By Robert Trigaux, Times Business Columnist
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
A bit of Tampa Bay's brainpower and innovation is now on display 140 million miles away on Mars.
You've probably heard about the $2.5 billion Curiosity rover, a six-wheeled chemistry lab dedicated to analyzing samples of the Mars landscape for signs of life and building a sharper picture of the Red Planet's geologic history.
Part of that task is happening thanks to the work of scientists, engineers and companies based right here.
It's an exciting reminder that this region's economy and talent pool are diversifying and involved in such cutting-edge events. With more than 7,000 people helping create Curiosity, Tampa Bay's contribution may seem modest enough. But it's a giant leap to help broaden a regional identity still too often branded as a winter vacation spot and retirement mecca.
In Dunedin ...