Grinspoon talks about Mars and the Mind of Man, a 1972 book that arose from a panel discussion during which scientists Carl Sagan and Bruce Murray, together with science-fiction writers Ray Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke, addressed the imminent arrival of Mariner 9 at Mars. Sagan was bullish on the possibility of life, noting that Mars might have near-surface water. Murray was mistrustful of Sagan's optimism. He recounted the lengthy record of wishful thinking among scientists who wanted Mars to be Earth-like and life-friendly. Murray concludes that Mars never had a more Earth-like past but is in the process of coming to life geologically and may have an Earth-like future.