Could there be Another Earth?
On Feb. 14, 2012, the Natural History Museum of Utah in partnership with the Utah Film Center and the Salt Lake City Public Library screened “Another Earth” for an audience of about 200 people.
The movie was used as a jumping off point for a talk by Assistant Professor Kyle Dawson of the University of Utah’s Physics and Astronomy Department. “As I watch galaxies, I deduce that the universe is expanding,” says Dawson who specializes in observational cosmology. Dawson talked about the conclusions that his observations led to and how that could affect the idea of multiple universes or a multiverse. “We basically live in a universe that is flat and infinite,” says Dawson. The infinite size of the universe, and the fact that the elements used in the universe are the same, make it a relative surety that there is a universe that mirrors our own. “Another Earth” is the story of a woman whose mistake happens as a second Earth is discovered in the sky. Her mistake haunts her as the parallel Earth is found to be exactly like our own. The science fiction of the story really plays the role of plot device, stage props, and scenery. The strength of the film lies in its ability to surprise and to give the audience a peek at the characters inner emotions. This article originally appeared at examiner.com. Links updated, Feb. 2017. |
|