Disclaimer: You are looking at a post I wrote some time ago. The information and opinions contained within may be outdated and may differ from my current views. Please proceed accordingly.

F*ck Mars

Jan 06, 2004 11:48 AM
Tags:

update Or, as Ali G asked Buzz Aldrin, "When will man walk on the sun?"

I'm sorry, but I just don't get why people are so damn fascinated with the latest Mars rover landing, or NASA and space in general.

Maybe this is because I was born after the space race and moon landing, but there are other twenty-something bloggers who seem captivated by it. And it's certainly not that I'm disinterested in science or technology. Nor do I underestimate the difficulty of such a task.

But we've done it before. And it's just a robot taking photos.

Wake me when we put a man on Mars. Or find some bacteria there.


Comments: F*ck Mars

It would be fun to drive Spirit around. It'd be like playing DOOM over a 300 baud modem, the lag is something like 15 minutes.

Posted by: Bob Ippolito on January 6, 2004 11:57 AM | permalink

I'm sure someone is gonna put together a spirit simulator based on the photos.

Posted by: Joe Grossberg on January 6, 2004 12:12 PM | permalink

Um. Isn't the first step to putting a man on Mars or finding bacteria, the putting of automated robotic rovers on the surface?

And are you really going to sleep that long? There are other things to do until we get a man up there. Like get excited about little spaceships that follow around comets for a taste or their particulate matter...

Posted by: David Kearns on January 6, 2004 12:12 PM | permalink

Oh, I'm not saying the intermediate steps are useless. I just don't find them nearly as exciting as actual milestones.

Posted by: Joe Grossberg on January 6, 2004 12:14 PM | permalink

Just wait until we hit a milestone, and them that seems fascinated now will likely be peeing themselves...

Personally I'm waiting until there is a Starbucks on Mars before I get all excited.

Posted by: Kearns on January 6, 2004 3:08 PM | permalink

I share similar feelings about space... The only thing that interests me is the X-Prize. I only see real progress being made once there is some competition for NASA and its European equivalents, thus driving own costs.

Posted by: O'dell on January 6, 2004 3:32 PM | permalink

I wouldn't be excited about it either except that my 3 year old son really is. He likes to pretend he's the rover, Spirit, and that he's exploring Mars and beaming data back down to "your planet Earth". Kids change everything.

Take care!

Posted by: John P. Speno on January 7, 2004 9:44 AM | permalink

No more comments! Either someone has violated Godwin's Law, I'm tired of the discussion or, most likely, the ten-week window has closed. You can, however, contact me through email.