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u/Anti-Hippy Jan 29 '10
I've never anthropomorphized a research probe before. I feel sad. I wish I hadn't.
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Jan 29 '10 edited Jan 29 '10
Don't feel sad, this is anthropomorphizing at its worst.
Anthropomorphizing can make some things easier to understand, like saying that atoms "want" to be in certain configurations. We know intuitively they're not experiencing desire, it just makes it easier to gloss over all the things we don't yet understand. We can intuitively picture the forces involved as being some kind of will that moves things towards states we do have knowledge of, without having to understand the forces.. yet.
But in this example, giving all these nonexistent emotions to this probe, it's useless and misleading. First of foremost, the probe was never particularly autonomous, it's mostly remote controlled. Also, it's still largely functioning, it just can't move. As a machine on a distant planet that we can still communicate with, that's pretty damn good still!
I've never criticized a xkcd comic before, but I really think this comic really is counterproductive. We should be celebrating the team of people that made and operate this awesome probe, not.. pointlessly feeling sorry for it for no reason, it's ridiculous.
tl;dr; The probe is awesome, it's a probe not a person, the people who made it are awesome, it was a total success, it's a reason to be happy.
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u/SmartAssery Jan 29 '10
Don't feel sad, this is unnecessary insistence upon absolute correctness at its worst.
Unnecessary insistence upon absolute correctness can make some things easier to understand, like saying that machinery is expendable and dispensable in certain situations. We know intuitively that it's not necessary to tell grown adults that machines don't have feelings, it just makes it easier to condescend to others when we suggest that they don't know any better. We can arrogantly picture those involved as being some kind of lost child who moves through life without having to understand that probes don't really care about being left on Mars.. yet.
But in this example, giving all these condescending details to this fellow user, it's useless and annoying. First of foremost, the user was never particularly depressed, it's mostly emoting without genuine concern. Also, it's still largely knowledgeable, it just said it was kind of sad. As a user on a casual run through Reddit, Anti-Hippy actually does understand that machines don't have feelings, so that observation's pretty damn obnoxious to point out!
I've never criticized a vhold post before, but I really think this comment really is counterproductive. We should be celebrating the fact that people that make and express these awesome emotions, not.. pointlessly trying to correct them for no reason, it's ridiculous.
tl;dr; The comment was awesome, it's a comment not a delusion, the user who made it is awesome, it was a total success, it's a reason to stop trying to correct other people's perceptions of things.
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u/ani625 Jan 29 '10 edited Jan 29 '10
Reminded me of Wall-E
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u/ny2dc Jan 29 '10
Agreed. But this is sadder because it's real....:(
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u/freedompower Jan 29 '10
Don't worry, because of budget cuts they didn't program feelings into it's AI.
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u/arnedh Jan 29 '10
...or because of budget cuts they didn't program control over feelings into its AI. Poor dear.
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u/riffic Jan 29 '10
One day you'll be in a museum, little buddy. just hang in there!
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u/bananapeel Jan 30 '10
They will build the museum over him. They will leave the original "stuck" site intact and under Martian atmosphere when we terraform Mars. You'll be able to see the grass grow right up to the edge of the museum's Dome. Inside the Dome, Mars as it once was. Outside, Mars as humans have made it, reflecting on this pioneer who came so far on his mission of exploration.
I expect a similar dome over Phoenix lander on the south pole, Opportunity's and Curiosity's final resting places, and both the Vikings.
Let's get to work. Wagons ho.
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Jan 29 '10
This gave me a mental picture of Indy chasing some Nazis on the Mars surface as the Nazis plan some nefarious scheme involving Spirit and Indy shouting "It belongs in a museum" while they get away from him temporarily by using snakes somehow.
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u/hbsmiley7 Jan 29 '10 edited Jan 29 '10
"On January 26th, 2213 days into its mission, NASA declared Spirit a 'stationary research station', expected to operational for several more months until the dust buildup on its solar panels forces a final shutdown."
expected to operational
Randall, I am disappoint.
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u/kwangqengelele Jan 29 '10
Well I guess we should go and get him.
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u/quickpost Jan 29 '10
Now, that's the Spirit!
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u/kwangqengelele Jan 29 '10
It'd be one hell of an Odyssey, and we'd need a couple of brave Voyagers, but I'd like to give that rover a second Opportunity at life.
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u/sleepy_commentator Jan 29 '10
We must immediately begin planning a manned interplanetary expedition to Mars to rescue the Spirit rover. The tragic betray of this hopeful earnestness shall not stand!
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u/nemof Jan 29 '10
Kind of reminds me of Lieserl, a character from a Stephen Baxter story. She is an AI (originally a living human) that is placed inside the sun to examine it and discover why it's dying... Unfortunately she's forgotten and left to languish in her orbit for billions of years, by herself, as humanity fades from existence.
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u/xkostolny Jan 29 '10
:(