Difference between revisions of "695: Spirit"
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The {{w|Spirit rover|Mars Spirit Rover}}, like many high-functioning robots in real-life and fiction, shares many physical similarities with a human being or animal. It has a head, eyes, neck, body, legs, feet, arms and a hand. And it strikingly resembles sentient robots from fiction, such as Johnny 5 from ''{{w|Short Circuit (film)|Short Circuit}}'', or {{w|WALL-E}} from the film with the same name. | The {{w|Spirit rover|Mars Spirit Rover}}, like many high-functioning robots in real-life and fiction, shares many physical similarities with a human being or animal. It has a head, eyes, neck, body, legs, feet, arms and a hand. And it strikingly resembles sentient robots from fiction, such as Johnny 5 from ''{{w|Short Circuit (film)|Short Circuit}}'', or {{w|WALL-E}} from the film with the same name. | ||
| − | Thus, this comic explores what the Spirit rover's life would be like if it were sentient like those robots. The rover was never intended to return to Earth, and lasted 5 1/4 active years on the Martian surface, far exceeding its mission duration of 90 Martian days. A sentient robot might assume that after his initially planned 90 {{w|Timekeeping on Mars|Martian day}} mission was over, he'd get to return home. So, heartbreakingly this did not happen, Spirit | + | Thus, this comic explores what the Spirit rover's life would be like if it were sentient like those robots. The rover was never intended to return to Earth, and lasted 5 1/4 active years on the Martian surface, far exceeding its mission duration of 90 Martian days. A sentient robot might assume that after his initially planned 90 {{w|Timekeeping on Mars|Martian day}} mission was over, he'd get to return home. So, heartbreakingly this did not happen, Spirit, possibly in a pun on his name, keeps his hopes alive as he continues analyzing rock after rock for ''years.'' |
It would be cruelty of the absolute worst kind to create an intelligence with such feelings, and then abandon it on an uninhabited planet with no intention of ''ever'' bringing it home. So one is rather heartened that the Spirit rover ''is,'' in fact, just a programmed machine. | It would be cruelty of the absolute worst kind to create an intelligence with such feelings, and then abandon it on an uninhabited planet with no intention of ''ever'' bringing it home. So one is rather heartened that the Spirit rover ''is,'' in fact, just a programmed machine. | ||
Revision as of 05:57, 6 September 2013
| Spirit |
 Title text: On January 26th, 2274 Mars days into the mission, NASA declared Spirit a 'stationary research station' expected to stay operational for several more months until the dust buildup on its solar panels forces a final shutdown. |
Explanation
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This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Please include the reason why this explanation is incomplete, like this: {{incomplete|reason}}If you can address this issue, please edit the page! Thanks. |
The Mars Spirit Rover, like many high-functioning robots in real-life and fiction, shares many physical similarities with a human being or animal. It has a head, eyes, neck, body, legs, feet, arms and a hand. And it strikingly resembles sentient robots from fiction, such as Johnny 5 from Short Circuit, or WALL-E from the film with the same name.
Thus, this comic explores what the Spirit rover's life would be like if it were sentient like those robots. The rover was never intended to return to Earth, and lasted 5 1/4 active years on the Martian surface, far exceeding its mission duration of 90 Martian days. A sentient robot might assume that after his initially planned 90 Martian day mission was over, he'd get to return home. So, heartbreakingly this did not happen, Spirit, possibly in a pun on his name, keeps his hopes alive as he continues analyzing rock after rock for years.
It would be cruelty of the absolute worst kind to create an intelligence with such feelings, and then abandon it on an uninhabited planet with no intention of ever bringing it home. So one is rather heartened that the Spirit rover is, in fact, just a programmed machine.
Trivia
As of June 2013 Spirit's sister rover Opportunity still investigates the Mars surface. But Spirit is lost. And since August 2012 a much more modern rover Curiosity is doing its job on Mars surface.
The never "come back home" stories (unlike as Spirit was hoping for) get reality for people joining this dubious projects Mars One or Mars to Stay. They maybe will stuck like Spirit.
Transcript
- [The Spirit rover is on the surface of Mars.]
- Spirit (thinking): 89 days to go!
- Day 88 of 90
- Spirit (thinking): Two days until I go home!
- Day 91 of 90
- Spirit (thinking): ?
- Day 103 of 90
- Spirit (thinking): Maybe I didn't do a good enough job.
- Day 127 of 90
- Spirit (thinking): Maybe if I do a good enough job, they'll let me come home.
- Day 857 of 90
- Spirit (thinking): I thought I analyzed that rock really well.
- Spirit (thinking): It's okay, I'll do the next one better.
- Day 1293 of 90
- Spirit (thinking): Sandstorm. Power dying.
- Spirit (thinking): But a good rover would keep going. A good rover like they wanted.
- Day 1944 of 90
- Spirit (thinking): Oh no.
- whirrrr
- Spirit (thinking): I'm stuck.
- whirrrr
- Spirit (thinking): Did I do a good job?
- Spirit (thinking): Do I get to come home?
- Spirit (thinking): Guys?
- [Spirit rests in the middle of a vast Martian landscape.]
add a comment! ⋅ add a topic (use sparingly)! ⋅ 
refresh comments!Discussion
Uhh, I'm laughing on this comic for almost three , but this explain is still not complete:
- - the mission was not only 90 days
- - Spirit did many great investigations
- - that "Free Spirit" campaign should be mentioned after it did stuck in the deep sand in early 2010
- - and Opportunity is a still operating companion on Mars in 2013
- - there is much more..., ask Randall!--Dgbrt (talk) 21:19, 10 June 2013 (UTC)
Do you guys really not see all the typos in this? not even the one in the first comment? -- 180.94.92.234 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
- You see a problem? Fix it. Click "Edit" at the top and help improve the article! There is nothing you can do that can't be reversed with a few mouse clicks, so don't worry about messing things up. NealCruco (talk) 02:49, 10 August 2014 (UTC)
I just feel :'( SilverMagpie (talk) 03:38, 4 April 2017 (UTC)
I have no idea, but this particular comic makes me sad. Truly a tearjerker...Boeing-787lover 16:36, 19 May 2018 (UTC) -- Xkcdreader52 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
- Same. I'm going through all the comics reverse-chronologically and damn these last few ones have hit hard. 172.70.93.43 07:42, 11 February 2023 (UTC)
You folks do know about Spiritrover's LJ, right? Opportunity was Opportunitygrrl, and there was also Fuse-sat. Yngvadottir (talk) 21:41, 22 October 2018 (UTC)
