OK, the "Martian carpenters" idea is just silly. The alleged beam is nothing but a rock slab on end, probably blasted out when the crater was formed. BUT: Take a look at the latest microscopic imagers views to be posted from Opportunity, that is, from Sol 1645. There is a tendril connected to a tuber feature -- like a potato on a root. It really looks like something formed by living processes. The images are at:   http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/opportunity_m1645.html   Best wishes, Joe --- On Mon, 12/1/08, M Wilson <astro_outwest@yahoo.com> wrote: From: M Wilson <astro_outwest@yahoo.com> Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Martian Carpenters To: "Utah astronomy blog" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Monday, December 1, 2008, 10:31 AM There's strong evidence that Martian carpenters were actively engaged in their trade on the red planet within the past 50 years.   Want proof?  Check out this site: http://thecrit.com/2008/08/05/nasa-mars-photo-leaked-wood-found-on-mars/ _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com