Week 10 Space and Art

A subject of interest since the dawn of civilization, space, or "the final frontier", has always been at the center of scientific, artistic, and religious study. Since the naming of constellations after Roman gods, the idea of a heaven located in the sky by the Christians, and ancient deity worship of the sun, human civilization has wondered what lay among the stars. Through international policy, technological advancement and the occasional aid of artistic imagination, human civilization has decoded an astonishing portion of the vast unknown. Given space's infinite reach, humanity may never know its deepest secrets. Even still, human civilization has made leaps and bounds in the realm  of cosmic discovery and much of our success is due to the inspiration of sci-fi writers such as Arthur C. Clarke and his idea of a space elevator in The Fountains of Paradise.

(A simplification of the mechanical
blueprint of the once only theorized to be possible,
space elevator)

The genre of science fiction has had a profound influence on the development of space technology throughout history. For example, sci- fi film "Destination Moon"(1950) by George Pal helped to convince the taxpaying public that space flight and lunar expedition was not only possible but economically and politically significant.

(The first living animal to be sent into space, Laika the dog provided
scientists with the first data on living organisms reaction to a space flight environment)

Encompassing many of the previous subjects we've covered in class, the relation between space and art includes the studies of biology, robotics, mathematics, and nanotechnology. From sending live animals into space by rocket and postulating the existence of extraterrestrial life on Mars, the study of biology plays a key role in answering some of the questions we have about the cosmic environment and the possible ability for moon colonization.

Just as sci-fi has benefitted real- world space exploration, the findings of real- world space expeditions have inspired many pieces of work in the literature, film, and television industries. The tendency for space- based films to dominate box office ticket sales, achieve nominations for major awards, and become instant classics point to humanity's inherent wonder and fascination with space and final frontier. A subject of infinite possibility and wonder, the cosmos' ability to inspire creativity and spark humanity's imagination will never cease to exist.

 ('The Martian', 'Star Wars','Interstellar', and 'Apollo 13', a few of the many major films to be based off of or inspired by space exploration and the outer unknown)

Works Cited

"Box Office Performance of Space Based Movies." The Numbers, n.d. Web. 30 May 2016. <http://www.the-numbers.com/market/creative-type/Science-Fiction>. 

"The Sad Story of Laika, the First Dog Launched Into Orbit." Time. Time, n.d. Web. 30 May 2016. <http://time.com/3546215/laika-1957/>. 

"Science Fiction Barely Ahead of Space Exploration Reality." Space.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2016. <http://www.space.com/15750-science-fiction-space-fact.html>. 

Vesna, Victoria. Space and Art Lecture. Video. 29 May 2016.

"60,000 Miles Up: Space Elevator Could Be Built by 2035, Says New Study | ExtremeTech." ExtremeTech. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2016. <http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/176625-60000-miles-up-geostationary-space-elevator-could-be-built-by-2035-says-new-study>.

Photo Links

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/Apollo_thirteen_movie.jpghttp://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjIxNTU4MzY4MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMzM4ODI3MjE@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTc2MTQ3MDA1Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODA3OTI4NjE@._V1_UY1200_CR90,0,630,1200_AL_.jpg

http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/additional/large/e948_classic_star_wars_movie_posters3.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c3/Alien_movie_poster.jpg

http://hypescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/laika.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_2M73aXuORI/maxresdefault.jpg