Space (part 5) - Perseverance

 

(wikipedia/Perseverance's first photo)

Perseverance!

Its definition according to Merriam-Webster:

continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : the action or condition or an instance of persevering : STEADFASTNESS

These qualities capture the essence of the latest NASA mission to Mars.  Thomas Zurbuchen, the associate administrator of the agency's Science Mission Directorate, explained:

"Yes, it's curiosity that pulls us out there, but it's perseverance that does not let us give up." 

Perseverance was chosen from its naming contest for students K-12.  The winning essay was written by seventh grader Alex Mather. For the full story:  What's in a name: Why NASA chose 'Perseverance' for its next Mars rover

And for an overview of this latest mission: Mars Perseverance Mission Overview

Perseverance was launched, July 30, 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, another testament to its name:

(reference: https://youtu.be/CSvbtlcH6mw )

February 18, 2021, Perseverance successfully landed on Mars, a shown in this animation:

(reference: https://youtu.be/hVd6nhESYok )

Yea!

Modern marvels of technology recorded the actual landing:

(reference: https://youtu.be/4czjS9h4Fpg )

And what a magnificent view!

Check out Mastcam-Z's First 360-Degree Panorama:

(reference: https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/25640/mastcam-zs-first-360-degree-panorama/ )

Thus Perseverance joins her four sister rovers: Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity,  and Curiosity.

Reference: The Mars Rovers

So the Maritain Chronicles continue as we persevere!

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Other posts in the series:
  

Space (part 1) - NASA at 60 (2018)
  

Space (part 2): Earthrise - 1968  (2018) 

Space (part 3): Apollo 11 Golden Anniversary (2019)

Space (part 4) - Mooned in 2021 (2021)

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photo:  wikipedia/Perseverance's first photo

Physics (part 5) - Be Curious, Don't Give Up

Curiosity Cat/everystockphoto.com

Curiosity killed the cat
But satisfaction brought her back

Curiosity and Perseverance

In the world of science, these attributes can lead to breakthroughs. Rewrite text books. Create paradigm shifts in our thinking.

Let's spotlight two prominent physicists of the late 20th century, who exemplified those qualities.

* Dr. Stephen Hawking

* Dr. Richard Feynman

Stephen Hawking is considered one of the greatest physicist of recent times. And he passed away this year (2018) on March 14th, the same day as Einstein's birthday. [reference: Stephen Hawking ]

Yet perseverance helped him overcome the physical challenges of ALS.  With perseverance and curiosity, he pursued a distinguishing career in cosmology and theoretical physics, as shown below:

( reference: https://youtu.be/DTlLxzYWdMk )

Likewise, Nobel laureate Richard Feynman was driven by curiosity. Which drove him to learn new things. Get out of his comfort zone. Search for answers. Solve nature's puzzles. Connect the dots.

While a graduate student days at Princeton, Feynman developed a method that served him well. He started with an empty notebook titled -

NOTEBOOK OF THINGS I DON’T KNOW ABOUT. 

He filled the pages as he reorganized his thoughts in the concrete form of pen and paper. Trying to find the essential kernel of each branch of physics. This discipline may have paved the way to his Nobel Prize.

* Check out:  The Feynman Notebook Method  and the video below:

( reference: https://youtu.be/UjEngEpiJKo )

Learning new things can be hard.  It takes work. Most resist it. Yet, through curiosity and perseverance, as Stephen Hawking said -

 It can be done. 

Regardless of vocation, avocation, hobby, interests, passions...

Stay curious
and
Don't give up

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Previous posts in this series:

Physics (part 1) - Picking Feynman's Brain (2013)
  
Physics (part 2) - Flat Earth? It depends ...  (2015)

Physics (part 3) - 100 years of Einstein (2015) 

Physics (part 4) - Einstein and Pi  (2016)

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Photo: Curiosity Cat/everystockphoto.com