Mommy Brain

(Roving Mars was provided to me by Click Communications for the purpose of review.)

Roving Mars is a documentary that tells the story of the development, launch, and landings of the two Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. The kids and I watched it last night, after which Noah declared he was going to be an astronaut/scientist when he grows up. He then went and drew his own poster of the Mars Rover on the surface of the planet.

I have to tell you, science movies have come a long way since I was a kid. I remember the movies we watched in school as mostly dry and boring, a good chance for a nap. But with modern technology and media techniques, documentary films have come a long way.

The movie is about 40 minutes long, and tells how the Mars Rovers were built over three years and what they were able to do once they landed on Mars. The suspense is palpable in the scene where the people at Nasa are waiting for the first Rover to make radio contact. Can you imagine three years of your life spent on one project – and then having to launch it off into space and hope that it not only reaches its target, but works once it gets there?

The science is explained in terms the kids – and I – were able to understand. Christian parents who are strict young-earth creationists might be disturbed by the “billions of years ago” and “studying Mars might tell us what the origins of life are” statements, but it’s worth getting past that to watch the film.