if development of mars were to occur as suggested ie modify its soil and atmosphere i would hope that a thorough investigation of any life present to be conducted. although there are certain cases where specicide is deemed acceptable eg certain mosquito's by olivia judson, we should at least have good reasons for planned extinctions.

I want to know how to get radioactive material, those heavy unstable elements that decay, into the core.

Water?

Ahum... Re-read carefully what they published. From the first sample baking, they stated very carefully that the minerals must have been processed by water there or somewhere else in the past.

I'd like to read "this quantity of water evaporated at this low temperature from the sample" and not "traces at 1000°C". With a chromatograph and a mass spectrometer, they can sniff few molecules of water which, at that temperature, is rather crystallization water like in concrete or alumina, unavailable to life.

So from what I could read up to now, the result is rather "no water" in any usable form nor interesting amount, and not "water available".

The white marks that sublimated can be anything volatile, not necessarily water ice. Maybe just CO2 ice?

Still hoping that they will be able to dig deeper and then find authentic water ice in significant amounts. I guess Phoenix's people also await more results to publish clearer statements.

One thing about space exploration that must really miff these self-righteous christian tossers is how the planets and other bodies are named after non-christian religions.