That four-letter word means something to everyone, probably because we loved our own, hated it, or never felt like we had one. Smith asks, “do you feel a void when you’re down there?” Orphan responds, “I feel at home, I could stay there…” The CalTech crew take a submarine craft 5kms below the surface of the water to survey what they deem to be a rich tapestry of biological life. Halfway through, a geobiologist from California Institute of Technology, Victoria Orphan hosts Rachel Smith of a Keck Observatory team on the aptly titled ship Atlantis. Victoria Orphan of CalTech’s idea of home. Perhaps, to address the question of metaphor more effectively, it serves to examine a few of the moments where The Most Unknown really soars (spoiler alert). It’s dry, confusing, and far too dense to be able to, say, inspire a child to take up science.Īfter all, isn’t that our aim? Inherent to the advancement of the scientific project, is the inescapable need for a new generation of scientists to want to take the helm. Those editing the film seem to be well aware of the point I am about to make the scene is cut together in a way that the participants almost become an elevated caricature the stereotypical physicist. Image credit rambotent via PixabayĪ stark example of this occurs at about the hour mark of the documentary, illustrated by a roundtable discussion regarding the physics of time and relativity. That aside, they aren’t the most inspiring things in isolation (soz maths people). Numbers! Now, there is a consequent philosophical issue that I won’t go into too much, that numbers are in themselves a metaphor born of the human mind to explain something in the world. One answer to this question seems obvious if we reconsider the advice offered to Scharf. But what is science communication, truly, without metaphor? Recommendations from peers ranged from sticking to the numbers, to steering clear of anything tainted by the ‘monsterisation’ of anthropomorphism. The piece explores responses to his 2012 book ‘Gravity’s Engines’, with particular reference to the circles where his use of analogy, metaphor and simile didn’t go down well (gravity pun not initially intended). Caleb Scharf, penned an article for the Scientific American titled ‘In Defense of Metaphors in Science Writing’.
In 2013, Director of Astrobiology at Columbia, and totally badass science blogger, Dr.
#The most unknown documentary full#
It’s full of gorgeous, eerie sci-fi-y synth music, and it’s shot like a fricking dream ( figure 1).īuuuuut, for me there was something missing. Dark matter, human consciousness, and black holes, are just a few of the stunning frontiers of science that are laid out in under an hour and a half. Produced by Vice’s Motherboard, this documentary offers a unique insight into the work of 9 of the world’s leading scientists as they introduce each other to their research.
The Most Unknown is currently on Netflix, and it is in many ways a triumph of science communication. Potentiality, identification, and ‘The Most Unknown’