Suppose you could send a robot to another planet. What kinds of experiments would you program the robot to carry out? Before you programmed the robot, you would need to figure out what information you wanted it to gather. Scientists are currently developing robots, like the one in Figure 1, that they plan to send to Mars. These robots are being designed to examine the atmosphere, rocks, gravity, and magnetic fields of the planet.

Figure 1  In July 1997, the six-wheeled Sojourner rover became the first robot to explore planet Mars. The next generation of Mars rovers will help scientists further study the planet's geology, geography, and climate.

Science involves asking questions about nature and then finding ways to answer them. This process doesn't happen by itself—it is driven by the curiosity of scientists.