Re: Martian "Canals'

From: Jim Walters (walterj_at_inav.net)
Date: 09/29/04 

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 02:54:07 -0500

Chris L Peterson wrote:

> On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 02:59:54 -0500, Jim Walters <walterj@inav.net> wrote:
>
> >Im surprised at your reply. You are too intelligent, and experienced, for
> >this.
>
> So, what? You think that those observers who reported and documented linear
> structures on Mars were just fabricating this from nothing? Deliberately, maybe?

No not deliberately, with the possible exception being Lowell. Lowell was
a mixed bag with vested interests. I think once socalled 'linear' structures had
been seen and reported, that set the stage of expectation, as it were, especially in
that time and era with so much going on in the world at the time. It created a kind
of professional pressure (of expectation) finally fueled by the media serving a
wider social agenda, but again a number of credible observers did not (never did)
see or report 'linear' structures. And several laughed and
said "they do not exist".

The eye-brain tends to look for linearity, in obscurity. We tend to use
linearity as markers for building a more correct interpretation. Linearity played a
large role in that era vs now? Scientific observers of the era would especially look
for and want, "structure". Later generations would this: Rigidity!

I read someplace a long time ago that the original suggestion for 'canali'
was not necessarily meant to imply 'water conveyance', or intelligent
building of canals, but was merely a metephor ...... straight line features
like canals. But this was provisional and temporary. Nobody seriously believed there
were Martians building canals until the media got involved.
I dont know that Lowell even pushed this idea, but he did not divorce
himself from it either. All the attention assured funding.

Contrast this with several later generations who all "believed" and were
even taught in universities that the blues, greens, reds, ochre tones, etc
were evidence of the seasonal grow and retraction of plant material on Mars,
especially in the northern Martian hemisphere fed by the northern polar cap ______
just look, you can see it! And we saw it. In 1958 I stood at an 8"
Clark with twelve professors around me discussing this in depth and not a
one offering any objection to the ______hypothesis.

Public and professional consciousness has trully changed from what it was when Lowel
and Slipher etal strode the Earthand did their work. Moreover,
public and professional ethics have changed, in some quarters, because of
a basic change in knowldge.

Lowell didnt have the faintest idea what he was seeing, to be factual. It is
my recollection he finally admited as much (when he was too old, secure,
and retired for it to matter any longer).

I have said nothing so far about the technical issues involved in that era
which could have easily been applied to the hypothesis of 'canali', but
which were not applied as a general fact. People knew something about
optics then and what we could and could not resolve at the distance of Mars,
with telescopes of the day. It boggles my mind that in 1958 I stood listening
to professional talk about "plant life" on Mars then shortly in another venue in
1960, the professionals around me knew and said "plant life" on Mars is
rubbish, and had 10,000 facts to back that up.

Put yourself back in Lowel's niche and circumstances. What would you
have done and seen? Then if you had moved to another venue just five
years later, what would you have thought and done differently? But Lowel
did not move. He stayed right where he was. He had tenure! (hee hee)

Jim

>

>
>
> We all know now that the structures are not real. What is your explanation for
> what people were seeing?
>
> _________________________________________________
>
> Chris L Peterson
> Cloudbait Observatory
> http://www.cloudbait.com

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