To mark the 18th anniversary of NASA’s Opportunity Rover’s landing on Mars, here is a curation of fascinating material on the vast universe beyond us
A planet in the solar system
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A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (Bantam Books, 1988): This book is a classic in scientific writing where physicist Stephen Hawking writes about the origin of the universe as we know it. It speaks volumes about how we came into existence as a planet, cosmological ideas, planetary creation, blackholes and the cosmic fate of humanity. It makes for an inspiring and engaging read and is a testament to the genius of the late Stephen Hawking.
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An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield (Back Bay Books, 2015): Colonel Chris Hadfield is a veteran of NASA’s space programmes and his knowledge on the subject outweighs any advice that’s doled out over the Internet. The book talks about his experiences in training to become an astronaut, excitement of spacewalks, anxieties before a launch and bounteous knowledge of life in space. He is especially known for his nuggets of wisdom such as: ‘Prepare for the worst and enjoy every moment of life’.
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Mars: Making the New Earth by Mark Davis (2009): This hour-long documentary released in 2009 has been one of the closest predictions about the turn of human endeavour in relation to space exploration. The documentary explores the fallouts of global warming on our planet, and Mars as an alternative life source. It shows the idea of planetary colonisation and the extent to which mankind must go to persevere and prevail. The documentary elaborates on the concepts of sustaining life in a new atmosphere and the challenges while, at the same time, harping on the need for conservation of our home planet, Earth.
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Interstellar by Christopher Nolan (2015): A film about two astronauts travelling through the galaxy to find a new home seems all too familiar. This film has all the frills of a typical Nolan movie: the hair-raising background score, a tight and often confusing conceptual storyline and stellar performances by the cast.
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Matthew McCounaghey in Interstellar
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NASA’s Curious Universe: This podcast forays into the advances and adventures of space exploration with NASA astronauts, scientists and engineers each week. The hosts of the show, Padi Boyd and executive producer Katie Atkinson, take listeners through the vast depths of knowledge that pours through in each episode. The interactions are designed in a way that space exploration is understood by everyone, by introducing complex topics in a simple and accessible manner. It is not often that top NASA astronauts and scientists sit down for a chat.
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365 Days of Astronomy: A daily podcast that explores concepts of space and delves deep into the development of astronomy as a subject. The show, managed by Avivah Yamani and edited by Richard Drumm, brings a new guest each day who sheds light on the various concepts and cutting-edge technologies in space exploration, and recent researches that are being conducted in astronomy.
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