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posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday January 14 2020, @03:27PM   Printer-friendly
from the just-don't-call-it-AMEE dept.

NASA narrows down Mars 2020 rover names: Hello, Fido?:

Anaxagoras, Asteria Morpheus and Marv are all in the running.

NASA is definitely keeping an open mind when it comes to naming its Mars 2020 rover. It may end up being as simple as "Wonder" or as unusual as "Propulsion Major Crater."

NASA announced on Monday the list of semifinalists for its rover-naming contest, which was open to US kids from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Volunteer judges narrowed down 28,000 essay submissions to 155 semifinalists. There are some repeats among the proposed names, with Tenacity, Determination, Ingenuity, Inspiration, Possibility, Perspective and Perseverance showing up more than once.

[...] You can browse the entries, read the essays and start rooting for your favorite.

[...] Judges will now whittle the semifinalists down to nine finalists. A public vote will help determine the rover's final name. NASA will announce the winner in March.

I think they should call it "Red Rover".


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  • (Score: 2) by gtomorrow on Tuesday January 14 2020, @05:44PM (6 children)

    by gtomorrow (2230) on Tuesday January 14 2020, @05:44PM (#943149)

    by c0lo (156) Neutral on Tuesday January 14, @04:48PM (#943108)

    I never understand why people object to "Rover McRoverface".

    Because that (lame-ass) joke has been done. It got its chuckles. Let's move on, shall we?

    by Thexalon (636) Neutral on Tuesday January 14, @05:48PM (#943132) Homepage

    Heck, I don't understand why anyone objected to Boaty McBoatFace back when that happened...
    [snip]
    Yes, it's silly, but the idea that we humans shouldn't be silly sometimes is just wrong.

    Yeah, agreed but context is everything. "When you know where you're going, you know what to wear." That glib "Boaty McBoatface" line of thinking got us the current President of the United States and Brexit, to name just two of many examples. We're naming a vehicle representing another giant baby-step for mankind, not the next [comedian_du_jour] movie, n'est-ce pas?

    That said, I'd vote for martyb's "Red Rover": it's a "silly" pun but apropos, as opposed to that facile X McXface meme.

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  • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Tuesday January 14 2020, @07:07PM (2 children)

    by Thexalon (636) on Tuesday January 14 2020, @07:07PM (#943207)

    That glib "Boaty McBoatface" line of thinking got us the current President of the United States and Brexit, to name just two of many examples.

    Everyone with a brain knows there are times to be silly and times to not be silly. Specifically, when it's safe and when it's unsafe to be silly. Boaty McBoatface was completely harmless and fun, while Brexit is neither of those for anybody involved.

    --
    The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
    • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday January 14 2020, @08:38PM

      by FatPhil (863) <pc-soylentNO@SPAMasdf.fi> on Tuesday January 14 2020, @08:38PM (#943248) Homepage
      Don't blame me, I didn't vote for Bojo McBrexitface.
      --
      Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
    • (Score: 2) by gtomorrow on Tuesday January 14 2020, @08:42PM

      by gtomorrow (2230) on Tuesday January 14 2020, @08:42PM (#943251)

      Everyone with a brain knows...

      You just confirmed my statement, Thexy McThexface. Hence, Brexit and Mr "Short-fingered vulgarian" as POTUS: a severely myopic worldview.

      OFFTOPIC: Which reminds me...what ever happened to our very own realDonaldTrump? [soylentnews.org]

  • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday January 14 2020, @09:10PM (2 children)

    by FatPhil (863) <pc-soylentNO@SPAMasdf.fi> on Tuesday January 14 2020, @09:10PM (#943269) Homepage
    It barely even registers as a "joke". "Joke" is just being used as a gloss for "not serious". But that's no reason why the names should be serious, non-seriousness of name does not harm operational capabilities or efficiencies.

    Britain got one, I think it's perfectly fair that the US has one too if it wants one; have some pride in your ability to discriminate between that which needs to be serious and something which does not need to be serious, if you're able to, the Brits certainly do. I kinda wish the Russians build something impressive that the world will be talking about and they get to name it their vessel-type specific repurposing of the Лодочка Лодкомордочка construction, perhaps then the US will feel left out and see the levity.
    --
    Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
    • (Score: 2) by gtomorrow on Wednesday January 15 2020, @01:17AM (1 child)

      by gtomorrow (2230) on Wednesday January 15 2020, @01:17AM (#943383)

      It barely even registers as a "joke".

      Call me generous. I realise it isn't remotely funny (to me) but I also realise not everyone shares my sense of humour, hence the long-continuing "American Pie" series of films, or Rob Schneider's/Adam Sandler's/Russell Brand's entire career. You (in the general sense) may find that funny. I don't. Let's shake hands and go on about our lives.

      ...have some pride in your ability to discriminate between that which needs to be serious and something which does not need to be serious...

      Exactly my point. But again, not everyone shares my sense of that demarcation. Fortunately somebody does: the entire Boaty McBoatface thang proves it as the research vessel itself's appointed name is the RRS Sir Richard Attenborough (a name which carries a certain weight about it even if one is totally ignorant of the man himself) and as a consolation prize, the publically-voted name of Stupid McBrainlessface Boaty McBoatface is the lead boat.

      [comedy]And anyway, the British are generally a silly people. They even have a Ministry of Silly Walks. [wikipedia.org] They have an Upper Class Twit of the Year [wikipedia.org] competition. They drive on the wrong side of the road, for the love of Pete! They not only use metric and imperial standards of weights and measures but the incredibly silly "stone" [wikipedia.org] with its wobbly definition. Their pop stars name their children Zowie (much to the chagrin of the child in later life). They (try to) name their research vessels Boaty McBoatface. Even a Royal grandchild and his American "actress"/briefcase-girl wife, wanting their slice of the general UK silliness, have created Megxit. Silly, silly Britischers. They have lost any sense of where to put that demarcation.[/comedy]

      Forgive me for the last paragraph: it's all in fun but once I got rolling, it was hard to stop with so much low-hanging fruit! HA! I can be silly too! Now don't get me started on the...

      • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Wednesday January 15 2020, @04:12PM

        by FatPhil (863) <pc-soylentNO@SPAMasdf.fi> on Wednesday January 15 2020, @04:12PM (#943641) Homepage
        Why do you think I left?!?!?
        --
        Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves