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The buzz this weekend was due to an interesting soil chemistry finding, still preliminary, but now avail here:

Here being namely: NASA Spacecraft Analyzing Martian Soil Data. Here's the exciting bit:

Within the last month, two samples have been analyzed by the Wet Chemistry Lab of the spacecraft's Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer, or MECA, suggesting one of the soil constituents may be perchlorate, a highly oxidizing substance.

and further promising

NASA will hold a media teleconference on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 2 p.m. EDT, to discuss these recent science activities.