Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover

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I love how this book is told from the point of view of the little robot, it makes you feel like you are reading about a real person, although in some ways Curiosity is far more advanced than any human could ever be.

We hear the term “intellectual curiosity” bantered about so often these days. Ian Leslie goes beyond the rhetoric to remove any ambiguity about what this term really means and why it’s something that we need to embrace. He does so without preaching and also shows the reader HOW to accomplish the embrace. Psychologists have come to realize that curiosity is not a monolithic trait. George Mason University’s Todd B. Kashdan, David J. Disabato, and Fallon R. Goodman, along with linguist and educational scientist Carl Naughton, break it down into five distinct dimensions: deprivation sensitivity, joyous exploration, social curiosity, stress tolerance, and thrill seeking. They explore which dimensions lead to the best outcomes and generate particular benefits in work and life. From Curious to CompetentWhat’s the point? what’s the goal?… The main reason is to spark your own exploration and discovery. Just like with any other topic, like creativity or business, reading about curiosity will put you in the right frame of mind, to dive deep and take action. Tweet Me Enjoyable read, and I learned a few things which is always nice. Still, I found the argument that modernity's abundant and easy-to-access information is a threat to curiosity to be pretty weak (I often imagined an old man shaking his fist at "things these days", and the phrase "first world problems" crossed my mind more than once). I think it's clear that people intrinsically interested in a topic will take off their gloves and delve into it no matter whether the answers they're looking for are easy to find or not. Further, what's wrong with masses of generally incurious people having easy answers at their fingertips? If the effort to find an answer doesn't exceed their mild curiosity, they may be just as happy to go on in complete ignorance on the topic, which offers no improvement on the human condition in general. I understand the author's concern is also about all of the garbage that threatens to distract us from potential "eureka!" moments, but this is how it's always been, HuffPo/TMZ or not. One needs to master more self-control if one truly wishes to achieve any goal, intellectual or otherwise. The author also admits that serendipity often plays a part in sparking curiosity- maybe the accidental stumble down wikipedia rabbit hole is one futuristic, inclusive version this. I felt like the author was aware that he was making a half-hearted argument on this point. The ability to stimulate curiosity, on the other hand, can save lives, as Scheherazade experienced in the 1001 nights she told cliffhanger stories that needed to be finished before she was ready to die. Obviously, as a mother and teacher, I focus on stimulating curiosity, rather than punishing it, as it is part of effective learning. That's the theory, anyway. Leaders say they value employees who question or explore things, but research shows that they largely suppress curiosity, out of fear that it will increase risk and undermine efficiency. Why This Matters When you let your curiosity speak louder than your fear, you make life-changing discoveries, despite the danger of stepping outside your comfort zone and onto new and unexplored territory.

In ancient times curiosity was viewed with suspicion. The essayist and philosopher Plutarch considered curiosity a disease and advocated leaving letters unopened and not consummating a marriage. Photograph: Alamy This book is about Curiosity, but it's largely about science in general -- about questions and answers and why we send all these robots into space to begin with. I like how the grander desire for exploration is expressed so clearly throughout the story of the robot, making the scope much larger than just one robot or planet.It’s just so important to be open about how the mind can move,” Bassett says. Curious Minds also keenly explores whose curiosity is encouraged and whose is policed – the twins examine marginalisation, power and privilege throughout the book. One compelling passage notes that not everyone is celebrated for having the same qualities as Leonardo da Vinci, who went “about his days compulsively note-taking and sketching” and flitted between maths, science, technology, music and art.