Topic: Perseverance

The landing of the Mars rover Perseverance was compared by NPR to "throwing a dart from D.C. and hitting a bullseye in Dallas." This analogy prompted a look back at the 1999 CIA bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, which was officially called an accident despite three precision missiles hitting the target. Additionally, the "Build Back Better" slogan used by Joe Biden is noted as being identical to phrases used by leaders in the UK, Netherlands, and the UN.

A sudden surge in news stories about near-miss asteroids and comets is noted, with some speculating it may be viral marketing for the Gerard Butler movie "Greenland." NASA's Perseverance rover is preparing for a landing on Mars to collect samples in "super clean tubes." The hosts express skepticism about the mission's goal of finding life, suggesting it may be another media-driven narrative.

The show concludes with a BBC report on NASA's Perseverance rover mission to Mars, which aims to collect rock samples and search for signs of ancient life. Host John C. Dvorak questions the physics of a helicopter operating in the thin Martian atmosphere. The episode closes with a series of listener-produced music mixes featuring clips of Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, and Justin Trudeau.

The hosts take a break from pandemic news to discuss "fire rainbows," or circumhorizontal arcs, recently photographed over Washington's Lake Sammamish. They also cover the migration of puffins to Scotland and NASA's Perseverance rover, which is carrying the names of 10.9 million people to Mars on silicon chips. One host recalls that the "No Agenda" show name was previously sent to the moon on a similar mission.