Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

First Man To Mars?

Posted by michael on from the not-val-kilmer dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Lee Goldberg posted this story which he says is "...the true story of how I sent the first interplanetary necro-cosmonaut to Mars." An entertaining read."

8 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. This is cool by Ryan+Amos · · Score: 4, Insightful

    While it is a tad sentimental and sappy, it's cool to see these little "easter eggs" on public projects. It's especially cool that it means something (even if the promise was made under duress of alcohol. ;)

  2. Still have some doubt by imperator_mundi · · Score: 2, Insightful

    That's a cute and a little obscure story, but as long as no evidence are provided still a story ;)

    I bo longer believe in Santa, Little Folks, Faeries or martians why sould I believe in stuff just because there was something in the internet.

  3. Re:How serious is this article? by eclectro · · Score: 5, Insightful

    At first thought this might seem to be a concern. But remember, these were ashes that had come from a fire. On top of that, read the story carefully to see that the ashes were mixed with an epoxy, then sealed in a metal cube. I seriously doubt that there is even a remote chance of stray bacteria being there.

    --
    Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
  4. '640K RAM is enough for anyone' by Jacco+de+Leeuw · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Bill Gates [never] said we'll only ever need 640K.

    ('Never' added, as implied on the supplied link to urbanlegends.com).

    Of course Bill Gates has an excellent memory and never tells any lies.

    --
    -------
    Warning: Slashdot may contain traces of nuts.
  5. Re:How serious is this article? by SystematicPsycho · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I knew I wasn't imagning this -

    NASA is considering a plan to crash Galileo at the end of its mission into Jupiter to avoid the possibility of the satellite contaminating possible life on Europa. (July 4, 2000) Nasa Probes Crashing Explorer

    --
    Analytic & algebraic topology of locally Euclidean meterization of infinitely differentiable Riemmanian manifold
  6. ashes by dpilot · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Ashes yes, but subject to no special handling, not to mention Flintstones-contamination. The epoxy probably helped. Of far more concern would be precautions taken when handling the metal cube, itself.

    This was only meant to be an orbital probe, so presumably it shouldn't matter. But orbits decay, and accidents happen.

    The big issue with keeping Earthly contamination away from Mars is so that we can *know* what we truly find there is native, if we find something.

    --
    The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
  7. Bah! by atticusfinch1970 · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Ok, assuming this is true, it would be grossly irresponsible to put millions of dollars, the reputation of NASA, and the hard work of thousands of designers and engineers at risk simply for nostalgic notions of friendship. Did he test his dead-friend\epoxy mixture to see how it would withstand the pressures of space flight?

    Reading stuff like this kinda pisses me off because I would very much like to see man get to Mars in my lifetime. It's hard enough to muster public support for space programs these days.

    Of course, this whole rant is moot if it is, indeed, an urban myth...

  8. Re:Not only the first Necro-cosmonaut by BollocksToThis · · Score: 2, Insightful

    America: Home of the free (and the DMCA, MPAA, RIAA...)

    I suggest:

    America: Home of the people formerly known as free

    --
    This sig is part of your complete breakfast.