It doesn't appear anyone knew most of these cultural references, so for any of you inquiring minds out there, the answers are below...
Left side (top to bottom)
:
I Brake for Tardigrades - My tongue-in-cheek ode to these microscopic anthropods ("waterbears") that are known to
survive extreme conditions, even the vacuum of space. And so, in a sense, you could call them the only extra-terrestial life in our known solar system!
Keep Calm... The Answer is Still 42 - Again, my own bumper sticker, playing off the ever increasingly ridiculous "Keep Calm" WWII poster versions with mine tying into Douglas Adams' space comedy, "
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Here, we learn that after 7.5
million years, a supercomputer (named, "Deep Thought") calculates "42" as the “Answer to
Life, the Universe and Everything!” Quite funny, really.
Not All Who Wander Are Lost - I thought this bumper sticker works well for those too "wandering" about in space, exploring the cosmos, or even for others simply looking up in contemplation at its vastness, pondering things of eternity, seemingly wandering about but with an end goal in sight. This line is actually first spoken in Tolkien's poem, "
All That is Gold Does Not Glitter," showing up in "
The Fellowship of the Ring." It is also the title of
Chris Thile's third solo album, continuing his philosophical muse begun as a member of the progressive bluegrass band, Nickel Creek.
Right side (top to bottom)
:
Got Stardust? - Obviously, my astronomy twist on the classic milk ads.
I Have a Feeling we're not in Kansas Anymore - Dorothy says this to Toto in "
The Wizard of Oz." It's that sense that we're no longer in a predictable, comfortable surrounding — apropos for such a journey to Mars!
My Other Ride is a [Tardis] - If you didn't recognise the illustration, then you've never watched the long running sci-fi TV series,
Dr. Who, and all his various travels through the universe in his time machine/spaceship that from the outside looks distinctly like an old London Police call box. (Speaking of such, if you haven't seen it already, you might rather enjoy
my own funny take on being a time lord!)
Chewbacca is my Co-Pilot - Not that I'm terribly a
Star Wars fan but am pretty sure these space travelers surely would be!
So Say We All - This "Amen" like refrain is often spoken by the last remaining survivors in the re-imagined modern version of
Battlestar Galatica. Admiral Adama concludes with this rallying cry after the memorial service to all those lost before them in the Ceylon destruction of their world(s), acknowledging that while their journey finding a new home (Earth) will be long and arduous, in the end it will be worth it! This mythical hope drives them to keep striving against all odds. The series itself delves into morality, creation, mythology, spirituality, science and technology to ponder the question of what actually makes us human and how can "life" even be defined? As
Adama aptly notes in one speech, "
We refuse to accept the responsibility for anything that we’ve done." The series then, of course, warns of the perils of playing God, creating (artificial) life that eventually rebels, becoming humanity's own undoing!
