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NASA letter provides few answers, raises
many questions
[To see the letter
this article refers to, click here]
As Director of FACETS, I was indeed "ecstatic" (as
quoted by MSNBC.com's Alan Boyle) that NASA responded in a positive
way to FACETS' request for more imagery of the "Face on Mars."
I was less than thrilled, however, to find glaring inconsistencies between
claims made in the official NASA response and apparent reality. Upon review
of Dr. Weiler's letter three important issues come to mind. If we hope to
ever set this issue to rest these issues must be addressed:
1) In several places Dr. Weiler's letter states that as of the date
of the letter (presumably May 11, 2001) image(s) of the "face"
were already publicly available. Specifically:
None of the images acquired to date by the MGS/MOC system have been
withheld and indeed, several recently acquired (April 8, 2001) images...have
been released via multiple public web sites. (Paragraph 1)
...NASA has assembled public web site access of ALL MGS images acquired
of the Cydonia Face feature since the start of MGS scientific observations.
(Paragraph 1)
These data are released and available for interpretation by the FACETS
members. (Paragraph 4)
[Posting of the data] was accomplished at the end of the last week (by
April 19), and the data released on that date. (Paragraph 4)
(1) all images of the Cydonia area have been released on the internet
(via www.msss.com and other public NASA sites via JPL) (Paragraph 5)
...MOC images...of the Cydonia features...have been released via the
internet. (Paragraph 5)
In reference to these multiple assurances, it is curious that not a single
member of the public could find the "publicly available" images
until they were displayed prominently on the MSSS web site over one month
after their supposed publication on the web. Exactly when and where on
"multiple public web sites" was this data placed prior to May
24, 2001?
2) Dr. Weiler comments that the newest Cydonia image was "publicly
released to permit further debate about controversial and enigmatic landforms
on Mars." If the "face," which Dr. Weiler also describes
as an "intriguing mesa-like feature," is controversial, enigmatic
and intriguing, one might presume that peer reviewed NASA discussion of
the object might be found in the scientific literature. Though several
papers supporting the "artificiality hypothesis" have been submitted
to recognized journals (see partial list below), the only NASA contributions
to the "face" issue are the anonymous document "Technical
Review of The Monuments of Mars" and the anonymous, undated document
"Information on NASA Re-photographing the Cydonia Region of Mars"
Carlotto, Mark J., "Digital Imagery Analysis of Unusual Martian Surface
Features." Applied Optics, Vol. 27, No. 10, 1988.
Brandenburg, DiPietro and Molenaar, "The Cydonian Hypothesis,"
Journal of Scientific Exploration, Vol. 5, No. 1, pages 1-25 (1991)
O'Leary, B., "Analysis of Images of the Face on Mars and Possible
Intelligent Origin." Journal of the British Interplanetary Society,
Vol. 43, No. 5, May 1990.
[For a list of other analyses of
the Cydonia land forms, click here]
According to Dr. Weiler: "Dr. Michael Malin...has provided his experienced
interpretation of the new images..." FACETS asks Dr. Weiler and Dr.
Malin to provide FACETS with a copy of this interpretation in a dated,
authored form. Dr. Weiler also states that "...the Scientific [sic]
advisory committees that formally advise NASA have not interpreted the
Cydonia feature as evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence." FACETS
asks NASA to provide to it references for any dated, authored opinions,
reports, memos or articles created by such "advisory committees."
3) Dr. Weiler states that "NASA favors exploring the Universe for
evidence of biological processes..." Given NASA's acknowledged bias
toward biological processes, FACETS is concerned that such bias may lead
to an unscientific attitude toward other kinds of evidence (such as that
supporting advanced intelligence). FACETS therefore asks that the following
conditions be met for all future imaging conducted at FACETS' behest:
a. Opportunities to image FACETS targets will be announced in advance via
prominent placement on public web sites
b. Images of FACETS targets will be posted to the World Wide Web in prominent
places on public web sites
c. Images will be of the highest resolution possible
d. Images will be posted in the form of "raw" data, immediately
as they are acquired
e. All auxiliary data normally accompanying high resolution MGS images
will be posted with images immediately
f. Any delays in the release of imagery or auxiliary data will be explained
in detail immediately
Because these issues are of paramount importance and need further
clarification, FACETS is addressing them in a follow-up letter to Dr. Weiler.
The official response to these inquiries will be posted when a response
is received.
--David Jinks
June 5, 2001
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