Is that perhaps a subtle dig at the NASA guys who have left Ellie’s distant cousin, Spirit, stuck in a somewhat drier mud on a somewhat closer planet for the past couple years? I’m sure that if they had the same level of technology available to them as you folks at the Strang Institute they would have rescued her by now, but give them a break, they’re only NASA, they have to work with much more limited resources!
@ NASA: THE NASA? Oh, um…er…um…Why no! Of course not! Ellie’s transmissions were sent from Planet X over eight years ago, so she couldn’t possibly have known about poor Spirit’s situation at the time. And we here at the Strang Institute would never dream to make light of that. Not ever.
As of 2015, the Spirit’s twin rover, Opportunity, is still making his way across the harsh Martian landscape. Having landed on January 25, 2004, the rover has continued it’s mission for over 40 times its planned lifetime of 90 sols. It is still transmitting data back to Earth. I don’t know about you but I consider that to be a fine piece of engineering.
I’m surprised at that – given that concurrent doctoral degrees in computer science, astrophysics, chemistry, and quantum mechanics are sometimes required to fully “get” the xkcd joke, I thought that the strip itself might be a product of the Strang Institute Advanced Experimental Humor Department.
Yay, indeed,
You have such a perfect trinity of characters here!
Hehe I love that first pose!
Which pose? Ellie’s?
Is that perhaps a subtle dig at the NASA guys who have left Ellie’s distant cousin, Spirit, stuck in a somewhat drier mud on a somewhat closer planet for the past couple years? I’m sure that if they had the same level of technology available to them as you folks at the Strang Institute they would have rescued her by now, but give them a break, they’re only NASA, they have to work with much more limited resources!
@ NASA: THE NASA? Oh, um…er…um…Why no! Of course not! Ellie’s transmissions were sent from Planet X over eight years ago, so she couldn’t possibly have known about poor Spirit’s situation at the time. And we here at the Strang Institute would never dream to make light of that. Not ever.
Poor little Spirit rover
As of 2015, the Spirit’s twin rover, Opportunity, is still making his way across the harsh Martian landscape. Having landed on January 25, 2004, the rover has continued it’s mission for over 40 times its planned lifetime of 90 sols. It is still transmitting data back to Earth. I don’t know about you but I consider that to be a fine piece of engineering.
Sure is. Ellie’s only been going for five years.
(click on the link!)
That’s awesome! I haven’t read XKCD much. Maybe now’s the time I do. Thanks for the link MER-A.
I’m surprised at that – given that concurrent doctoral degrees in computer science, astrophysics, chemistry, and quantum mechanics are sometimes required to fully “get” the xkcd joke, I thought that the strip itself might be a product of the Strang Institute Advanced Experimental Humor Department.