Star gazing, it’s hard not to feel small...and lonely. Maybe that’s why it’s so irresistible to look out into all that darkness and see our own reflection staring us back, like Narcissus gazing into the pool. On this episode of Radiolab, we reflect on our romance with, projections upon, and insignificance within space. We begin by joining some sky watchers at Fire Island to see what they see. Then, we take a trip to see Ann Druyan, one of the creators of the 1977 Golden Album included on the Voyager probes. We invited composer Philip Glass to remix this album.
Comments [16]
What chorus was singing the "Sanctus" by Faure from his Requiem?
What kind of laser touches the star? It sounds so interesting to do so. Is it available for purchase?
The music under the opening is the Sanctus from the Faure Requiem.
Mr Abumrad said "She literally touched the star. ... I forgot the ground underneath my feet, and that that star, Albireo, was fifty million light-years away." In reality, Albireo is 380 light-years away.
@Micah, that is actually a Philip Glass song. From The Hours original score.
Does anyone know what piano piece is playing near the end of this segment? It starts at the end of Philip Glass' story about Gandhi and ends when Jad closes the segment out. It only plays for fifteen seconds or so but it's absolutely captivating.
mikeg, I was looking for it too. I think this recording is it: http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2007/nov/20/space-capsules/
I found that through Google. Maybe you all could link to it from here?
Love the show. Really love the show.
Where can I find the recording of what Neil Gaiman would send that is mentioned in this podcast at about 12:50? You say it's on the website somewhere? Is it still available?
Ellen, it is actually a Real Audio file. You need to download and install the Real Player.
How do I open an audio file via .py file? It wants to open as a text file, and a google search yields the same conclusion...
Caryn, if you're still out there reading somewhere... that was Fauré's Requiem.
To Jacob Reed and Caryn (maybe), look for
Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007.
cheers
Does anyone know the name of the music used in the opening of this section?
Does anyone know the name/composer of the music used in the opening of this section?
So, I realize this might peg me as a bit of a philistine... but, what's the name of the Bach piece playing behind the Philip Glass segment?
I was just listening to this show on WAMU in DC (February 3, 2008) and thought you would like to know that the European cultural channel, ARTE, produced a major television evening on this subject on October 28, 2006, when they beamed their whole program into outer space. The program is called "Cosmic Connexion" and there is a website about it. Your listeners will find it of interest, I think. http://www.arte.tv/fr/connaissance-decouverte/CosmicConnexion/1044078.html
A summary of the program is showing in Washington, DC on Sunday, Feb 10 at the French Embassy's Maison Française, as part of the series called "Best of INPUT, the International Public Television Screening Conference." More at http://input-tv.org/publish/detail.html?news_id=68
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