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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular

Norway
1273 Posts

Posted - 04/13/2012 :  21:16:30  Show Profile Send On fire for Christ a Private Message  Reply with Quote

HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 04/13/2012 :  21:31:40   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well, yes, it kind of looks like a "monolith" ("one rock," the same meaning as "Einstein"). And if it's on Mars, it's "alien" in that sense. I can't see how you could call it "ancient," though. It might still be under warranty, for all one can tell.

The resolution is essentially useless to tell us anything interesting, though. Also, it would help to have the scale, the source, and the location of the image.

Since the monolith is not black as in 2001: A Space Odyssey, it cannot be important. I would pay it no attention. Nothing here, people, move along.

Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
Edited by - HalfMooner on 04/13/2012 21:36:09
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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13476 Posts

Posted - 04/13/2012 :  21:58:33   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
'Monolith' Object on Mars? You Could Call It That

According to Jonathon Hill, a research technician and mission planner at the Mars Space Flight Facility at Arizona State University, who processes many of the images taken during NASA's Mars missions, the object in question is no more than a roughly rectangular boulder.

The HiRISE camera that photographed it has a resolution of approximately 1 foot (30 centimeters) per pixel — impressive considering the 180-mile (300-kilometer) altitude from which it photographs the Martian surface, but not quite sharp enough to capture the cragginess of a mid-size boulder. "When your resolution is too low to fully resolve an object, it tends to look rectangular because the pixels in the image are squares. Any curve will look like a series of straight lines if you reduce your resolution enough," Hill told Life's Little Mysteries.

The location of the boulder at the bottom of a cliff near many other boulders suggests it broke off the cliff and tumbled to its current spot sometime in the distant past, Hill said. Such a perilous location is itself an argument against deliberate placement by aliens: "If I was going to build a monolith somewhere, that's the last place I would put it!" he said. "The debris falling from the cliff would cover it up pretty quickly, on geologic timescales."

Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.

Why not question something for a change?

Genetic Literacy Project
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular

Norway
1273 Posts

Posted - 04/13/2012 :  22:18:02   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send On fire for Christ a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Kil

Such a perilous location is itself an argument against deliberate placement by aliens: "If I was going to build a monolith somewhere, that's the last place I would put it!" he said. "The debris falling from the cliff would cover it up pretty quickly, on geologic timescales."



I love it when people presume that they know the motivations/intentions of ancient aliens. It's almost as hilarious as when they assume to know the mind of God.

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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13476 Posts

Posted - 04/13/2012 :  22:21:26   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by On fire for Christ

Originally posted by Kil

Such a perilous location is itself an argument against deliberate placement by aliens: "If I was going to build a monolith somewhere, that's the last place I would put it!" he said. "The debris falling from the cliff would cover it up pretty quickly, on geologic timescales."



I love it when people presume that they know the motivations/intentions of ancient aliens. It's almost as hilarious as when they assume to know the mind of God.
Whatever. It's just a rock.

Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.

Why not question something for a change?

Genetic Literacy Project
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HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 04/13/2012 :  22:28:36   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by On fire for Christ

Originally posted by Kil

Such a perilous location is itself an argument against deliberate placement by aliens: "If I was going to build a monolith somewhere, that's the last place I would put it!" he said. "The debris falling from the cliff would cover it up pretty quickly, on geologic timescales."



I love it when people presume that they know the motivations/intentions of ancient aliens. It's almost as hilarious as when they assume to know the mind of God.
Noting that a landslide zone would be a bad place for a lasting object to be placed is hardly a stretch, it seems to me.

Aliens would be dealing with at least some of the same constraints of the physical universe that we deal with. Even if their technology is somehow capable of withstanding and recovering from landslides, they would be dumb to invite such an event when there are perfectly fine sites all round Mars that aren't in the direct path of slides.

One law that has to be universal is that of the real estate business: "Location, location, location!"

Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular

Norway
1273 Posts

Posted - 04/13/2012 :  23:22:47   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send On fire for Christ a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Ancient aliens look down on Earth, one of them says "is that a city?" The other one says, "don't be silly, who would build a city on a major fault line".

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HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 04/13/2012 :  23:57:12   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by On fire for Christ

Ancient aliens look down on Earth, one of them says "is that a city?" The other one says, "don't be silly, who would build a city on a major fault line".

Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
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HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 04/14/2012 :  00:17:17   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
The human brain is evolved to see familiar patterns in the overwhelming noise of our senses. This can be a very important trick. Thinking that a speckled fawn shadow in some bushes is a leopard may be wrong 99% of the time, but when it's right, thinking that may save a hominid's life. So our brains are wired to see patterns even where there is nothing of importance.

Early astronomers using telescopes through the distorting interference of Earth's atmosphere likewise connected the crater dots on Mars to create canals in their brains.

This effect is called pareidolia. It is also responsible for a lot of Jesus, Mary, UFO, lake monster and Elvis sightings.

I've stared at Mars photos for many hours. Interesting stuff all over the place, but nothing truly "anomalous."

Below is one example I found, where a random scattering of rocks has happened to fall in such a manner as to make one's brain connect the "pattern" with something trivially familiar. I call this one "Marshenge":


Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict

2830 Posts

Posted - 04/14/2012 :  15:54:57   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send sailingsoul a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by On fire for Christ
It's almost as hilarious as when they assume to know the mind of God.
Right on! But I too find it hilarious when theists assume to know the mind of God also. Only for me not "almost" but more so.

There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS
Edited by - sailingsoul on 04/14/2012 16:05:35
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict

2830 Posts

Posted - 04/14/2012 :  16:02:53   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send sailingsoul a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by HalfMooner

This effect is called pareidolia. It is also responsible for a lot of Jesus, Mary, UFO, lake monster and Elvis sightings.
Or the face of god just above and left the red circle. Must be from a sunday as he appears to be sleeping or resting.

There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS
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Hawks
SFN Regular

Canada
1383 Posts

Posted - 04/14/2012 :  16:56:16   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Hawks's Homepage Send Hawks a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by On fire for Christ

Originally posted by Kil

Such a perilous location is itself an argument against deliberate placement by aliens: "If I was going to build a monolith somewhere, that's the last place I would put it!" he said. "The debris falling from the cliff would cover it up pretty quickly, on geologic timescales."



I love it when people presume that they know the motivations/intentions of ancient aliens. It's almost as hilarious as when they assume to know the mind of God.
Or knowing ANYTHING about any god.

METHINKS IT IS LIKE A WEASEL
It's a small, off-duty czechoslovakian traffic warden!
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Dave W.
Info Junkie

USA
26020 Posts

Posted - 04/14/2012 :  23:54:22   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Dave W.'s Homepage Send Dave W. a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by On fire for Christ

I love it when people presume that they know the motivations/intentions of ancient aliens. It's almost as hilarious as when they assume to know the mind of God.
Like, "have faith that Jesus died for your sins and you'll have everlasting life?" Yeah, that's a real knee-slapper.

- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too.
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular

Norway
1273 Posts

Posted - 04/15/2012 :  05:39:28   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send On fire for Christ a Private Message  Reply with Quote
sure ignore the fact people are assigning human motivations to Ancient Aliens, and get sidetracked on something I said about God. How typically evasive of you all.

Edited by - On fire for Christ on 04/15/2012 05:47:01
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HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 04/15/2012 :  05:56:34   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by On fire for Christ

sure ignore the fact people are assigning human motivations to Ancient Aliens, and get sidetracked on something I said about God. How typically evasive of you all. [Mooner's emohasis.]
All? Isn't that a bit extreme?

Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular

Norway
1273 Posts

Posted - 04/15/2012 :  06:05:45   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send On fire for Christ a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I'm an extreme kind of guy

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