DESMA 9 Week 9 - Space + Art

 I'd like to start off with this Ted Talk, in which retired colonel Chris Hadfield recounts his experience with space travel.

 He discusses how to deal with the pressure of space travel, an extremely dangerous setting. One quote stood out to m
e, “… because you realize that by the end of the day, you´re either floating effortlessly, gloriously in space or you´ll be dead.”

 One such case was the Challenger mission, which reminded of part of a book I read a few years ago on Richard Feynman's life. The chapter was an excerpt from a technical documents on the Challenger mission- "Appendix  F - Personal observations on the reliability of the Shuttle" by Richard Feynman.
 <http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/51-l/docs/rogers-commission/Appendix-F.txt>

 In it, he describes faults in NASA's method of assessing risk and probability of failure. As he describes, some of this error was due to conflicts between the management and the scientists. He ends with a quote that I think is very relevant to scientific advancements in general, regardless of field. "For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled." (Feynman, Conclusion)
 This goes back even to Copernicus and his conflict with the ideologies of the Church, which was basically the government. Looking at how government, religion, and science has clashed in the past is especially interesting now, with space technologies transitioning from the government sector to the private sector.

 This gives the responsibility of developments to private companies, with their own livelihood at risk. So then, what incentives do they have to research space exploration? This Ted Talk covers three main reasons: curiosity, fear, and wealth.

 

 Fear is definitely a large motivator, a classic example is the space race caused by the launching of Sputnik. I know we talked about it in lecture, but I still thought this TedTalk was interesting.

 Art can bolster the desire to improve because of fear through media and propaganda, though more causing fear than inspiring.
 Curiosity is the most ideological of the three- dreaming as a child about space and growing up to take an active role in space exploration. Art can help definitely promote curiosity, and has been doing so for generations. From movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey, to tv shows like Dr. Who and Futurama, to rides at Disneyland and books such as Dune and Ender's Game, many of these have stirred curiosity in people about what's out there, what is the limit and can we reach it? This Ted Talk shows another type of art that can be inspiring, one more fused with science.


Sources:
Hadfield, Chris. "Chris Hadfield: What I Learned from Going Blind in Space." YouTube. TED, 14 Mar. 2014. Web. 31 May 2015.
Shannon, Tom. "Tom Shannon's Gravity-defying Sculpture." YouTube. TED, 6 May 2009. Web. 31 May 2015. 
Hoffman, David. "David Hoffman: Catch Sputnik Mania!" YouTube. TED, 4 Apr. 2008. Web. 31 May 2015.
Diamandis, Peter. "Peter Diamandis: Taking the next Giant Leap in Space." YouTube. TED, 4 Sept. 2008. Web. 31 May 2015. 
Feynman, Richard. "Appendix F - Personal Observations on the Reliability of the Shuttle." Kennedy Space Center, NASA. Kennedy Space Center, NASA, 29 June 2001. Web. 31 May 2015. .