It now seems that the 33 miners trapped underground in Chile will have to wait it out until November for rescue; so it helps that several items to take their mind off of their predicament, such as a TV, have been sent down small holes to them. However, the rescue effort's lead psychiatrist, Alberto Iturra Benavidesa, has barred them from playing with the Sony PSPs reportedly delivered a couple of weeks ago.

While they are allowed to watch television and movies, having enjoyed Troy, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Mask, they can't play with a handheld games console or portable music player, such as an iPod, for fear that it will isolate each miner. They are currently fragile mentally, and need each other's support to survive.

In addition, there are practical reasons why the group needs to remain aware. As reported in The Washington Post, Iturra explained why: "With earphones, if they're listening to music and someone calls them, asking for help or to warn them about something, they're not available. What they need is to be together".

The miners are allowed to make phone calls though, using a device that was lowered to them in pieces and reassembled later. Presumably, the TV went through the same process... Maybe they'll all become engineers when they finally emerge. It clearly beats mining.