Of all of
the topics covered this quarter, space is by far the scientific study that has
penetrated itself most into the realm of popular culture.
It is
interesting to note that Copernicus’ heliocentric views did not pierce public
attention in its time. Since his book, On
the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres, was written in Latin, only academics
of the time could read it (http://burro.astr.cwru.edu/stu/pre20th_europe_church.html).
Page from On
the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres.
When did
space enter popular culture? It is hard
to tell, but Jules Verne may have had something to do with it. Considered one of the fathers of science
fiction, Verne suggested a human trip to the moon in his 1865 novel, From
the Earth to the Moon. It is amazing
that over 100 years before Neil Armstrong landed on the moon in 1969 (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/about/bios/neilabio.html),
the mechanism that Verne suggested for the transportation to the moon would
have worked. However, it would have
killed the passengers in the process (http://www.theoohtray.com/2011/06/17/classic-book-review-from-the-earth-to-the-moon-by-jules-verne/).
From the
Earth to the Moon, by Jules Verne.
Fast forward
to 1957 and the beginning of the space race with the launch of Sputnik, the
world’s first artificial satellite launched into space. After that, space in pop culture
exploded. “Plan 9 from Outer Space”, “Lost
in Space”, “The Jetsons”, “Star Trek”, and “2001: A Space Odyssey” all debuted
before the moon landing in 1969 (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/25/science/space/25pop.html?_r=0).
Even today,
after the Obama administration nixed NASA’s return trip to the moon in 2011 (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/01/obama-2011-budget-cuts-na_n_444606.html),
space in popular culture remains strong.
With “Star Wars Episode VII” set to open in December 2015, I think it is
safe to say that space travel will remain an integral part of popular culture
for years to come (http://starwars.com/news/star-wars-episode-vii-to-open-december-18-2015.html).
“Plan 9 from
Outer Space” (1959) Poster.
Works Cited
Borenstein, Seth. "Obama's 2011 Budget Kills NASA Moon
Mission." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 01 Feb.
2010. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.
"The Church and Copernicus." The Church and
Copernicus. Case Western Reserve University, 11 Jan. 2006. Web. 30 Nov.
2013.
Dunbar, Brian. "Neil Armstrong Bio." NASA.
NASA, Aug. 2012. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.
Kennedy, Randy. "When the Space Age Blasted Off, Pop Culture
Followed." The New York Times. The New York Times, 25 Sept.
2007. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.
McCarthy, Richard. "Classic Book Review: From the Earth to
the Moon, By Jules Verne." The Ooh Tray. 17 June 2011. Web. 30
Nov. 2013.
"Star Wars: Episode VII to Open December 28, 2015." StarWars.com.
7 Nov. 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.
I really enjoyed your narration on how space came into popular culture. I feel like this was the main component of why organizations like NASA came about to be. I feel as if the main stepping stones in how space became such a hot topic was when competition raised between the US and the Soviets. And through the ideals of pride and greed, media/propaganda arose.
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