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Somewhere in the vacuum of interplanetary space, two dormant spacecraft are hurtling toward a rendezvous with the planet Mars. As they approach the Earth's neighbor early next summer, they will begin to transmit a wealth of data, including the results of man's first extraterrestrial search for life. Millions of people will watch the progress of the mission, code named Viking, but few will follow it with more interest than Alfred O.C. Nier, Regents Professor, University of Minnesota. Professor Nier is one of a handful of men who have transformed the exploration of Mars from a dream into a reality.
While the Viking program actually began with feasibility studies made in 1965, man's fascination with Mars, the red planet, began long before that. As early as 1646, soon after the invention of the telescope, the planet Mars was found to have distinct markings The most popular explanation of these markings was simple -- life existed on Mars.
Elaborate schemes were even devised to contact the Martians. One serious proposal was to write messages on the Siberian wastelands for the Martians to read. Another idea was to dig gigantic trenches in the Sahara Desert, fill them with kerosene, and send a flaming signal to Mars. Presumably the messages would prove to the universe that there was intelligent, if
You enjoy registering for class. In fact, you enjoy it so much that you interrupt the movie showing on your three-dimensional holographic television set to select some winter quarter classes. Sliding your student ID into the convenient slot on the side of your personal supercomputer, you are instantly interfaced with the University of Minnesota Computer Network. Your faculty adviser appears on your computer screen and asks what classes you'd like to take. "Ah, something easy," you reply as you download your one-year plan from IT's computer. With your advisor's approval, registration is a snap. An artificial intelligence construct makes sure all your classes fit. The push of a button switches you over to the bookstore's computers where you select your textbooks from the computer shopping program. You complete your winter quarter plans by paying for your tuition and books with the simple phrase, "Put it on my card."
Even though it may not look like it, the new student identification cards are a step towards this future. With these new cards, the University hopes to combine the many current student files into a single database that can be used campus-wide. . .
