intelligent extraterrestrial life a secret for 24 years? I don't
believe they could keep something like this quiet for 24 hours.
Consider how readily information on some government policy or
scandal leaks out, often to the embarrassment of officials.

Given the lack of hard evidence for artificiality in Cydonia,
why are there so many books and articles claiming otherwise? A
simple explanation is plausible: The authors are trading on
public ignorance and gullibility to swell their own bank
balances. They build on ignorance to create a market for more
books.

I hope and believe a piloted mission to Mars will be undertaken
within the next few years. I hope whoever goes can spare the
time and resources to visit Cydonia. Even this won’t end the
controversy; those that stand to lose the most -- the authors of
all those books -- will simply write up more books about
cover-ups.

The most effective way to resolve the Cydonia controversy is to
improve the standard of scientific education for the general
public, and to promote critical thinking as a central part of
that education. Perhaps then the focus will shift to more
pressing issues -- such as global warming exacerbated by
deforestation. Think of all the trees that got pulped to make
books about the Face on Mars.


Pete Ford is lead programmer analyst for a company in Dallas,
Texas where he lives with his artist wife and two boys. He is
currently writing a science-fiction novel, as well as articles
for science magazines.