WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Despite the speculation of several dubious sources, scientists remain certain Mars is without a rodent infestation.
But the imagination of conspiracy theorists is tireless. Plus, they don't trust scientists. In a recent YouTube video, amateur astronomer Joe White claims to have spotted a giant Martian mouse.
"It is probably an optical illusion but seems to have big ears, nose and eyes visible," the host of ArtAlienTV wrote in the caption, apparently seriously. "It resembles a very large mouse or jerboa in appearance."
"Other people including myself have found rodents up there before so it could possibly be," White added.
Those who would believe NASA and the U.S. government are covering up evidence of an ancient alien civilization have seen a variety of outlandish objects in the blurriness of Martian closeups.
Last month, self-proclaimed UFOlogist Scott C. Waring found a Buddha statue.
Other creative minds have claimed to see aliens, helmets, faces, and lizards in the photos of the Red Planet.
Of course, none of these things are actually on Mars. There are, however, lots of rocks. And when seen through imaginative eyes, these rocks can take on many shapes and assume many identities.
As Washington Post reporter Rachel Feltman points out, fighting conspiracy theories with facts and logic is mostly a futile exercise.
"Studies have shown that people with deep-seated beliefs won't be convinced by contradictory evidence," Feltman wrote.
As long as NASA keeps leaking photos of their alien cover-up, we'll have sleuths like Waring and White seeking out the truth -- or at least their version of it.
