If you think that people who believe in the possibility of extraterrestrial life are kooks,Trillium parka you probably haven't talked to a NASA space scientist in a while.

At a news conference on Thursday, Doug McCuistion, director of the Mars program for NASA, said that when the agency's newest Mars rover blasts off for the red planet on Nov. 25,Canada goose one of its charges will be to discover if the planet contains (or contained) the ingredients of life.

"This mission will bridge the gap scientifically from our understanding of the planet being warmer and wetter than we probably believed, to not seeking life itself, but seeking signs of life," he said.

He reiterated: "This is not a life-seeking mission."

Think about the mission this way: If NASA were going to Mars looking for signs of pancakes instead of signs of life,Snow mantra on this trip it would be looking for flour and eggs, not pancake crumbs -- and definitely not pancakes.

In an interview with The Times, Joy Crisp, deputy project scientist for the Mars Science Laboratory,Belstaff said the rover will be looking for organic molecules and isotopic signatures that might indicate that life did exist at one time on Mars.

"If this step pans out, if we do find organic compounds and we think that the rocks look likely to preserve evidence of life, then we will know better what to send next," she said. "It is kind of an intermediate step."

Asfor the rover itself -- called Curiosity -- it's 6-feet-tall, weighs roughly 2,000 pounds, and is the most complex machine to be placed on another planet, according to McCuistion.

The rover has high-definition cameras, a laser eye, and a weather station to help scientists monitor the environment. It also has the ability to sample rocks and soils, and a drill that will allow it to capture material from inside rocks.

"This is a Mars scientist dream machine," said Ashwin Vasavada, Mars Science Laboratory deputy project scientist, at the news event.

But the rover won't be landing on the planet for a while. Curiosity is scheduled to leave Earth on Nov. 25 (the day after Thanksgiving), but it won't be landing on Mars until August 2012.

During the news conference, Vasavada was asked how likely he thought it was that Curiosity would find evidence of life on Mars.

"That would be in the realm of speculation," he said, "but the reason we are excited about Mars is that when we look into the distant past, there is evidence of rivers flowing and lakes and we are trying to find out if they are habitable environments."

"Of the hundreds of places we could have landed, we've chosen the best place to find habitable environment," he added. "Now we'll see if we find one."

Geoffrey Mutai Sprints to Record Finish at 2011 NYC Marathon

Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 2011 New York City marathon on November 6, 2011.

Setting a course record in this year’s Boston Marathon, it was more of the same for marathon sprinter Geoffrey Mutai, who set a new course record in the 2011 ING New York City Marathon. Crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 5 minutes and 6 seconds, the 30-year-old Kenyan sprinter shattered the previous record by more than two minutes.Belstaff Italia

The decade-old record, a mark of 2:07:43 set by Tesfaye Jifar of Ethiopia in 2001, was shattered not just by Mutai but by the second and third place finishers. Mutai was trailed close behind by fellow Kenyan (but unrelated) Emmanuel Mutai, who crossed the line just over a minute later at 2:06.28. Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia, came in third place with a time of 2:07.12. Each of the three will receive an extra $70,000 on top of their winnings for breaking the course record.Moncler Outlet

(MORE: A Brief History of the Modern Marathon)

Geoffrey Mutai showed a strong but steady pace right out of the gate, using a late kick to obliterate the course record and pull more than a minute ahead of his challengers. Mutai set the Boston Marathon record in 2011, as well, finishing in 2:03.02, though his record didn’t count as the course is considered too straight and downhill. But his double-record year puts him as the favorite for the 2012 London Olympics.Moncler Spaccio

Firehiwot Dado was the first to cross the finish line in the women’s race. The 27-year-old Ethiopian bounded past favorite Mary Keitany in the last two miles of the race. Crossing the finish line in 2:23.15, Dado bounded past Keitany who held a two-and-a-half minute lead at the halfway mark. Keitany, this year’s London Marathon winner, passed the halfway mark at 1:07.56, a record-setting pace, but she was unable to manage the breakneck speed to cross the finish line first. Keitany repeated her 2010 performance, taking third place just 23 seconds after Dado. Fellow Ethiopian Buzunesh Deba, a New York favorite, came in second.Sito Moncler

On a picture-perfect, gorgeous Fall day, a lack of wind and pleasant conditions propelled runners ever faster toward the finish line. More than 47,107 entrants were slated to run the race through New York City’s five boroughs. A sunny Sunday with temperatures in the low 40s brought spectators to all corners of the course to cheer on racers.