In this episode of Unobtainium, Amy, Adam, and UCLA planetary scientist Dave Jewitt (discoverer of the Kuiper Belt) explore Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey—a film that remains one of the most scientifically realistic depictions of humans in space and a transformational moment for sci-fi cinema. From the physics of artificial gravity and existing in vacuum to HAL 9000, human evolution (what’s the story with those actors playing the apes?), and the search for alien intelligence, the conversation examines what the movie gets right and where it bends the rules. And incredibly, why its mysteries continue to captivate scientists and audiences nearly sixty years later. Along the way, they discuss the possibility of advanced civilizations (plus the reason why the Monolith is black), the dangers of technology (poor Hal, are humans are the real problem?), the purpose of exploration, and the profound question at the heart of Kubrick's vision: what comes next for humanity?

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#Kubrick #2001aspaceodyssey #science #scifi #starchild #unobtainiumpodcast #physics #Kuiperbelt

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