BBC Focus Magazine

[Shadowwolf]

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has found bright veins of a mineral, apparently gypsum, deposited by water. Analysis of the vein will help improve understanding of the history of wet environments on Mars.

"This tells a slam-dunk story that water flowed through underground fractures in the rock," said Steve Squyres of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., principal investigator for Opportunity. "This stuff is a fairly pure chemical deposit that formed in place right where we see it. That can't be said for other gypsum seen on Mars or for other water-related minerals Opportunity has found. It's not uncommon on Earth, but on Mars, it's the kind of thing that makes geologists jump out of their chairs.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111207182031.htm

[M Paul Lloyd]

So their was water in the rocks at least.

[Jamie]

So there'll be no shortage of drywall for any bases. Excellent.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Can't beat a nice bit o' shale can yee.

I can see tomatoes ripening in my Martian greenhouse already.

[nemisis39]

That would be green tomatoes then

[M Paul Lloyd]

Well, they do make an excellent Chutney.

[Healerman]

Nah! Got to go with red. I mean, Red Planet Tomatoes, it's a natural.

[M Paul Lloyd]

A yes but how about 'the greening of Mars' ? Might be a good selling point.

[Shadowwolf]

Red Planet Tomatoes, it's a natural.

Marketers would jump at that kind of thing, the name says red but they're green!

[M Paul Lloyd]

Did you know that the tomatoes you buy in the shop are made redder by pumping ethylene gas into the shipping containers.

Not a lot of people know that.

Oh and carrots used to have purple skins.

[Shadowwolf]

That's because ethylene accelerates the ripening process, it can be emitted naturally and why your bowl piled high with fruit goes off faster than lone items.

[M Paul Lloyd]

true, especially by bananas.