Posthuman Blues

Here's one of my favorite NASA animations set to "Sunspots" by Nine Inch Nails. I've never been a Trent Reznor fan (when I'm in the mood for angst, Morrissey does just fine, thanks) but this works quite well.



And on the subject of Mars rovers:

Mars Crater Is a 'Dream Come True'

Maneuvering the robot so near a sharp drop-off is daunting, especially because it is now about 230 million miles away from Earth. But Opportunity has been programmed to be "self protective," the scientists said. While it responds to radio signals from Earth, it also can override them if its cameras and computers identify dangers in its path.

Squyres said that the terrain approaching Victoria Crater has been relatively benign, and that ultimately driving around it is plausible. NASA scientists say they expect the rover to remain at the crater for months.