Unit 9: Space + Art

Similar to last week's topic, nanotechnology, space is a frontier that society has only recently interacted with. Space and art have been closely intertwined, partly due to the fact that the ordinary person can't experience space. Therefore, art gives everyone a chance to gain some senses as to what it is like in space. This ranges from photographs and drawings of space (National Geographic), to visual effects such as the recent movie "Gravity".

Photograph of Earth

What was so appealing about "Gravity" was that it gave the audience a full experience of what it is like to be stranded in outer space. While the physics wasn't perfect, it actually was a pretty good depiction of what space is like from a physics point-of-view ("Gravity - Fact Check").

Art also can affect future space technologies. For instance, the idea of the space elevator was originated when scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was inspired by the eiffel tower, and thought of making a tower so high that it enters space (NASA Science News). Additionally, Arthur Clark's novel The Fountains of Paradise introduced the space elevator to the general public (Whyte). Furthermore, the movie and T.V series "The Jetsons" made the idea of travelling to the moon mainstream and more desirable. The show also predicted many current technologies, such as flat screens being everywhere, the use of nanotechnology, and household robots (UK Wired).

Even if shows and art mediums like these do not actually create the new technologies, they can inspire and motivate scientists and engineers to create these products.  I think it is truly incredible how far we have come when it comes to space travel in the past sixty years, and I hope for the newest venture to come true in my lifetime: affordable commercial travel to space.

References

"First Full View Photo of Earth." National Geographic, n.d. Web. 30 May 2015.
<http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/wallpaper/photography/photos/milestones-space-photography/earth-full-view/>

"Gravity Trailer." YouTube. Warner Bros Picture, 4 Sept. 2014. Web. 30 May 2015.

‘Gravity’ Fact Check." Time Magazine, n.d. Web. 30 May 2015. <http://science.time.com/2013/10/01/what-gravity-gets-right-and-wrong-about-space/>

"The Audacious Space Elevator". NASA Science News. Retrieved September 27, 2008.

Whyte, Nicholas. "The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke." The Fountains of Paradise. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2015. <http://www.nicholaswhyte.info/sf/founp.htm>

"The Jetsons Turns 50, so Where's All That Cool Stuff?" Wired UK. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2015