The new Mars rover

[Luke]

It certainly seems that Mondays landing has a lot of complexities. I understand that it is a larger version of any rover to date? I for one am anxious for the show.

[Malsua]

It's landed and it's got a twitter account. I am following Curiosity. https://twitter.com/MarsCuriosity

If you haven't watched the landing animation, you should. It's pretty complicated and very cool! http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...BL4xF9CQTNuHog

[American Patriot]

Mars ... is all a twitter....

/chuckles

[Malsua]

I for one will be glad when we can send a full blown artificial intelligence to Mars. It can be the 'man on the ground'. That it goes on to build a vast empire and ultimately wages war on Earth will be immaterial to me as I'll be long gone by the time it comes back.

[American Patriot]

"Full blown artificial intelligence"?

hahaa

[Ryan Ruck]

I'd settle for sending some "full blown natural stupidity", in the form of Liberals, there.

[American Patriot]

I think we have a winner.

Liberalism is Artificial Intelligence!

Because, you honestly don't come to be a liberal unless you're artificially educated. Which they are!

[Malsua]

"Full blown artificial intelligence"?

hahaa

You laugh, but it won't be too long before we have systems, that to the unaware, seem entirely sentient.

[American Patriot]

You laugh, but it won't be too long before we have systems, that to the unaware, seem entirely sentient.

No... I wasn't laughing about artificial intelligence. I was laughing about the way you phrased it and in the SF context which became the foundation for the next part of your statement...

That it goes on to build a vast empire and ultimately wages war on Earth will be immaterial to me as I'll be long gone by the time it comes back.

No, I have a very good grasp of the capabilities currently of computers and I know they are also under-used even now.

Truth is I expect there to be a... I'll call it the next step in computing for now... to happen soon, within this decade perhaps or early in the next. Probably by 2020 we ought to start seeing quantum computing becoming better, and even a sort of neural networking system that can emulate simple brain functions.

I just am not sure yet how they will integrate the vast amounts of data into a computer brain capable of appearing "human" yet.

Even Turing I think, got it wrong.

On the bright side, I still think we will send humans to Mars.

I'll tell you why.

It's nice to be able to evolve computers and machines into something that can autonomously wander the Red Planet and broadcast back video, examine rocks and soil and make decisions where to go next and how deep to dig for water.

We might even get the point of exploring most of the planets without human intervention.

But what value is that if none of it gets the human race OFF the planet?

We live here. We're children of the Universe and just barely toddling now.

Someday, we will have to walk on new worlds.

This isn't a matter of money. It's not a matter of wasting money either.

It's a matter of human existence. Nothing less.

Ad astra!