[meteorite-list] Lowell

From: Francis Graham <francisgraham_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:02:26 2004
Message-ID: <20020308214410.8766.qmail_at_web12903.mail.yahoo.com>

Dear List,
  And yet while there are similarities between
Hoagland and Lowell (both asserted Martian
intelligence was indicated by the evidence) there was
a difference. Lowell was working in the late 19th
century with cutting-edge instrumentry and did fully
engage in the scientific community. His observation of
straight line features on Mars, if not an optical
illusion, would have led reasonably to the conclusion
that an intelligence was at work on Mars. Alas, it was
an illusion caused by viewing lineages of irregular
features at enormous distances at the limit of
resolution.
   Hoagland followers' rejection of the spacecraft
data of Mars Global Explorer and claims of a
conspiracy are not things Lowell would have done.
    Viewing Mars at favorable oppositions through
moderate instruments of the size Lowell used shows
canals just like Lowell saw. It's an optical illusion.
It was novel for Lowell. When he first put forth his
ideas, the man simply had no way of knowing he was
being fooled.

Francis Graham

    


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Received on Fri 08 Mar 2002 04:44:10 PM PST