Curiosity killed the cat

(07-08-2012 03:13pm)Sarcastrix Wrote:  Interesting article in The New Yorker: Mars Rover Should Not Get So Much Attention, Say Higgs-Boson Scientists : The New Yorker

Interesting article, I think the issues is that several decades ago NASA realised they needed public opinion on their side and to do that they had to capture the public imagination, hence the type of insight they now provide into their missions. However, they don't 'bore' with scientific details, they know that what the public want to see is CGI animations and video footage of 'spaceships landing on Mars', so that's what they provide.

Scientists in general, on the other hand, tend to be so deeply involved in their specialities that they often forget that what drives them is often so specialist or complex that it doesn't capture the public's imagination or even interest. Higgs Boson at least got some media interest, but CERN and others need to focus more on selling what they're doing to the public, even it involves very low-brow John Craven's Newsround type animations and explanations. When you're talking particle physics, after over a century of science fiction books and films it's hard to compete with IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?

IMHO of course!