Mars Tilt Shifted, Says Theory

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 15:38:15 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: Scientists believe massive volcanic events forced a redistribution of mass at Mars' surface, causing its poles to shift.

Clip Source: dsc.discovery.com

Scientists firing the latest salvo of opinions over the mystery of Mars' water say they have new evidence to back the theory that a mighty ocean once washed over much of the Red Planet's surface.

The theory — derived from photos snapped by orbiters and geological and chemical data sent home by rovers Spirit and Opportunity — is that as much as a third of Mars' surface was once covered by water.

The cornerstone of this idea is that there are remarkable "shoreline" features visible in a ring thousands of miles long on the planet's northern hemisphere lowlands.

But there's a big problem: these intriguing features are at widely different altitudes, with elevation varying by several thousands of feet instead of all being at "sea level" as they should be.

Harvard University scientist Taylor Perron and colleagues say that there is a reason for this discrepancy.

Tags: space, mars, planets, solar system, science

We Are Sick And Tired Of George W. Bush

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 12:53:27 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

Last week's presidential tour featured lots of protest and precious little adulation. In the Czech Republic, demonstrators greeted Bush with signs reading "Bush number one terrorist." In Italy, where more than two dozen CIA agents face criminal trial for the illegal "rendition" of terror suspects, tens of thousands of anti-Bush protesters took to the streets. At the Vatican, the pope took Bush to task over the Iraq war. Only in Albania did Bush receive a rapturous welcome — though video footage led to speculation that in the celebration an Albanian Bush "fan" may have relieved the president of his watch.

Come to think of it, there is one thing for which we should all give the president credit. Bush famously promised to be a uniter, not a divider — and at long last, he may have managed to keep that promise. Though there's still much that divides us, the nation and the world are increasingly united on at least one issue: We're sick and tired of the presidency of George W. Bush.

Tags: united, we, stand

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Mars Tilt Shifted, Says Theory

We Are Sick And Tired Of George W. Bush