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Excuse me for being brash, but that's bullshit. The former is in charge at NASA, but they have to make the financial argument through the later. You're right:

Excuse me for being brash, but that's bullshit. The former is in charge at NASA, but they have to make the financial argument through the later. You're right: Curiosity is cool. But you're also wrong because it did inspire the American people when it landed successfully, and it continues to inspire us with the data it sends back. Visionaries are the people taking 360 degree panoramic HD images from Mars and posting them online for free. NASA is not sending those images back because they serve any substantial scientific purpose, but because we flew a badass robot with a camera to Mars. Because we can. And hey, while were up there, we might as well look for signs of water and life. Not because of some abstract scientific knowledge, but because what if there was/is life there? That is visionary caliber stuff.

rayiner 14y ago
My dad remembers where he was in Bangladesh when we landed on the moon, 40+ years ago. I think I could poll a dozen people at my office and not get a single person who has even seen the Curiosity pictures. I'm not even sure I've seen them--nor could I tell you what number Mars rover we're on. The first time? Moderately inspiring. But this is like the fifth or sixth Mars rover and it's not the least bit inspiring now.
- rickhanlonii 14y ago
  I remember where I was when Curiosity landed on the moon--I was glued to two monitors, one with a live stream of the control room, and one with a realtime simulation of the landing. Visionaries had the foresight to provide those to me. If anyone hasn't seen the Curiosity pictures, or they're otherwise not inspired, that's not the fault of the visionaries--nor does it lessen their status as such. A group of really smart people got together and pulled off something incredible just because they could; just because we want to know what's out there. Oh, and here you go, travel Mars: http://www.360cities.net/image/curiosity-rover-martian-solar-day-2 http://www.360cities.net/image/curiosity-rover-martian-solar...
  - CamperBob2 14y ago
    I remember where I was when Curiosity landed on the moon That's nothing, my parents remember when Lance Armstrong walked on the moon!
- CamperBob2 14y ago
  I think I could poll a dozen people at my office and not get a single person who has even seen the Curiosity pictures. OK, let me rephrase an earlier comment someone made in the thread: we fly semiautonomous nuclear-powered robots with cameras to Mars, and make it seem like no big deal. That last bit is the true triumph of the engineer. The hardest part is making it look easy. Ask your grandparents how cool the first jet aircraft seemed at the time!

rayiner 14y ago

My dad remembers where he was in Bangladesh when we landed on the moon, 40+ years ago. I think I could poll a dozen people at my office and not get a single person who has even seen the Curiosity pictures. I'm not even sure I've seen them--nor could I tell you what number Mars rover we're on. The first time? Moderately inspiring. But this is like the fifth or sixth Mars rover and it's not the least bit inspiring now.

rickhanlonii 14y ago
I remember where I was when Curiosity landed on the moon--I was glued to two monitors, one with a live stream of the control room, and one with a realtime simulation of the landing. Visionaries had the foresight to provide those to me. If anyone hasn't seen the Curiosity pictures, or they're otherwise not inspired, that's not the fault of the visionaries--nor does it lessen their status as such. A group of really smart people got together and pulled off something incredible just because they could; just because we want to know what's out there. Oh, and here you go, travel Mars: http://www.360cities.net/image/curiosity-rover-martian-solar-day-2 http://www.360cities.net/image/curiosity-rover-martian-solar...
- CamperBob2 14y ago
  I remember where I was when Curiosity landed on the moon That's nothing, my parents remember when Lance Armstrong walked on the moon!
CamperBob2 14y ago
I think I could poll a dozen people at my office and not get a single person who has even seen the Curiosity pictures. OK, let me rephrase an earlier comment someone made in the thread: we fly semiautonomous nuclear-powered robots with cameras to Mars, and make it seem like no big deal. That last bit is the true triumph of the engineer. The hardest part is making it look easy. Ask your grandparents how cool the first jet aircraft seemed at the time!