back to article 1,100 haiku heading to Mars on next NASA mission

The next NASA probe to Mars will carry a DVD containing 1,100 haiku submitted and voted on by members of the public, with British author Benedict Smith winning first place with this gem: It's funny, they named Mars after the God of War Have a look at Earth The haiku will be carried to the Red Planet on the Mars Atmosphere …

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  1. Don Jefe
    Alien

    Discovery

    Martian 1: Look at the odd speech patterns of the Earthlings.

    Martian 2: Indeed, they seem incapable of describing something in its entirety. Is it a limit of their language or their intelligence?

    Martian 1: I don't know, but it's really quite awful. Lets just kill them all and be done with it. I'm fed up with them leaving all their garbage technology here anyway.

  2. This post has been deleted by its author

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Alien

    They sent DVD.

    Martians may have VHS

    Or Betamax still.

  4. This post has been deleted by its author

  5. Frumious Bandersnatch
    Headmaster

    1,100 *haikus heading to Mars on next NASA mission

    To Japanese ear

    Plurality is inferred---

    "Haiku" would suffice

    日本人とは,

    耳か耳たち

    どちがすき?

    1. Frumious Bandersnatch
      Headmaster

      Re: 1,100 *haikus heading to Mars on next NASA mission

      For Benefit of

      Make the Reader Edified:

      A Short Translation:

      Among Japanese,

      Between Ear(s) and Assemblage,

      Which would be preferred?

    2. mhenriday
      Pint

      Re: 1,100 *haikus heading to Mars on next NASA mission

      勿論、«耳»の法が良い、けど。。。

      Henri

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    Watch out, Mars!!

    Benedict Smith poem

    Seems most ordinary to my ear

    Nantucket man weeps

    1. Benedict Smith

      Re: Watch out, Mars!!

      Hey Nantucket man!

      Try benedictsmith.net

      For more lame poems

      1. Spoonsinger
        Coat

        Re: Watch out, Mars!!

        Pity Nantucket man!

        His forgotten sleigh ride

        Curses Weekend World loss.

  7. Chris Miller
    WTF?

    Why a DVD?

    If we reckon an average English Haiku is about 70 characters, say 90 to allow for some formatting, we get 100KB of data - which would easily fit on a single-sided floppy disk (remember them?). Or are they being read out over videos of cats playing the piano?

    If we want to use a long-lasting format, laser engrave them on a sliver of sapphire.

    1. LaeMing
      Boffin

      Re: Why a DVD?

      As the article says, the disk also contains Mars-inspired graphic art.

      And if you want to engrave your data on silver or sapphire for long life, don't store it in a spacecraft that is designed to burn up on atmospheric entry! (Also in the article!)

      ...

      Bothering to read the article you are commenting on - a skill for life!

  8. VinceH

    A minute to learn,

    But a lifetime to master?

    I am not so sure.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Any fool can write these.

    The real problem, as we know,

    is that all fools do.

  10. albaleo

    Stressed out

    This syllable thing doesn't really work in English. Japanese is a syllable-timed language with each syllable using more or less the same time. In contrast, English is a stress-timed language. A more interesting task would be to make haiku in English using only stressed syllables. Like this:

    "This red rock place holds

    Five more clues where free dogs roam

    Round dark light space walks"

    With luck, that should put a stop to this haiku craze.

  11. Christoph
    Alien

    Earthling invaders

    Send another craft to block

    My view of Venus

  12. Tom 7
    Pint

    The Limerick's an artform complex

    whose contents run chiefly to sex

    its famous for virgins

    and masculine urgings

    and vulgar erotic effects

    and pisses on other poetry cos it works well with beer which will be our only good export to Mars. So long as its not called export.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Pint

      This limerick's devoted to beer...

      A subject that causes much cheer

      They serve it in bars

      That you can't find on Mars

      Which is why I spend my time here!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Go

        Re: This limerick's devoted to beer...

        And maybe we should send LOHAN up with 1100 limericks put on a thumb drive :)

      2. stucs201
        Coat

        Re: This limerick's devoted to beer...

        What do you mean you can't find bars on Mars? I've been hearing about Mars bars since I was a kid...

    2. Swarthy
      Coat

      Re: The Limerick's an artform complex

      A limerick packs laughs anatomical

      In space that is quite economical

      But the good ones I've seen

      So seldom are clean

      And the Clean ones so seldom are comical

  13. Anonymous John
    Unhappy

    Down there somewhere is

    Curiosity roaming

    I'm stuck in orbit.

  14. Irony Deficient

    astrum nullius

    Mars — we come in peace!

    To you we bring blue Earth’s gift —

    Oh, and this disc, too.

  15. This post has been deleted by its author

  16. Frogmelon

    Hatsune Miku,

    English on sixth birthday sings,

    Worth an article?

  17. A J Stiles
    Coat

    Mixing up artforms to create a new artform

    There was a young bard from Japan

    Whose haiku would never quite scan

    When told this was so

    He replied, "Yes, I know,"

    "But I make it a personal point of pride always to try to fit as many words into the last line as I possibly can!"

    1. Frumious Bandersnatch

      Re: Mixing up artforms to create a new artform

      ... And what of the bard from Verdun?

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