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Japan Plans Moon Base Built By Robots For Robots
An anonymous reader writes "The Japanese space agency, JAXA, has plans to build a base on the Moon by 2020. Not for humans, but for robots — and built by robots, too. A panel authorized by Japan's prime minister has drawn up preliminary plans for how humanoid and rover robots will begin surveying the moon by 2015, and then begin construction of a base near the south pole of the moon. The robots and the base will run on solar power, with total costs about $2.2 billion USD, according to the panel chaired by Waseda University President Katsuhiko Shirai. 'As currently envisioned, the robots that will land on the lunar surface in 2015 will be 660-pound behemoths equipped with rolling tank-like treads, solar panels, seismographs, high-def cameras, and a smattering of scientific instruments. They'll also have human-like arms for collecting rock samples that will be returned to Earth via rocket.'"
OK.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is important.
Starship Troopers has mainly had it's innovative elements incorporated into popular culture, but it's a good read with a few important ideas about responsibility. (Don't know if I agree, but they're important anyway.)
Time Enough for Love should be read in the context of the rest of the Future History series, esp. Methuselah's Children. In that context it's good.
Friday is entertaining, but trivial.
And, to give you context, Stranger in a Strange Land was important in it's time, but people took it too seriously in ways it was never intended to be taken. It played an important part in the reassessing of sexual morality that took place during the 1960's-70's, but it isn't currently significant. (Much less significant than "If this goes on..." from the Future History series.
Only problem is, the Future History series is sadly dated. Things didn't work out that way, so the earlier stories in the series are difficult to read now. (Too depressing...still, there are also calamities that have been avoided. "Blowups Happen" didn't happen.)
I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
I forgot to add The PuppetMasters to my list. Anyway, yeah I know SinSL was taken too seriously as its impact on the '60 and '70s. A whole real life "All World" religion was created, based on the novel. I don't read sci-fi just for its relevance to current real world situations. I read it for entertainment, concept, as well as for its cultural affect on past/present. (ex: did you know the cover art for Led Zepplin's "Houses of the Holy" comes from Childhood's End? the word "Grok" was first termed in SiaSL? the definition of "Avatar" was first described in SnowCrash?) Thanks for the tip about the Future History series...Your not the first to suggest I should read Methuselah's Children before TEfL.