So what are my two favorite things in the whole wide world? Right: Doctor Who and astronomy. So you know I’m having a nerdgasm because I just found out that a new planetarium show called "We Are Astronomers" is narrated by David Tennant!
Even better, the animation is Little Big Planet style, which is too cool. Wanna see the trailer? It’s quite good.
Alons-y!
WAA Trailer 1 from NSC Creative on Vimeo.
Of course, if you run a planetarium and need a show right now, I know a good one…
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Phil Plait, the creator of Bad Astronomy, is an astronomer, lecturer, and author. After ten years working on Hubble Space Telescope and six more working on astronomy education, he struck out on his own as a writer. He has written two books, dozens of magazine articles, and 12 bazillion blog articles. He is a skeptic, and fights misuses of science as well as praising the wonder of real science.
Contact me: The Bad Astronomer "at" gmail "dot" com
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May 19th, 2009 at 8:04 am
I haven’t watched the video yet, but the preview frame makes me think Terrence and Phillip.
May 19th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Am off to see this at a planetarium on Thursday – and from what I hear from the staff they all think it’s awesome. Hoping lots of people get the chance to see this.
May 19th, 2009 at 8:15 am
And we are explorers by our nature. Humankind’s thirst for discovery and knowledge is unquenchable.
May 19th, 2009 at 8:17 am
Who’s David Tennant? From Dr. Who?
May 19th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Nevermind – got it – Dr. Who
May 19th, 2009 at 8:23 am
Way cool. I’m going to have to see if I can catch this here in ATL at some point.
May 19th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Wrong. Some of us are explorers by nature. Some are incurious and neophobic to the extreme.
May 19th, 2009 at 8:35 am
This looks SO awesome! I love the history of astronomy (and all science in general) and I love the fact that we can discover these things. Makes me remember that for every bad thing, there are two good things in this world.
May 19th, 2009 at 8:36 am
T_U_T – lol! actually, that seems pretty true… especially where I am right now, sitting in a high school.
but, like I said..
May 19th, 2009 at 8:41 am
Wow, this planetarium show looks fantastic. I hope I’ll be able to see it in the States.
Oh, and “allons-y” has two l’s.
)
May 19th, 2009 at 8:45 am
I also enjoy the subtle inclusion of the hydrogen line wavelength, which I just noticed…
May 19th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Hah, Nat, you beat me to the “allons-y has two l’s” correction.
I have to get me to a planetarium. This show looks amazing!
May 19th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Okay, true story (sorry about the length (said the soldier to the lady (but I digress))):
So I get this call from a certain fellow at a certain somewhat high-profile museum/planetarium that has just undergone a major renovation. The fellow wants to talk about a new planetarium show he’s working on and would I be interested in contributing some ideas, given my background in museums and showbizzy stuff. Cool! Great, says I!
So immediately I think of all the fun possibilities that new planetarium projection technology can offer, and come up with a bunch of ideas for elements that could be incorporated into a new show that would not only educated people but get them excited and inspired about astronomy.
“We could do this and this and this or that and that and that…” I go on enthusiastically during a lengthy phone conversation with this person. “We can not only show the audience this and this and this, but we can take them there and there and there!” On and on, getting more excited by the minute.
And.
At the end of about 45 minutes, said person came back with this (I’m paraphrasing, but not by much): “Well, yeah, we could do all that, but…we’ve got this terrific data set that represents real scientific data and I don’t want to show people anything that isn’t real. So I think we’ll just take people on a slow, linear journey through this data set, from the earth to a star.”
Ummmm…okayyyyyyyy…… And you’ll pass out no-doze in the lobby? Why not just hand kids an “I Got Bored with Science at __________” and be done with it? Immediately I thought of the scene from Rebel Without a Cause where the school kids are forced into a dull planetarium show that does nothing but make them equate science with boredom.
I did not hear from the person again, and obviously my services were not engaged.
Thanks for plugging this show, Dr. BA. Thank goodness some museum people get the fact that good science does not preclude fun, or that engaging, even silly graphics and animation do not get in the way of accurate astronomy, but in fact can be the verything to get otherwise jaded kids into the subject.
May 19th, 2009 at 9:36 am
I got chills. Nice trailer.
May 19th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Very well done.
May 19th, 2009 at 11:07 am
…Woah. astronomers look a lot like square canadians…
May 19th, 2009 at 11:26 am
LOL, Canadian astronomers.
May 19th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Dr. Who?? nah, Barty Crouch Jr. more like it.
May 19th, 2009 at 11:51 am
I really hope this comes to the US
May 19th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
In French, “Allons-y” takes two “l”.
I know, this may be pedantic, but after all, I’m French
May 19th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Astronomy and Doctor Who are indeed the best things in the world. Beautiful animation and excellent narrator.
May 19th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
“360-degree fulldome” projection, meh.
My nerdgasmo meter would rise a wee more if they said “2pi steradians” instead.
May 19th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Check out this cute video. It’s got a unique way of teaching science and it’s by an art student. I wish him the best of luck in the future and hope we will be hearing from him again.
“Oxygen”
by Christopher Hendryx
http://vimeo.com/4433312
May 19th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Phil, that’s “Allons-y!”. Two l’s.
May 19th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
David Tennet talking about astronomy, how could it anything other then shiny.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
It’s “allons-y”
May 19th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
“Nerdgasm”
LOL
May 19th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
But, and but… Everything’s still revolving round the world at the centre of the universe…
And yet… Admire David Tennant for his gentle East Scottish burr which was totally eliminated as The Doctor.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I need to open a science center/planetarium around here…
May 19th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Noo! Has the BA become an Apostate of Star Trek? It didn’t make his list of two favorite things.
May 19th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
I just squeed and nerdgasmed and cheered and jumped up and down.
Whenever I get bogged down by frustration at work, I’m going to play that clip. Thanks, BA!
May 19th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Made me cry a little.
Thanks, BA. I hope this somehow makes it to this side of the world.
May 19th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
So going by that picture, astronomers are Canadians?
May 19th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Very cool looking show and love the narration. I’m sure the show will make it to this side of the pond. One of the producers is the National Space Centre and their shows have been distributed here in the states.
May 19th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
For those who like the music in this trailer, it’s from the album Standing in Silence by New Zealand artist Rhian Sheehan.
May 20th, 2009 at 12:48 am
Didn’t the first time he said mysterious it look like a Tardis?
May 20th, 2009 at 1:22 am
Awesome.
Things like this make me consider moving to the UK. Only the food keeps putting me off.
May 20th, 2009 at 3:43 am
“Only the food keeps putting me off.”
I’m not sure why people hold this view about British food – 30 years ago, maybe you’d have a point. Now, I’ve not found the food to be generally any better in places like the US or Australia.
May 20th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Lovely animation — so simple but yet effective!
Anyone know the opening music — kinda completes it.
John — New Moon Atlas 2009
(see site link)
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:08 pm
[...] If it’s astronomy and David Tennant, you know I first heard of it from the Bad Astronomer. [...]