Lately geeks are heroes along manifold axes of popular culture. NASA's crop of them are near the head of their line. But in the newest New Yorker is a feature and profile that blows out the stops. And it raises a question: is the magazine's staff writer and frequent science specialist...
Category: Gale Crater
Lately geeks are heroes along manifold axes of popular culture. NASA's crop of them are near the head of their line. But in the newest New Yorker is a feature and profile that blows out the stops. And it raises a question: is the magazine's staff writer and frequent science specialist Burkhard Bilger always this good?* His latest is about one of the principle (yikes and correction, principal, as old pal D. Perlman tells me by terse email) characters who made possible the stunningly complex and, so far, highly productive Curiosity Rover. That's the plutonium-propelled machine poking around in Mars's Gale Crater on the prowl for leftovers of once-cozy habitats for life. And no, Bilger's particular focus for his story is not Mohawk Guy, the media hero of the landing's broadcasts who was done to death. Oh, he...
The celebration on live TV in the Mars Science Lab aka "Curiosity" control room made for a vivid illustration of the difference between the regular kind of relief, joy, and disappointment we've been seeing every day among athletes and their fans as games unfold in London, and the concussive relief...
The celebration on live TV in the Mars Science Lab aka "Curiosity" control room made for a vivid illustration of the difference between the regular kind of relief, joy, and disappointment we've been seeing every day among athletes and their fans as games unfold in London, and the concussive relief that can be felt in real life. You know, rescue efforts during mine disasters, a deal that goes through on which a company's very existence and all its jobs depend, a battle won, and a billion dollar mission to another world that is wickedly complicated to run and around which an army of very smart people have been planning their lives for years. Seeing these scientists and engineers leap to their feet, some in tears of relief, others in pure dancing joy, hugging or collapsing, was to envy people who just went through life-shaking fear and came out released into pure joy. So far so good anyway. Media are going nuts over first images, including that instant classic shot...
©2010 Knight Science Journalism at MIT. All Rights Reserved.