Curiosity

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately...trying to work on my novels and failing miserably.  Doing what little I can on my thesis while Dr. Lipo is still on vacation.

But tonight I watched the JPL stream of the Curiosity landing, and man, it just brought me to tears.  I remember Dad telling me about Neil Armstrong landing on the moon.  I also remember Dad saying the guy after him said, "Well, it may have been a small step for Neil, but it's a giant leap for me!"

Of course, I get to follow Curiosity on Twitter, and we got live updates with only a 14 minute lag (only 14 minutes!!!!)...but still.  There is no comparison between the two, other than that they are giant leaps for understanding and science.

When I heard "touchdown confirmed" I just burst into tears...I really am the world's biggest crybaby.  But the emotion from JPL!  The Ustream I was watching was from inside the JPL lab and the looks on their faces...probably the look on my face if I ever found the lost kingdom of Atlantis!

Someone on one of the forums I'm on posted this, and it made me cry again, but it's also true:




I guess it makes sense that that is what's changed in America since I've been here.  Because it really has...my generation is just as much a lost generation as was Hemingway's expats in Paris.  Only who is our Hemingway?  And what are we going to do about it?