Mars Meme, Power Point

[grapes]

I just received the Mars Meme (Is it August already?) but this time it was in Power Point, nicely illustrated, with the image of Mars identical in size next to the moon. Amazing.

[AndreasJ]

So ... as large as the full moon at 56 million km ... works out at about 480 000 km for the diameter of Mars. I dare say the ol' bloke is taking steroids.

[KaiYeves]

My grandmother sent that to me last week. I sent her this NASA article explaining how it's fake and closed with:

"I'm not saying that you're gullible or silly or anything, my science teacher fell for that two years back. You're very intelligent. Now you just stay smart and healthy so I can send you a postcard from Mars someday!"

[Swift]

A classic. If it is in PowerPoint, it must be true.

[Jim]

I got a version of it, and started to freak out. "Arrrrrrgh! Again!!??"

But then I noticed it said that Mars would look as big as the full moon at 75x magnification. So, someone caught and fixed that at least.

[Paul Beardsley]

I'm going through a mental list of people I want to email to say, "Please do not forward that Mars story to me. I have seen it before, many times, and it's nonsense."

In my mailing list I'd include two or three of people who are well known for not being especially gullible or ill-informed just so that the others on the mailing list won't think they are the most gullible and ill-informed people I know. Then I would send messages along the lines of, "Dear Richard, sorry I included you on that list - I'm sure you understand why I did it. All the best, Paul. P.S. I love the work you've been doing on evolution."

[grapes]

I got a version of it, and started to freak out. "Arrrrrrgh! Again!!??"

But then I noticed it said that Mars would look as big as the full moon at 75x magnification. So, someone caught and fixed that at least.

Well, at least that, but the email still says "August"? Mars/Earth close encounters come about 2.2 years apart, so the next one in an August is in 2050 (and it's within a half per cent of that record close encounter in 2003), although the ones in July 2018 and Sept 2035 are close (to August). The one this year was back in January.