I’m not sure how much money NASA received for this video of an astronaut shilling the next Angry Birds game, but I doubt it’s enough to fund a mission to Mars.

I get that public-private partnerships have become de rigeur for all levels of government, but this still makes me a little sad. NASA should be promoting science and exploration, not trying to sell me a videogame. It makes me wonder if the age of truly public works–whether it’s going to the Moon or building a dam–is gone forever. Nowadays, it seems like government can’t do anything on a big scale without selling the naming rights or providing product placement. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the spacecraft that eventually brings humans to Mars is emblazoned with a huge Apple logo.