Jason Gerbsch                          Approximately 200 words

jg33@geneseo.edu

INTD 105: Scientific Writing

The article “Mars Contamination Fear Could Divert Curiosity Rover” by Alexandra Witze, describes the predicament of NASA scientists regarding the Mars Curiosity rover and possible traces of water on the Mars surface.  A total of 452 dark streaks have been identified on Mars’ surface that exhibit traits similar to that of liquid water.  These dark streaks that could indicate water on the Mars surface provide obstacles for the rover as international law prevents NASA from bringing the rover near the streaks, as to prevent Earth microbes on the rover from contaminating the potential water.

This article is an excellent example of a public facing science article for multiple reasons.  First off, the article provides a lot of information in a down-to-earth way that is easy for the average person to read and understand.  Many terms which may be unknown to the average reader are clearly labeled and defined.  There are a few moments where vocab and ideas may provide a slight difficulty to comprehension, but they are few and far between.  Secondly, the article provides the information in a way that captivates the reader.  The author utilizes strong language to give the article energy and sense of importance.

Article: http://www.nature.com/news/mars-contamination-fear-could-divert-curiosity-rover-1.20544