What's a spoon doing on Mars? Better yet, what are TWO spoons doing on Mars and HOW did they get there?

What is a spoon doing on Mars? It's an excellent question given NASA has now found two such objects on the Red Planet.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- In the future, astronauts may enjoy a pint of their favorite ice cream on Mars. And it appears they won't have any problem finding something to enjoy it with, since spoons seem common on the Red Planet.

A new NASA photo shows what appears to be a spoon covered in a layer of dust on the planet. More extraordinarily, it is the second such find in as many years. Another spoon was discovered previously.

Unfortunately, the real answer isn't exciting for most people, although geologists will be thrilled. The spoons are likely natural formations caused by water and dust, or other natural means.

A giveaway is the fact that the spoon's shape is slightly irregular, making it obvious that it is probably a natural formation. In another case, a spoon appears to float above the ground and cast a shadow. NASA scientists have confirmed this is an illusion. They also know it isn't a spoon because you they can trace from the spoon backwards along the handle, and along a line of deposits.

There is no trace of metal in the dirt, which would be expected if the spoon were real.

The spoons belong to many objects including Bigfoot, rats, and other animals which people claim to see on photos of the surface of Mars. However, in all cases they're illusions.

Scientists have pointed out that the brain likes to see patterns, even where there are non. This trait helps us to see faces in smoke and other features where no such thing exists. Our brain likes to pick out patterns amid chaos.

So the bad news is, there are no spoons on Mars, so you'll have to pack your own. But hey, at least you won't have to share your ice cream with the Martians.

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