NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory couldn't have hoped for a more perfect Mars landing for Curiosity. The complex descent went off without a hitch, and not only did Curiosity start sending postcards from Mars immediately, but the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter had a surprise for the world, too.

In the future, police may analyze highly detailed, glowing fingerprints instead of dusting a crime scene. A research team in China has developed a process by which fingerprints both old and new are not only more detailed, but could allow authorities to pick up extra evidence, such as drug use.

NASA is all-systems-go to land its 2,000 pound Curiosity rover on the Red Planet this coming Monday. Want a refresher of what it's all about? NASA has prepared a video covering the Mars Science Lab's approach, landing and operations on the Martian surface, and got none other than William James T. Shatner Kirk to tell you all about it.

For a robot, the benefits of having a body like a snake are different than what snakes enjoy for being snakes. A snake can't coil around a pole and then rotate individual segments of its bodies to scale said pole, for instance. A robot snake can do that just, and it's pretty darn creepy (and impressive) to watch.