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Olympic Committee Names Mars as Host of 2012 Games |
 | Mars 2012.
Credit: Unknown |
In a shocking announcement made this morning, the International Olympic
Committee has named Mars as the host of the 2012 Olympic Games. The
announcement, both widely celebrated and criticized, makes Mars the
first extraterrestrial planet to be selected for the prestigious event. Paris, which was
long considered the most likely candidate for the Games, was ultimately
eliminated because of concerns over transporation. Although the
technology is still in development, traveling to Mars via spaceship is
considered a much more convenient transporation solution than driving
in France. "Clearly Mars offers greater room for expansion," Olympic
chairman, Jacques Rogge, said. "Its traffic congestion is practically
negligable and security is really a non-issue." Mars scored a perfect
ten in all categories, including security, accommodation, and past
experience. "We must remember that Mars has never hosted an Olympic
Games before," Rogge pointed out.
The newly formed Mars Olympic Committee is expected to begin
development of a giant Olympic park complex, of unspecified size,
including several stadiums. Commercial development is sure to follow,
and historians have said that the local economy is sure to bloom. The
specific site for the Olympic park is still in dispute, although a
marathon event is planned to take place on the summit of Olympus Mons.
Athletes will be transported to Mars several years before the Games in
order to properly train in the low-gravity environment. Experts predict
that world records in track and field events will be shattered, especially pole-vaulting and the long jump.
@ 12:57 EST
(permanent link) |
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New Article: Advertising to Finance Mars Missions |
| Advertising on Mars.
Credit: Luciano Méndez |
Luciano Méndez has written an article entitled Advertising to Finance Mars Missions about the possibility of using advertising from private companies to finance the first manned missions to Mars. Using the Olympics as an example (an ironic one, as he told me, considering our recent April Fool's news update), Méndez explains how Mars could fuel the sports industry by hosting "games" on the surface. Here's a snippet:
The tendency evidenced during the last 16 years would indicate that by the time the first mission gets to Mars, likely in 2020, the Olympic broadcast revenues could easily reach $6 billion dollars. On this basis, and taking into account the additional funding from sponsoring and merchandising, we could estimate that humanity’s arrival on Mars could be profitable enough to fully fund the second mission, starting a cycle in which each mission is financed by the broadcasting rights of the preceding one. Thus, the human Mars program would become a self-financing, privately-sponsored economic enterprise with a strong financial base that would ensure the viability of the project for many decades to come.
Just do this!
@ 21:34 EST
(permanent link) |
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Wednesday, April 20, 2005 | |
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New Painting: Mars Panorama |
| A photo of Mars compared to Méndez's painting (below).
Credit: Luciano Méndez |
Luciano Méndez has submitted an acrylic painting of Mars. The painting can be found on the Art and Screenshots
page under "Fan Art." The image is actually a series of four separate
images, which when combined form a panoramic view of Mars. The scene
include a massive volcano, plain, and ravine. His paintings are
amazingly realistic, and curiously similar to a photo taken of the
horizon at Spirit's landing site, shown at left. The full panorama is currently on display at the Planetarium of Rosario City, in Argentina.
A link to the full panorama can be found here.
@ 15:47 EST
(permanent link) |
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