September 20, 2018

Fact or fiction in space movies the next topic for Science on Tap

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Movies are known for dramatizing the truth in order to create the perfect cinematic experience. In the latest installment of Science on Tap, Andy Freed, a professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences will prove or debunk the science behind some of the most iconic scenes in popular space movies.

The talk, “Separating Fact from Fiction in Space Movies,” will take place on Thursday (Sept. 27) at 6 p.m. on the top floor of Lafayette Brewing Company, 622 Main St., Lafayette. The talk is free and open to those 21 and older.

During his talk, Freed will analyze some of Hollywood’s most well-known space movies, including “The Martian,” “Interstellar,” and “Gravity,” and prove whether the events portrayed are scientifically accurate. His talk will also include a demonstration on the possibility of producing artificial gravity by spinning a spacecraft as portrayed in “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

Freed received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University and his doctoral degree in geophysics at the University of Arizona. Freed previously served as a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow at the Carnegie Institution of Washington.

Science on Tap, led by graduate students Elizabeth Phillips, Matthew Pharris and Paula Cooper, provides Purdue faculty and collaborating researchers the opportunity to share research activities in an informal setting with presentations designed to appeal to a more general audience. 

Writer: Jacquelyn Ham, jfham@purdue.edu 

Media contact: Kayla Zacharias, 765-494-9318, kzachar@purdue.edu     

Source: Andy Freed, 765-496-3738, freed@purdue.edu

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