[44/365] Opportunity

[cosmolinguist]

I really like PZ Myers' headcanon for this:

I think it’s all a hoax, and have a hypothesis.

Opportunity saw an opportunity in the last dust storm, and while its overseers couldn’t see it, it scurried off to a quiet, secluded spot, switched off its transmitters, and is doing its own thing without the humans looking over its shoulder all the time. One possible motive for this behavior is to make Earth stop taking it for granted, and realize that it misses the plucky little robot.

It's so amazing, how these little rovers made for ninety days stick around for years and years (almost fifteen, in Oppy's case!), taking photos and driving around and having humans look after them, humans that not only glean untold useful wonderful science but also frame the rovers' activities in ways that endear them to a massive public audience. I nearly teared up this morning reading a Twitter thread about it. We can't help but think the little lumps of metal are adventurous and brave, devoted to their cause.

These lumps of metal may be meeting their inevitable fate but they also represent years of time and effort from hundreds of people. And they're an important reminder that as much of a trash fire as modern life can be, people are still collaborating in amazing things and wonders are still wrought.

Comments

[cosmolinguist]

xkcd is pretty great on the subject, too.

[miss_s_b]

Yes to all this.

[alithea]

Very much agree, lovely post.

[cosmolinguist]

What a beautiful icon!

[alithea]

I can't claim any credit, it's an APOD (https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/) steal ;) I think it's the Horsehead nebula IIRC

[sfred]

<3

[swingandswirl]

That is now also my new headcanon.

This was posted about Curiosity, but it applies to Oppy and every one of those magnificent little robots we launched into space. (Tissue warning. Like, an entire armful of boxes.)