One Strange Rock

[Malintent]

National geographic is starting a series on March 26 called "One Strange Rock", narrated by Will Smith, directed by Darren Aronofsky.

My first thought about this was that it will be a "Morgan Freeman" style of pop science, kowtowing to creationists and philosophical coconspirators.
Then, I watched the trailer for the series. It is being billed as "the story of Earth, told by Astronauts".
I may be impressed... it was highly visual, and gorgeously captured (like, Blue Planet 2 quality). There was little narrative content in the trailer that can be used to judge the quality of the science being presented, but I am starting to think it may be good quality.

Here is the trailer, what do you think?:


[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrC4vDcWmxk[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Kharakov]

Ehh... does he refer to rocks as alive? Magma?

I think protons/electrons/neutrons/spacetime might be, but the planet itself only has a very thin shell of organic life, comprising of only 10^-13 (10^-11%) of its mass.

 

[Malintent]

I think the "one strange rock" is a reference to the planet Earth as a whole... not a specific rock they found that is "alive". But, I guess I could be wrong.
Maybe this is a NatGeo series on someone's pet rock from the 70's that finally moved a little.

they probably bought the rights from the TV show "Third Rock from the Sun", since it was they who discovered that the Earth is not made of dirt, but of rock, and is only covered in a thin layer of dirt.

Maybe they are raising money to clean up all the dirt that God left behind after he carved it out of the rock.... who can say... who ever can really say anything?

Nothing matters.

 

[Kharakov]

Nothing matters.

To whom?

I was talking about how Will "I've got a pun for a name" Smith says "our planet is literally bursting with life".

I was thinking, if he's talking about protons and electrons as being alive, it's still not technically bursting. If he's talking about organic life, well, it's a really thin slime on the surface of the Earth. Not sure about the amount of life suspended in the oceans, or on, ok bilby, near the ocean's surface where photosynthesis can occur.

I mean, life bursts literally.. sometimes, just not usually on the planet where I live (and I can say that I've been taught we all live on... maybe someone is pulling my leg???). Maybe he lives on another planet, and the Earth I am aware of is a simulation that is simulated to look like there isn't a lot of life, so that I won't get all depressed and ennuiee/angsty like a Nietzsche?

 

[bilby]

Nothing matters.

To whom?

I was talking about how Will "I've got a pun for a name" Smith says "our planet is literally bursting with life".

I was thinking, if he's talking about protons and electrons as being alive, it's still not technically bursting. If he's talking about organic life, well, it's a really thin slime on the surface of the Earth. Not sure about the amount of life suspended in the oceans, or on, ok bilby, near the ocean's surface where photosynthesis can occur.

I mean, life bursts literally.. sometimes, just not usually on the planet where I live (and I can say that I've been taught we all live on... maybe someone is pulling my leg???). Maybe he lives on another planet, and the Earth I am aware of is a simulation that is simulated to look like there isn't a lot of life, so that I won't get all depressed and ennuiee/angsty like a Nietzsche?

Life literally bursting out of the planet's surface, Hervey Bay on the Australian East Coast:

 

[Kharakov]

That was the sound of my punishometer whirring. As in those flippy floppies were literally bursting out of the ocean.

 

[braces_for_impact]

Perhaps it's the U.S. version of Orbit: Earth's Extraordinary Journey.

Or not. I should have watched the trailer first. Looks interesting though.

 

[Kharakov]

Were.

 

[Jokodo]

Ehh... does he refer to rocks as alive? Magma?

I think protons/electrons/neutrons/spacetime might be, but the planet itself only has a very thin shell of organic life, comprising of only 10^-13 (10^-11%) of its mass.

For comparison, that's less than the sweat on you after briskly walking a single flight of stairs - in winter.

 

[Kharakov]

Ehh... does he refer to rocks as alive? Magma?

I think protons/electrons/neutrons/spacetime might be, but the planet itself only has a very thin shell of organic life, comprising of only 10^-13 (10^-11%) of its mass.

For comparison, that's less than the sweat on you after briskly walking a single flight of stairs - in winter.

To be fair, I'm less dense than the Earth (in a non metaphorical weigh). I'm also less spherical than a cow, so my surface area to volume ratio is higher than that of a cow.

 

[Jokodo]

Ehh... does he refer to rocks as alive? Magma?

I think protons/electrons/neutrons/spacetime might be, but the planet itself only has a very thin shell of organic life, comprising of only 10^-13 (10^-11%) of its mass.

For comparison, that's less than the sweat on you after briskly walking a single flight of stairs - in winter.

To be fair, I'm less dense than the Earth (in a non metaphorical weigh). I'm also less spherical than a cow, so my surface area to volume ratio is higher than that of a cow.

And *even with* that higher surface area to volume ratio, your sweat outscales the earth's ocean, and the microbes feeding on it all of life on earth. How cool is that?

 

[LordKiran]

Ehh... does he refer to rocks as alive? Magma?

I think protons/electrons/neutrons/spacetime might be, but the planet itself only has a very thin shell of organic life, comprising of only 10^-13 (10^-11%) of its mass.

Do they not have metaphors where you're from? Yes I know he said "Literally." Get behind all the other pedantrists and have your ticket printer ready.

 

[Kharakov]

Ehh... does he refer to rocks as alive? Magma?

I think protons/electrons/neutrons/spacetime might be, but the planet itself only has a very thin shell of organic life, comprising of only 10^-13 (10^-11%) of its mass.

Do they not have metaphors where you're from? Yes I know he said "Literally." Get behind all the other pedantrists and have your ticket printer ready.

That one flew over your head, because you do not have my cat like reflexes.

 

[Malintent]

Just watched the first episode of the series.

Meh.

Will Smith is narrating like it is a show for young children. My wife and I switched it off halfway through.

Had excellent visuals. Maybe watch it with the sound off.

 

[Playball40]

Just watched the first episode of the series.

Meh.

Will Smith is narrating like it is a show for young children. My wife and I switched it off halfway through.

Had excellent visuals. Maybe watch it with the sound off.

I liked the photos from the space station. And yes, the narrative is definitely for a 'less astute' audience, I didn't think it was awful. It was kind of like a modern day "Wild Kingdom" IMO.