How Will the World End?
“In 5 billion years the Sun will expand & engulf our orbit as the charred ember that was once Earth vaporizes. Have a nice day…” – Neil deGrasse Tyson
This week you will be watching the movie Interstellar, and we will be talking about survival in the film. In weeks 9 and 10 we’ll discuss the topics of space travel and time, which are also brought up in Interstellar. Like 2001 and The Martian, Interstellar deals with travel into deep space. In the case of both 2001 and The Martian, the purpose of the interplanetary voyage is discovery.
In the case of Interstellar, the motivation for the voyage is survival. Interstellar paints a portrait of a dying Earth that eventually will no longer be able to support life, so humanity must find another world that can. In the next few weeks we will talk about the “how” of an interstellar voyage, but this week we will look at the dying Earth in the movie as we consider how the world will end.
Overview
Objectives
Discuss potential end-of-the-world (apocalyptic) events.
Discuss the scientific advancements and research being done to prevent apocalyptic events.
Critique decisions made in the novel, The Martian
Journal Prompt
Reflection Details:
In your opinion, whom do you think made the correct decision on the two plans to utilize the Chinese booster: the top NASA administrator or the person who sent the plans for the second option to the crew of the Hermes?
Reflection Requirements
Content: A thorough reflection of the topic will consist of 2-3 paragraphs. You will be evaluated on the depth of reflection and ability to connect weekly content (readings/videos) to the reflection prompt.
Last Completed Projects
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