Curious enough to discover a new world.

I have to admit to being a bit of a sci-fi fan as to be honest are some of my best friends. This is usually something that people keep to themselves, closet away, to mention only when they are safely in the company of like minded people. Who would admit to being a Star Trek fan in a crowded room unless of course it was at a convention in Las Vegas and the other people are dressed as Borg...resistance would then of course be futile.

This weekend science fiction has been overtaken by science fact as a quite remarkable little robot continues its exploration of another world. It is easy to forget that humans have visited the moon, it was a long time ago. Looking up at the full moon last night it's quite hard to believe that people have walked around on it and returned safely to their loved ones.

It is also easy to forget that two space craft launched in the 70's; Voyager's 1 and 2 have left the Solar System and are flying into the far reaches of space literally going where no one has gone before.

Also equally unbelievable right now as I type, humankind is exploring the red planet Mars courtesy of a robot named Curiosity.

http://www.highpants-thinkmachine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/machine-curiosity-testing.jpg

From the moment this space craft landed, a remarkable feat indeed it has been behaving itself incredibly well. It managed to make it through the PR stunts, taking a picture of itself and in my opinion sadly playing a song by Will-I-am and then it turned its attention to the science.

This weekend it has sent back some pictures of one conglomerate type rock. This is a sedimentary type rock which is made of weathered pieces of small stones and pebbles stuck together. This type of rock forms in streams and the scientists believe that this is evidence for the existence of water flowing on the surface of the red planet.

Just take a moment to think about this...

A group of scientists have built a space craft and loaded it with a remote controlled buggy packed with delicate and sophisticated instruments. That space craft was launched by an explosive reaction that accelerated it beyond escape velocity and out of the Earth's orbit. They then programmed it on a course across millions of miles to rendezvous with a planet that is also moving at a tremendous speed. Then with remarkable planning involving, parachutes, gravity and retro rockets they managed to land the thing on the surface of another planet without breaking it! Then they turned it on and it worked.

It just shows that when people put their minds to a joint adventure anything is possible. Perhaps it isn't rocket science after all.

Quite amazing. I look forward to the time when the first human lands on the surface of Mars. That will be quite a day. I just hope that when that day happens the first person who steps on the surface of the alien world is not wearing a red top...you just no if that was the case it would end badly!

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