So far I have posted four diaries about NASA's fantastic achievement in successfully landing, initiating, and testing many of the enormously capable scientific instruments and engineering systems carried by the Curiosity Rover on Mars. Each time I have included an argument about the relevance of the Curiosity mission to events on Earth, saying more or less what I said in my first post.
I see in this mission lots of potential for political gain for Democrats. The Curiosity Mission gets in the face of the GOP's science skeptics and government naysayers. NASA, a government agency, has turned in a stupendously capable and cost effective piece of work. The mission gives us, the good guys, something to soften some of the GOP's strongest arguments, traditionally, to low information voters -- that government is inefficient and too costly. That can only improve Democratic prospects up and down the ticket.
The idea that Curiosity could become relevant to the election depends upon the results the mission delivers and the timing. That's encouraging because Curiosity is headed to a very promising location, it is nearby, and the results from the investigation of that location are due in October as scheduled. All we need is a spectacular scientific result (imagine ancient oceans on Mars, as one possibility or how about fossils?). If Curiosity becomes cool and everyone is paying attention there is likely to be a patriotic aspect and an outburst of public pride, a sense of "We did this". How can that not help Democrats and hurt Republicans?
An earlier post discussed the impressive capabilities of the laboratory's laser induced spectroscopy instrument, the ChemCam. I am preparing to publish another diary focusing on another of the remarkable and unprecedented instruments on the roving robot laboratory.
I posted a diary about a second incredibly capable instrument, the CheMin, last weekend, but at an unlucky time, just as the story of Neil Armstrong's death broke. The CheMin diary received slightly over one recommendation per three views, which is an extremely high ratio in my posting experience even for the diaries reaching the rec list. But the post drew very few eyes and only one comment, from the estimable Gooserock:
I Think the Passing of Neil Armstrong May Be (5+ / 0-)
depriving you of a natural audience for this fine diary.
If you don't get many eyes today, consider a repost maybe Monday or so.
For that diary in its entirety, you may either
click here or follow me into the tall grass.
My post earlier this week discussed the Mars Curiosity rover's first test of one of its extraordinary scientific instruments,
the ChemCam, a laser induced spectroscopy device. But ChemCam is only one of the remarkable scientific tools on the roving Mars laboratory.
Inside Curiosity's body sits CheMin, the X-Ray diffraction instrument. The ChemCam laser can provide a reading on the surface chemical composition of a target sample. But the CheMin will examine powdered core samples acquired by a drill and collection system. ChemMin will then give exact measurements of mineral composition and relative abundance, allowing for precise evaluation of the assay of the sample.
The more I learn about the capacity and range of scientific analysis the Curiosity rover can perform, the more optimistic I am that when the roving science lab reaches its first research objective, Glenelg, during the height of the election campaign in October, there may be spectacular results coming in from Mars.
I believe that just as a war tends to rally support for a President, a NASA triumph that captures the public imagination will also help rally support around President Obama, whose government is presiding over the accomplishment. People who believe in science and respect the legitimacy of the U. S. Government look good when things like this happen. People who disbelieve science and hate the government, that is, the GOP, not so much.
Look on the other side of the flourish for a fascinating video from NASA on how the ChemMin works and what it is capable of. The one hour presentation is worth watching in its entirety, but the first eight or ten minutes will provide an excellent overview.
There are signs that the mission on Mars is receiving a lot of public attention and is increasingly becoming a popular phenomenon. The landing certainly captured a lot of attention. Even as days of dull, methodical testing unfolded after the landing, news coverage remained robust. NASA has seeded Curiosity with lots of quirky features, like code in the tire treads and a lucky penny, that help create and maintain interest in the mission, even when scientific results aren't yet flooding in. The strongest evidence so far that NASA is succeeding in promoting the Mars mission as a cultural phenomenon -- New Angry Birds game features Curiosity Mars rover. Could news from Mars supply an October Surprise that helps tilt the outcome in November? Stay tuned.
BTW, the ChemCam and the ChemMin aren't even the coolest instruments on Curiosity. They just provide context and background readings for the really cool stuff. Stay tuned.
