Talk about technology, I’m impressed! The roving space laboratory Curiosity has landed on Mars and with style. Basically, a huge—and we’re talking big—parachute lowered a “crane” and the rover to near the surface, where the crane fired off rockets to hold it in place while it released the rover and winched it slowly the remaining distance to the surface. I can’t believe anyone seriously sold this idea, much less made it happen. Much more humble rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, were basically dumped on the surface at the mercy of high-tech Styrofoam peanuts. Those little scudders, powered by solar panels, explored Mars for years, when they were designed to last only months. I can’t wait to see what Curisoity does. I’d provide some links, but it’s all over the internet; you won’t have any trouble.