I know it’s not really Linux news but I just couldn’t believe how NASA decides to waste funding!
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/28/curiosity_voice_harangue_pics/
They put a speaker on Curiosity so it could shout messages at an empty planet. I mean come on! What the hell is the point in that!
I bet it cost a fortune as well, you know how expensive those space speakers are!!
Hahaha … that’s funny 
The message is pretty daft as well, (as pointed out by the article) if there are any Martians around to hear the massage and understand it, it could easily sound Like a prelude to a human invasion.
Hello. This is Charlie Bolden, NASA Administrator, speaking to you via the broadcast capabilities of the Curiosity Rover ...Since the beginning of time, humankind’s curiosity has led us to constantly seek new life … new possibilities just beyond the horizon ... The knowledge we hope to gain from our observation and analysis of Gale Crater, will tell us much about the possibility of life on Mars ... Curiosity will bring benefits to Earth ... as it prepares the way for a human mission in the not too distant future. Thank you.</blockquote>Judge for yourself
I know that message would scare the hell out of me if it was broadcast by an alien object that landed here :o
They wouldn’t be able to understand it anyway. I’ve seen Mars Attacks, Martians just make funny noises. Crazy lil critters!
But yes, it probably wasn’t the best idea. The last thing we need now is a load of Martians coming down. They will be expecting food, don’t they know we are in a recession!!
How do they know there were no Martians about too hear it … haven’t they seen Ghosts of Mars ?
How would they even here it?
By the laws of physics, space is a vaccum. In a vaccum sound can’t travel, as sound is the production of vibrating airwaves.
Now go figure. Shoulda just used an old lappy with a wallpaper running Peppermint or something.
The surface of Mars isn’t a vaccum though, it does have a thin atmosphere.
I don’t know much about Mars. I do know it imploded on itself though.
Space isn’t a true vacuum … but you’re right, it’s thin enough that sound wouldn’t travel.
Mars has a thin atmosphere of mainly carbon dioxide (95%) with small traces of other gasses including 0.13% Oxygen … Mars has a mean surface pressure of 0.006 of Earths, so it’s VERY thin, but enough to carry sound.
But if your ears were suddenly exposed to that low of a pressure … I think you’d be slightly too distracted to listen to what the curiosity rover was saying 
But if your ears were suddenly exposed to that low of a pressure .. I think you'd be slightly too distracted to listen to what the curiosity rover was saying ;)Yeah, but what if you lived there. I wonder what it would sound like? Music maybe? Or maybe something more like flatulence? :-\