Hubble Scientist Mario Livio on Science and Culture 🌌

Filmed at the Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland

"We have learned about every possible astronomical phenomenon with Hubble, [but] at the same time it has brought this excitement of discovery into the homes of people all across the world. There are very few people…who have not seen an image from the Hubble Space Telescope. In that sense, it transformed the interaction between the scientific community and the general public."

- Dr. Mario Livio, Astrophysicist

Does an understanding of the Universe diminish our emotional response to existence? Does science dissect the art out from life's experiences? Not surprisingly, many scientists will argue that science supplements the artist by creating new perspectives and new mysteries from which he or she can react to the world. But as most of us do not have the skills or training to understand every new discovery or interpret each new batch of data in every field, most science goes through a dumbing down process before we attempt to appreciate the distorted remnants that reach us. The real science, the 'raw data' can seem distant, impenetrable.

Astrophysicist Dr. Mario Livio has spent a large portion of his career working with a scientific tool that does not have that problem. In this film Dr. Livio discusses his own perspective on science's role in culture and considers how his experiences with the Hubble Space Telescope have influenced his thoughts on art's relationship to science.

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About Mario Livio:
http://www.mariolivio.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Livio

Hubble Images Source:
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/

Library of Congress Images:
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/94509797/
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2006681086/
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2006681087/
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2006681098/

Music by Kevin Mooney