Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime, narrates this two-minute NASA video, titled "We Are the Explorers," celebrating "humankind's inherent need to explore through the past, present and future," according to the space agency. Cullen's measured, confident tones are a perfect fit for the grand, questing nature of the subject matter, though I half expected the film to conclude with images of far-flung galaxies and Optimus Prime intoning, "Send this message to any surviving autobots taking refuge among the stars: We are here. We are waiting." Will the effort help transform NASA's image in an era when most folks perceive space exploration as a relic of the past rather than a vibrant part of our present and a key to the future? I doubt it, especially given the ambivalence of our overstimulated society toward such endeavors. It's sad that NASA even needs to advertise, reducing its awesome legacy to stock footage and glitzy graphics propelled by a tie-in with popular culture. Still, a hook's a hook, and there's no doubt Cullen's participation in the mission will drive media coverage—this blog post being a prime example. Via Geeks Are Sexy.