Space never really interested me. I never really understood why people were so fascinated with space. I thought that anything outside of Earth was not relevant. Perhaps now that I think about it, it’s not that it never interested me. The topic if space is so vast and mysterious that I never really knew how to grasp it. I think people were interested in space because it was so mysterious and unknown. In the lecture videos, Professor Vesna shows us these old space videos. When watching them, I couldn’t help but notice the music. Even though the videos were dealing with real life, they contained science fiction like music. I think this helped enforce the mysteriousness of space.
Image from Star Trek https://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/08/06/50-years-of-star-trek-documentary-to-air-on-history-channel/
In her piece “Dancing on the Ceiling,” Kathleen Forde mentions “In Kantian philosophy, transcendence is a psychological experience that lies beyond the limits of ordinary reality and may even extend those limits” (Forde). This unit’s topic allowed to me to experience transcendence in regards to this topic. The Powers of Ten video showed just how vast the universe is just by adding extra zeros. Our world goes beyond outside and within, more than we could have ever imaged without the proper technology.
Images from Powers of Ten https://timpanogos.wordpress.com/2015/05/23/powers-of-ten-charles-and-ray-eames-brilliant-before-its-time-film/
In another topic, Professor Vesna mentions how the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union led to the intensification of math and science in schools. I remember also learning this in my AP history class in high school. Ever since then, my idea of the school system changed forever. This last unit connects back to the first unit of this class - the division of the two worlds. It was because of the Cold War that America started to place more importance on math and science in the education system. Math and science got its current prestige from the sake of a race.
Works Cited
CrashCourse. “USA vs USSR Fight! The Cold War: Crash Course World History #39.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 18 Oct. 2012. Accessed 30 May 2017.
Forde, Kathleen. “Dancing on the Ceiling.” Art and Zero Gravity. Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, 2010. Web. Accessed 30 May 2017.
Office, Eames. “Powers of Ten (1977)” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 26 Aug. 2010. Web. Accessed 30 May 2017.
Vesna, Victoria. “8 space pt2 1280x720.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 29 Jul. 2013. Web. Accessed 30 May 2017.
Vesna, Victoria. “8 space pt3 1280x720.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 29 Jul. 2013. Web. Accessed 30 May 2017.
There are a lot of tv shows and movies in this topic, but the one you mentioned, Star Trek, is really interesting! Thanks for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteI liked what you said about the Cold War and how it pushed for math and science in schools. I've always been interested in the Cold War and the video you included was pretty helpful as well!
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