In addition to normal gravitational forces, the heightened activity of the Sun could further increase the electrical attractions of planets and comets, thereby increasing the possibility of an impact event. If a catastrophic event for Mars is a result from these extraordinary circumstances what will we learn? Or, will we be caught off-guard once again?

A reasonable definition of a catastrophe is that is the caused by an unbroken chain of small failure events. While the individual failures often go unnoticed, they collectively result in catastrophic failure that catches us totally by surprise.

The primary reason why the Titanic sank was because its hull was made of steel that would become brittle after long exposure to cold temperatures. Likewise, the Shuttle Challenger exploded because of a similar oversight regarding the effects of cold temperatures on a booster seal. The lesson learn is that little things are deadly, and they are easy to miss, especially when ego gets in the way.