“Oh, the Places We Could Go”
By Dennis Overbye
When most people think of space, they think of a faraway place not feasible, tangible, nor palpable to human beings. However, this day in age, people are starting to resist this concept. In the American Museum of Natural History, a new exhibit has opened up which highlights the new determination to occupy Space. “Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration”, is an interactive exhibit that not only highlights past space achievements, but also hints at future space exploration. It first highlights the achievements conceived during the Cold War by the Soviet Union and the United States. An IPhone app even goes along with the exhibit, allowing one to receive additional information about the topics. To top it off, chemists have added the smell of moon dust to make people feel like they are really experiencing space. When it has reached present day, an interactive screen is used by people to “transform” planets into livable environments. Some people may think this is just an entertaining way to end the exhibit, but really, this is the future and vision of space exploration. The interactive screen allows people to thicken the atmosphere of a planet, warm the temperature, add oxygen, etc. Dr. Shara, the man behind the exhibit, sees it as a blueprint for scientists going forward. Space exploration has definitely gone done not only in the United States but also in the rest of the world. However, astrologists are trying to prevent it from terminating completely. This exhibit serves as their way of displaying a vision for the next fifty to one hundred years. Dr. Shara is hopeful for future space exploration, stating that in 2030, humans shall return to space. When they return to space, he believes that planets will become “transformed”. They will be transformed to livable habitats for human beings. With the technology available today, astrologists think the United States will be able to complete this task; if we are willing to spend the time, resources, and money. Specifically in Space, the article notes the importance of Mars; it is the center of US space research. There is even a Mars Science Laboratory, which Dr. Shara predicts will be able to transform Mars into a livable place.
The new ideas sparked by astrologists definitely have a huge impact on humanity. Museums normally are for the purpose of preserving “old stuff” in the world. This exhibit in a history museum does show the decline of space research, but definitely motivates and inspires astronauts and space programs to come alive once again. The idea that our planet will be able to essentially make other planets, is truly an amazing concept. However, it is hard to grasp. If another world was to form, we could only imagine what would change. People would not only move from continents but from planets. In the work force, this new planet could be used as a source for raw materials, resources, new jobs, and possibly more real estate agents! This could mean new wars as well. If the dream of Dr. Shara does come true, our world would change drastically, not just in size.
This article was extremely well written and captivating. The writer describes her experience at the exhibit with humor, and personal anecdotes that engage the reader. Also, I think that the topic chosen by the author was one that inspired many people. Even the title, “Oh The Places We Could Go” draws in the reader. Another good point in the article was the way the writer added quotes from Dr. Shara. This made it easy to understand the scientific point of view behind the writer, who was just a visitor to the exhibit. Last, the writer did a good job on emphasizing the fact that space exploration and study has definitely declined in our world. However, one thing that the writer could have done better was she could have expanded on how planets could be transformed in greater depth. The author’s lack of explanation could have been due to the fact that this is new to scientists and even they don’t have enough information on it yet. Overall, this article was very good. I learned many new things about space in America, and was inspired by Dr. Shara’s dream to transform planets to livable habitats.
Citation:
Overbye, Dennis. ""Oh, the Places We Could Go"." New York Times 14 Nov. 2011 Web. 17 Nov. 2011. .
Amanda did an amazing job introducing her topic. Her hook not only applied to the reader, but introduced the topic of space exploration smoothly. She also does a great job summing up the new exhibit and its different features, but does it in a way that also explains its connection and importance to space exploration. Her summary of the article is compact and smooth, especially for how long it was, noting important facts with quotes as well as people, making it a very strong report.
ReplyDeleteBeing such a good article review, it was hard to find much to improve upon, but there are two small things that could be done. There is one spelling error in the first paragraph in the sentence that starts with “Space exploration has definitely…” It says,
“gone done” but should be “gone down.” And although her personal thoughts on how this article affects human in general is very insightful, the last sentence is a little awkward ending with “not just in size.” To me, it sounds like an incomplete thought.
Overall, I thought that Amanda’s article review was very good. I loved her insight on the topic and was interested in her points of how space exploration could be good for people, giving jobs as well as resources, but could also be the subject of future wars.
Amanda did a wonderful job in her review of “Oh, The Places We Could Go.” Especially well done was her paragraph on the significance of astrologists’ new ideas regarding future space exploration. She covered a wide breadth of topics, including the importance to museums that might follow such an exhibit, possible importance to a future world economy, and the dramatic change to mankind’s way of life in general if space were to be modified and settled. Also, her general summary of the article was detailed, including a nice introduction involving the museum exhibit and then speaking of space in general. I also liked her thoughts about the title of the article. I agree, it does definitely draw the reader in.
ReplyDeleteThere are certain things Amanda could have done better. There were a few spelling and grammatical errors, such as saying “gone done” instead of “gone down,” and not adding an “in” before “this day and age.” Also, her writing in the summary was a little choppy. She could have improved her transitions to make the summary flow better, and make it easier for the reader to follow.
One thing I was astounded by was the idea that we might be able to modify planets to suit life. This includes by changing the atmosphere, warming or cooling the temperature, or adding oxygen. Due to the harsh climates of many planets, I thought settlement in the near future would not be possible, but I was proved wrong.
Amanda Austi’s review of Dennis Overbye’s article about space exploration was thorough and complete. She provided an in-depth summary of the article, highlighting key points and pointing out possible flaws. As well, Amanda noted many implications of this revolutionary “new” type of museum exhibit. She consistently relates her ideas and the summary back to the main idea of space exploration in a smooth, connected way that is enjoyable to read. Finally, Amanda offered several criticisms about the article, helping to show her unbiased review.
ReplyDeleteWhile the review was written very well, there were a few things that could be improved. There were several grammatical and spelling errors that could be addressed, though these did not take away from the affect of the article or make it illegible. Secondly, it appears Amanda took quotes from Dr. Shara, though no quotations were actually shown. She may have simply left of the quotation marks or paraphrased quotes from the original article. Either way, it would be nice to see some direct quotes from the lead scientist.
I was very surprised to see how much activity there still is in a space program here in the US. It’s cool to know we’re still expanding our knowledge of space.
Amanda beautifully wrote her review on “Oh, the Places We Could Go.” It was exceedingly informative, written with clarity, and contained many postulations as to the future significance of astrologists’ new ideas. Her review was comprehensive; Amanda included an array of details about the new exhibit in the American Museum of Natural History, noting specifics such as scientists’ addition of “the smell of moon dust to make people feel like they are really experiencing space.” The clarity of her writing also enabled readers to garner an enhanced image of the exhibit from her descriptions. Furthermore, her discussion of the possible applications that new scientific research may hold for the future was thought provoking and stimulating. Amanda noted that planets “will be transformed to livable habitats for human beings,” and that “with the technology available today, astrologists think the United States will be able to complete this task.”
ReplyDeleteWhile her article was well versed and informative, Amanda’s review could have been improved in several regards. First, the citation of a direct quote by an expert in the field would have enhanced the validity of her review. While she references Dr. Shara, calling him “the man behind the exhibit,” she does not include any direct statements by this expert. Second, the flow of her review was slightly impeded by grammatical errors. For instance, Amanda writes “gone done” when in fact she most likely meant “gone down,” and while this is a minor error, it still detracted from the fluidity of the paragraph.
Nevertheless, I truly enjoyed reading this review and was captivated by the prospect of planet modification. It is remarkable to think that we may one day be able to alter the environments of planets to make them suitable for sustaining human life. The idea that we may one day be able to move to distant planets rather than just distant countries is astounding, and it will be interesting to see how these breakthroughs impact society as we know it.
Amanda Austi’s review of the article “Oh, the Places We Could Go” was thorough and very detailed. One thing that I particularly enjoyed was her engaging opening sentence. This drew the reader in by instantly captivating their attention. Furthermore, I appreciated the manner in which Amanda comprehensively captured all aspects of the interactive exhibit. She included everything from the history behind the exhibit to how its components will appeal to people’s physical senses. Finally, I enjoyed Amanda’s consideration of the implications of the exhibit. Not only did she mention its immediate goals and possible effects, but she also noted the long-term possibilities that the exhibit explored, chiefly involving future space exploration and possible colonization.
ReplyDeleteOn the contrary, I felt that the review could be improved by including certain additional information. One thing that I noticed Amanda left out was how the private industry has begun to take over what NASA once did with regard to space travel. Additionally, I feel that the inclusion of the theoretical technologies demonstrated in the exhibit could have sufficiently strengthened the review.
Nonetheless, I fully enjoyed Amanda Austi’s review and was pleased to learn about such an intriguing and unique exhibit. I previously had no idea that topics such as space colonization were explored in museums, but now look forward to possibly visiting the exhibit myself in the near future.
Ms. Austi’s review of “Oh, the Places We Could Go” was very informative and detailed, and found many aspects of her review to be very well-presented. Firstly, her opening sentence was extremely engaging for the reader. It drew the reader in well and made me want to read on. Secondly, Ms. Austi included a lot of details about the new exhibit in the Museum of Natural History that made the reader become further educated on the new exhibit. Finally, Ms. Austi offered her opinion about the article and, specifically, the title of the article and how it is appealing to a reader. This opinion is interesting to read from a reader’s standpoint, for it is fascinating to learn what her opinion is and whether it differs from my own. However, there were a few aspects of the review that could be improved on. Firstly, she could have made her review as a whole flow more, for it was a little broken up and that made it tough to read. Secondly, a direct quote from an expert would have further enhanced her review by providing the outside expert opinion.
ReplyDeleteOverall I enjoyed reading Ms. Austi’s review of this fascinating article, and I encouraged to learn about such an interesting exhibit, and I look forward to visiting the exhibit myself.
Amanda did a terrific job with her review of “Oh, The Places We Could Go.” Overall her review was well thought out, analytical, and detailed. She did a particularly great job explaining the implications of this these new ideas about space. She explained enthusiastically just how drastic the change in our world would be if Dr. Shara’s dream does come true. Another aspect of Amanda’s review that I really enjoyed was the detail with which she explained what the exhibit, “Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration,” was like. Her description of how the iphone can be used to enhance the experience was clear and interesting. Finally, Amanda did an exceptional job explaining what the scientist, Dr. Shara, really wants to accomplish. She eloquently explains what he wants to accomplish and how he plans on doing so.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Amanda did a really amazing job on this review, she could have improved if with a few minor tweaks. Extended quotation from Dr. Shara would have been an interesting way to really explain what he wants to do. While she includes a few short statements that are quoted here and there, a full statement would have increased the validity of her review. Moreover, Amanda explained in brief that interest in space exploration has gone down throughout whole world, not just the United States. It would have been interesting if she had explained why this supposed apathy happened. She could have pointed, specifically, to NASA’s ceasing of manned flight programs.
I really did enjoy reading this interesting review on the future of space. Amanda’s enthusiasm was contagious and I was truly blown away by the idea that one day we may actually be able to live on other planets. I cannot imagine a world where space is used for “raw materials” or “new jobs” or an agent of war. It all seems too science fiction to be a reality now.
Amanda did an excellent job reviewing her article. She started out with a very nice hook, which immediately captured our interest in the rest of the review and was excellent. Another great thing Amanda did, was explain a large number of topics, in a very interesting and understandable way, thereby furthering our interest in the review. The final thing that Amanda did that I really enjoyed, was go a set further with her review to discuss the possible long term effects, as well as the immediate short effects. One thing that could have been improved upon was certain parts of information throughout the review. Amanda said that private industry was starting to become more involved in space travel, but she never specifically said how that was occurring. Furthermore there were one or two spelling errors found in the review, which detracted from the whole a bit. Overall however Amanda did an excellent job with this review, and it was astonishing to me that life on other planets might actually be possible in the future; something I had always thought was completely impossible.
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