By the Light of the Silvery Earth:Our Moon, Science & Sci-Fi

Presented by Dr JJ Eldridge, Associate Professor for the Department of Physics at the University of Auckland.

As – arguably - the centrepiece of our night sky, our Moon has been a focus of the human imagination throughout history, and the driver for an ongoing and near-obsessive fascination for visiting it. ‘Journeys to the Moon’ are a common theme in science fiction – in literature, on TV and via the silver screen - with some of the earliest and more recent examples tapping into our strange enthusiasm for turning it into our home of the future.

In this talk Dr JJ Eldridge will discuss how the portrayal of trips to our Moon in science fiction can be compared to real-life missions. Reflecting on well-loved sci-fi classics such as Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 Space Odyssey (1968), BBC’s Doctor Who, Sony Pictures' Moon (2009), and other much-enjoyed gems, she’ll unpick where science fiction is based on science fact and how far artistic license can be respectably pushed. JJ will then flip the coin to take a look at how science fiction could influence reality as we aspire to make the Moon our home.

Upper Gallery (Our Moon exhibition space).
Koha entry.

Bookings not necessary.