NEWS AND COMMENT Mars 'Face' Dwindles in New Spacecraft Images KENDRICK FRAZIER Orbiter Camera managed to get the best-ever image of the The famous (notorious) "Face on Mars" Face. "We had to roll the has lost face again. spacecraft 25 degrees to center New images of the "Face"—by far the Face in the field of view," the highest resolution ever—taken by Garvin said. "Malin's team the Mars Global Surveyor Spacecraft captured an extraordinary show the face for what it really is, says photo using the camera's NASA, "a mesa." absolute maximum resolu- The image was taken on April 8, tion." Each pixel in the 2001 2001—a clear cloudless day on the images spans 1.56 meters, Cydonia region of Mars—and issued by compared to 43 meters to NASA on May 24. pixel for the best photos taken "It's not easy to target Cydonia," said by the Viking orbiter in 1976, Jim Garvin, chief scientist for NASA's the Discovery photos. High-resolution Image of the "Face on Mars" taken by Mars Global Mars Exploration Program. "In fact, it's Some of the features that Surveyor's Mars Orbiter Camera April 8, 2001, and issued by NASA on hard work. We just don't pass over had looked a bit like a face are May 24. Both images courtesy NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems. the Face very often." still slightly discernible, but in general the die picture actually shows die Martian Nevertheless Michael Malin and his area doesn't look much like a face in die equivalent of a butte or mesa—landforms team in charge of the spacecrafts Mars new high-resolution images. NASA says common around the American West. "It Facing Facts and Saving Face With each new generation of NASA photographs, the so-called Face on Mars, popularized most prominently by Richard C. Hoagland (sec SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November/December 2000 and May/June 2001), is becoming less and less recog- nizable as such. NASA's latest image, obtained on April 8, 2001 (see photo above), had even An Bell (during his nation- wide radio program on the night of May 25) suggesting to Hoagland that it might be time to admit defeat. But Hoagland replied that even if this latest NASA photo "had shown nothing—that [the "Face") was just a hole—I would not have been fazed in the slightest, because you can't undo the mathematical matrix in which this thing is embedded" (a reference to his "tetrahedral geometry" linking the Face to additional artificial structures within the surrounding landscape). NASA's new three-dimensional elevation map, based upon laser altimctry data also obtained in April (see photo on page 6), reveals the Martian landform to be absent both the vertical contours of a face/head and the organs (eyes, nose, mouth) that some have imagined to be present. Unlike overhead photographs, altimetry readings are not subject to the illusions created by quirks of light and shadow. (For more about NASA's newest findings, see http://scicnce.nasa.gov/ headlines/y2001 /ast24may_ 1 .htm.) A curious addendum: During the same Art Bell show, Hoagland and Bell both referred to my May/June SI Follow- up column (expanding upon my original article and clarifying a few points) as a "retraction" in which, according to Bell, I had gone "out of (myl way to say [Hoagland] shouldn't be ridiculed." Bell even pretended to read a nonexistent passage in which I allegedly wrote, "The idea, therefore, that Richard C. Hoagland should be ridiculed for stating that the new [i.e., 1998 light-reversed] Face on Mars photo shows an eastern-side lion head, is ridiculous." And Hoagland played along: "The most amazing thing is Gary Posner's reaction. I mean, the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER can never be con- sidered a prejudiced source in favor of our model, right? For him to say that I shouldn't be ridiculed for proposing this, I believe, and the reason they did the retraction, is they had an inside track from the political side—not the NASA side, but the political side—that there is a Face on Mars, it does have dual [humanoid-lion] imagery, and we're going to go there [with a manned mission] and find out what it means." —Gary P. Posner Gary Posner is founder of the Tampa Bay Skeptics. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER September/October 2001 5 NEWS AND COMMENT prosecutions of alleged sex-rings that occurred in places such as Wenatchee, Washington, and Dade County, Florida. The freedom of Violet Amirault (Gerald's mother) was short-lived, but others had to find jobs and deal with residual legal problems on long-depleted finances. Grant Snowden required an attorney to get his name removed from a list of sex offenders. Carol and Mark Doggett fought to have their children returned. Cheryl Amirault (Gerald's sis- ter) made a deal with prosecutors for her 3-D perspective view of the Face on Mars landform produced from the April 8. 2001. Mars Orbital Camera image and all the available laser altimeter elevation measurements by Mars Global Surveyor's MOLA laser altimeter. release, and so must endure the indigni- ties of probation while forbidden to reminds me most of Middle Butte in the NASA says. "3-D elevation maps reveal speak with television reporters. They all Snake River Plain of Idaho," Garvin said. the formation from any angle, unaltered must face the fact that no one will be The Mars Global Surveyor science by lights and shadow. There are no eyes, held accountable for their prosecutions, team also has used a laser altimeter, no nose, and no mouth." or for tenaciously fighting against their called MOLA, aboard the spacecraft to The latest MGS images are so releases (even when the technique used take hundreds of altitude measurements detailed that Garvin, an avid climber, to build the cases against them—the of the mesa-like features around has detailed a route he would take leading and often coercive questioning Cydonia, including the Face. It is similar in climbing up the 800-foot forma- of children—was discredited). to other mesas, said Garvin. "It's n o t tion. NASA even issued his prospective exotic in any way." trail map. Another column cited by the Pulitzer The laser altimetry data are probably board details the case of New York City doctor Patrick Griffin. A patient accused even more compelling than the optical Kendrick Frazier is editor of the him of oral sodomy after he refused to images in showing the Face is natural. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. testify in a lawsuit filed against die patient's landlord that her medical con- Skeptical Commentary 1996 for Distinguished Commentary "for dition was caused by her landlord's her columns effectively challenging key wtongdoing. The last cited column tells Wins Pulitzer Prize cases of alleged child abuse." For "her the story of David Schaer, and the lack journalistic achievements and. her of due process he received from Brandeis The Pulitzer Prize board awarded the writing on false sexual abuse charges" the University when he was accused of sex- 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished National Association of Criminal Defense ual misconduct. Commentary to Dorothy Rabinowitz of Lawyers awarded her its 1997 Champion Rabinowitz is the author of New the Wall Street Journal" (ot her articles on of Justice Award. Rabinowitz was also Lives: Survivors of the Holocaust Living American society and culture." Notable nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in in America and co-author, with Yedida among the ten articles cited by the board Criticism in 1995 and 1998 for her tele- Nielsen, of Home Life: A Story of were five articles challenging questionable vision critiques, and in 1993 the Old Age. Her prize-winning work allegations of sexual abuse. (Four of die American Society of Newspaper Editors can be read at the Pulitzer Web site: cited articles commented on the 2000 awarded her a Distinguished Writing www.pulitzer.org/ycar/2001 /commen U.S. presidential election and die remain- Award for Commentary. tary, and her continuing work can ing article discussed Rudolph Giulianis Of the five skeptical columns cited by be read at: www.opinionjournal.com/ recommending a pardon for Michael the Pulitzer board, two dealt exclusively medialog and on the editorial and tele- Milken.) A jury of seven journalists nom- with the Fells Acres day-care prosecution vision pages of the Wall Street Journal inated Rabinowitz among four finalists, of Maiden, Massachusetts, for which —Douglas E. Hill from which the Pulitzer Prize board chose Gerald Amirault was imprisoned. her as die winner. Amirault remains imprisoned at press Douglas E. Hill, e-mail at dehill Rabinowitz has long used her Wall time, diough clemency has been recom- @uci.edu, is a graduate student in logic Street Journal editorial page column to mended. One dealt with the diffi- and philosophy of science. University of criticize dubious sex-abuse prosecutions cult aftermath of those who have California, Irvine, and president of and champion die falsely accused. She been released after long struggles to Students for Science and Skepticism at prove dieir innocence in the dubious was previously nominated for a Pulitzer in L/C Irvine, http://spirit.dos.ufi.edu/sss. 6 September/October 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER NEWS AND COMMENT Pediatric Chiropractic many as half the chiropractors in UFO Believers Sighted Canada may be using illegal tools for Found to be Mostly diagnosis; chiropractors often employ in Nation's Capital! 'Quackery' in News scare tactics on parents of young chil- A group of people who believe in UFOs Investigation dren to build their practices; and more held a news conference in Washington than 70 percent of Toronto-area chiro- May 9 that established beyond the Judy Matthews is an active eleven-year- practors contacted in a random phone shadow of a doubt—that reached levels old girl who plays baseball and soccer.