I've got a whole bunch of science links that have been piling up the last few days, things I've meant to post and haven't...but this first one is the biggest and the best of the lot:

From Nasawatch.com: Water Spotted on Surface of Mars: That is, liquid water. Aqua vitae. The wet stuff. I quote:

According to an item first posted by Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine: "NASA is ready to announce major new findings about the presence of water currently emerging onto the surface of Mars.

If confirmed, this would increase the possibility that microbial life could have existed recently or possibly exists now on the Martian surface. The potential seepage of ground water onto or near the surface has been a key area of investigation by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft (AW&ST Nov. 27, pp. 53-55).

Also...from NewScienceSpace: 13 things that do not make sense. Which is to say, the mysteries of science that make science so damn wonderful. Dark matter. Dark energy. Tetraneutrons. Etc.

And...at Geotimes...Meteorite pre-dates solar system.

Finally, another bit of good news: House GOP Pulls Offshore Drilling Bill:

House Republicans abruptly pulled from floor action Tuesday a bill to open a large area of the eastern Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling after it became clear the legislation lacked the two-thirds vote needed for passage.

It would open 8.3 million acres of the Gulf that is now off limits to drilling...Republicans leaders gave no reason for the decision.

But an aide to a lawmaker strongly supporting the legislation said that a number of Republicans withdrew their support at the last minute and some Democrats also had signaled they would not support the measure.

That's 8.3 million acres that are safe...at least for the time being.

Okay. Brush teeth. Beg Spooky for story. Sleep.