4 ms·

What an awful article. All factual information can be summarized in two sentences: "The mars rover lasted longer than expected because we did not anticipate th

What an awful article. All factual information can be summarized in two sentences: "The mars rover lasted longer than expected because we did not anticipate the strong winds blowing dust off the solar panels. Furthermore, the rocker-bogie suspension system kept the machine from toppling over." Everything else was non-information towards the subject. Claims that their machines are American, exquisite, sturdy, creative, well designed, excellent, fantastic and well built explain nothing.

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ufmace 13y ago
Not too surprising. I was going to click it, then saw it was by sfgate. When was the last time they published scientific research in an informative way?
jeffdavis 13y ago
Tough criticism. It was designed for a few months. On its 10-year anniversary, I think it's worthy of a news article. Sure... not much to say, but then the article wasn't very long, either. A couple facts, and the rest was filled with pride and other light reporting, like the feature article that it is. I don't know much about journalism, but it wouldn't seem out of place next to a feature about a successful restauranteur or a dog that saved someone from drowning. Is hard-hitting and just-the-facts the only acceptable form of journalism or something? To me, this was at least worth the bits it was printed with. I'm glad to know that people still care enough to do something so well that they can launch it on a rocket, land it on another planet, and keep it running and sending data back to Earth for 10 years straight.
- misnome 13y ago
  > It was designed for a few months. It was designed to, at an absolute minimum, with everything they could reasonably expect, work perfectly for 90 days. This is a bit of a different statement.
  - jeffdavis 13y ago
    A strange point: so you're saying that because they designed it to last longer, that lasting longer is not as much of an accomplishment? Like the optimism of the engineers detracts from the results when that optimism is realized? Regardless, it doesn't take away from my point. Getting something to work in that environment for a decade (I suppose I should specify that it's an Earth decade) is quite an accomplishment. Let a few people feel a little pride of accomplishment. And let the rest of us feel inspired that such a feat is possible.

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ufmace 13y ago

Not too surprising. I was going to click it, then saw it was by sfgate. When was the last time they published scientific research in an informative way?

jeffdavis 13y ago

Tough criticism. It was designed for a few months. On its 10-year anniversary, I think it's worthy of a news article. Sure... not much to say, but then the article wasn't very long, either. A couple facts, and the rest was filled with pride and other light reporting, like the feature article that it is. I don't know much about journalism, but it wouldn't seem out of place next to a feature about a successful restauranteur or a dog that saved someone from drowning. Is hard-hitting and just-the-facts the only acceptable form of journalism or something? To me, this was at least worth the bits it was printed with. I'm glad to know that people still care enough to do something so well that they can launch it on a rocket, land it on another planet, and keep it running and sending data back to Earth for 10 years straight.

misnome 13y ago
> It was designed for a few months. It was designed to, at an absolute minimum, with everything they could reasonably expect, work perfectly for 90 days. This is a bit of a different statement.
- jeffdavis 13y ago
  A strange point: so you're saying that because they designed it to last longer, that lasting longer is not as much of an accomplishment? Like the optimism of the engineers detracts from the results when that optimism is realized? Regardless, it doesn't take away from my point. Getting something to work in that environment for a decade (I suppose I should specify that it's an Earth decade) is quite an accomplishment. Let a few people feel a little pride of accomplishment. And let the rest of us feel inspired that such a feat is possible.