Week 9: Space + Art

In my opinion, out of all the exploring humans have done, space exploration has been one of the most remarkable achievements. Copernicus a name most of us are familiar with, known to be a famous mathematician and astronomer. Copernicus came up with the heliocentric theory that illustrated the sun as the center of the solar system and with a few scientific modifications, it is the idea we all study today. His theory was just the start of space exploration. Human's endless curiosity to find answers to the unknown, in this case outer space, has led to many to come up with ridiculous visions. These visions we will be calling science fiction, were actually the backbone blueprints scientists followed and aimed for as a possible end product. Science fiction novelists like Jules Worm or Konstantin Tsiolkosvsky discussed these space stations in which floated in space that could hold living organisms (Vesna). Their creative ideas, which can be seen as a form of expressive art has driven scientists and engineers to create these crafts that can further help us explore outer space.
Image result for konstantin tsiolkovsky rocket
Konstantin's colorful print of his idea of a space station 

Soviet Russia were the first ones who launched their first rocket that carried the Sputnik. For those who do not know, the Sputnik is Earth's first satellite. This event led to the start of the what we know as the Space Race. The Space Race was the competition between the Soviet and U.S. Although, U.S. the first attempt to send a rocket into space went horribly wrong due to an explosion, it had great impact in their culture. They considered the Space Race to be of serious magnitude and therefore led them to create NASA. This program aimed to explore space by hiring the most qualified scientists, engineers, and astronauts. This race immensely affected U.S. education system (more math and science courses) as well as popular culture (Vesna). 
Image result for space race
Image that illustrated the Space Race

In current day, we encounter space related objects, movies, and much more. Space exploration was truly an influential period in the world because of what followed after. Nowadays, we see movies that are space related like, Alien, Life, and Interstellar. It is fascinating how much has derived just from space exploration, it is like it prolonged art and expanded in a different direction. Astronomy in general is considered on of the more interesting topics because you can never know too much of it because of what more we can explore. Did you know you can purchase a star and name it? It is crazy how much our world has evolved. Nonetheless, I am grateful we expanded our knowledge and how it has pushed people to be more creative. But do you think our world would be a lot different if we never had the curiosity to seek out the unknown? 
Image result for Life movies
The movie life that came out 2017 and is based on an extraterrestrial entity
References: 
Darling, David. “Tsiolkovsky, Konstantin Eduardovich (1857-1935).” The Worlds of David Darling, www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/T/Tsiolkovsky.html.

History.com Staff. “The Space Race.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2010, www.history.com/topics/space-race.

ImFrancoBosco. “Life (2017) - Movie Review.” Cultjer, www.cultjer.com/life-2017-movie-review.

“The Space Race.” Weimar Republic, 30 Apr. 2018, alphahistory.com/coldwar/space-race/.

Vesna, Victoria. "8 Space Pt1 1280X720". Youtube, 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZIqTR332l8. Accessed 3 June 2018.

Vesna, Victoria. "8 Space Pt2 1280X720". Youtube, 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZIqTR332l8. Accessed 3 June 2018.

Vesna, Victoria. "8 Space Pt3 1280X720". Youtube, 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZIqTR332l8. Accessed 3 June 2018.

Comments

  1. UnknownJune 4, 2018 at 3:15 PM

    I enjoyed your blog post this week especially at the end where you made the reader question what life would be like if humans didn't have the innate curiosity of seeking the unknown. Thinking about a world like that makes me wonder if we would have all of the technological advancements that we do today. I also didn't know that you could purchase a star and name it. I think our curiosity is part of what makes us human and separates us from other species because we want to explore and learn more about the universe rather than focusing on surviving.

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