Embarrassment about recent Mars expeditions aside, NASA really does do some cool stuff. Recently, they launched a so-called STARDUST mission to Mars. Aboard the spacecraft are two microchips containing nearly two million Earthlings' names. The link here takes you to the mission's FAQ; from there you can go various other places, including lists of the names. (Supposedly these are quote-unquote real Earthlings, but among the other names are "Marge and Homer Simpson." You Be the Judge.)