There has been much excitement recently regarding the stunning successes of America's two Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs). Landing on opposite sides of the Red Planet, Spirit and Opportunity have functioned almost flawlessly. Now it looks like they have found signs of past water activity, sulfate minerals, and salts in some rock samples.

"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil
days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say,
I have no pleasure in them." (Ecclesiasties 12:1)

False or unsubstantiated rumors, once established, achieve a life of their own. One example is that life has been found on Mars.

Most people are aware of the many unique characteristics of the Earth that make life on it possible. These characteristics include such things as the composition of the planet and the atmosphere, the tilt of the axis, the presence of the Moon, the shape of Earth's orbit, and the distance from the Sun.