Depends on how wide/deep you're trying to go, and in what sort of surface material. Ask professional drillers for water, oil, construction, etc. on Earth just how much their jobs lend themselves to automation, then throw speed of light delays into the mix. Even the Apollo 15 crew had trouble doing relatively shallow…

I'm all for creating a permanent human presence on Mars, I agree with much Zubrin has to say...but I don't consider it virtually the first, last, and only place to go. There are human-worthy things to do before Mars, there are human-worthy things to do beyond Mars. Zubirin is too Mars-centric for my tastes. I'm for…

The Bengal Finch may be the first non-human animal to demonstrate the use of syntax in the wild (and that's a pretty cool thing in itself, now mind you), but albeit a laboratory setting, they're not the first to display understanding of syntax at all...

"I really don't understand people's fear of such a thing. "

"...also anarchy depends too much on the assumed good of human nature "

"I've never understood what's so bad about a singular world government. Unless it was created by force, I can't see how it would be a bad thing. "

Well, it was either that, or Avatar...or Smurfs.

Most research, even space research, tends to be less exciting than in the movies...

Correct:

Because on Mars there isn't the need to reflect radiant heat coming directly from the Sun, and reflected from the surface (especially for a vehicle that has to be kept at human-comfortable temps), as there is on the Moon.

I can't help feeling thr same way. If it doesn't happen at a time that I'm working or sleeping, I'll be doing more than the usual nail biting waiting for an indication that a successful landing has occurred...and knowing that speed of light delays being what they are, whatever the result, it's already happened.

(sigh) Yeah, as if pulling off MSL is something that happens every day.

Although I enjoyed 'The Rocketeer' on many levels, I most remember it as the first time I'd seen Jennifer Connolly since 'Labyrinth.'

Some friends and I saw this movie, after seeing its trailer while waiting for another film to begin.

And the arms race is on...

I don't know, but I can tell you with certainty that sea lions do...

Unfortunately, some will take that as proof it wasn't done:

Agreed. Flying cars for all, gives me visions of the mess we saw in 'The Fifth Element,' or at least Star Wars II, not the neat, orderly skyways of 'Back to the Future II' or 'The Jetsons.'

"If humans have been consistently acting in a certain way for thousands of years, why would we think that the next 50 years is going to change all that? "

I'm pretty sure that for some people, that 'something' will be...disappointment.