If you read news reports, you would think that the only point of sending the Curiosity rover to Mars is to search for extraterrestrial life. Therefore, I suggest, that after every test it conducts Curiosity play the chorus of OK Go’s “No Sign of Life”. This will make it easier for the journalists to understand the results, but also carries a sense of optimism for the future.
No sign of life, no sign of life, no sign of life, no sign
But I got a hunch, oh, it’s not over yet, oh, it’s not over yet
As it turns out, if your only interests in space exploration are either finding extraterrestrial life or places we could colonize, then there are good reasons to keep sending probes to other worlds. When it comes to the study of geology and planetary science, we have only had one sample that we can work with, the Earth. The robotic probes we are starting to scatter throughout the various bodies in the Solar System are giving us the chance to understand planets (and dwarf planets and moons, etc.), not just our planet. And, that kind of knowledge could help us put better parameters on our quest to feel less lonely in the Universe.
*Marie-Claire is very busy this week. So, you are stuck with me.
**This YouTube video of the song has been posted since 2007 without contest and you can listen to “No Sign of Life” at OK Go’s official site for free on the album (“Oh No”) page.
The Finch and Pea 
My main interest in space exploration is really about the awesome screen savers and desktop images that result.
I think you mean “Without consent”
Actually, we meant what we said and we said what we meant. The YouTube video has been up for 5 years. While we are not prepared to make any statement about the artist’s “consent”, it is clear that they do not object to the easily found public display.