Week 9 | Space + Art

 The discussion of science fiction as a genre influenced my understanding of space and art the most out of all the provided sources. It’s not so much as what space is rather than what we believe space can be. Space elevators, the launch of Sputnik, as well as science fiction novels talk about space as an unexplored frontier full of mystery, opportunity, and hope. When Sputnik was launched, it frightened American society which led to the reforming of our education system from a focus of rote memorization to a specialization in applied sciences (Roos).


Fig. 1 The Martian, 2015. 


For example, take the science fiction novel (that was later adapted into a film) The Martian by Andy Weir that depicts the journey of a botanist stranded on Mars. It helped to popularize science and inspired a generation of learners who are interested in space exploration (Alter). The numbers speak for themselves with the film grossing $630 million dollars (Box Office Mojo). 


Fig 2. NASA, Nasa Photo of the Day, 5/24/2022



I think that space has a really cool intersection with art because both subjects seek to understand what is there but are not fully known. They do this in different ways. Space exploration seeks to discover the unknown and extend the human understanding of the universe whereas art seeks to help explore who we are as humans. 


Understanding space gives us a deeper understanding of our origins. For example, knowing how the solar system came to be along with other facts about our planetary neighbors helps to put our lives in perspective. Did you know that Earth is 4.6 billion years old (National Geographic)? It’s crazy that I’ll only be alive for a small sliver of time in the universe’s time frame and it motivates me to enjoy life as much as I can.


Fig 3. Pinterest, Solar System, n.d.


A cool intersection between science and art are artists’ depictions of the universe that help to further our scientific understanding of the universe. For example, the above photo, although not photorealistic, helps learners understand the order of the planets (Harvard).


References

 

Alter, A. (2017, February 24). Andy Weir’s best seller ‘The Martian’ gets a classroom-friendly makeover. 

The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/business/andy-weirs-best-seller-the-martian-gets-a-classroom-friendly-makeover.html

Box Office Mojo. (n.d.). The Martian. 

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3496969729/rankings/?ref_=bo_rl_tab#tabs

Harvard. (n.d.). Use images and media to enhance understanding. Digital Accessibility​. 

https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/use-images-and-media-enhance-understanding#:~:text=Images%20and%20media%20are%20powerful,attract%20and%20engage%20our%20attention

National Geographic. (n.d.). Age of the earth. 

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/resource-library-age-earth

Roos, D. (2019, August 13). How the Cold War Space Race led to U.S. students doing tons of 

homework. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/news/homework-cold-war-sputnik

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