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This is an older article but still pretty interesting. How generations of NASA scientists were inspired by an evil Hollywood supercomputer. Half a century ago, 2001: A Space Odyssey imagined a future fueled by high-tech computers that thought, learned and adapted. Central to this vision was HAL (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer) 9000, the “sentient” computer that ran the crew’s ship, Discovery One. In the film, HAL stood in as mission control center, life support and sixth member of the crew, making an ambitious Jupiter mission possible for the ship’s six astronauts. Today, as we look toward sending the first humans to Mars, the idea of HAL is shimmering once more at the forefront of researchers’ minds. Roughly 15 years from now, NASA plans to put the first humans in orbit around the red planet, which will mean traveling farther from Earth than ever before. Unlike moon-goers, these astronauts won’t be able to rely on ground control for a quick fix. If something goes wrong, they’ll be up to 40 minutes away from getting a reply from Earth. ″‘Houston, we have a problem’ is not really a great option, because the response is too slow,” as Ellen Stofan, former NASA chief scientist, put it last month at a summit on deep space travel hosted by The Atlantic. “I keep saying, we need a nice HAL.” Read more at Smithsonian.com here: www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/when-we-go-mars-will-we-want-2001-space-odysseys-hal-9000-us-180963694/  The astronauts of “2001: A Space Odyssey” hide in a pod to discuss the troubling behavior of their spacecraft’s artificial intelligence, HAL 9000. In the background, HAL is able to read their lips. (Warner Bros / IMDB)
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More details on the 4K UHD Blu-ray: The 4K UHD presentation was mastered from the original 65mm camera negative, which includes a remixed and restored 5.1 DTS-HD audio track, plus the original 6-track theatrical audio mix, which has been formatted for 5.1 DTS-HD. The 2001: A Space Odyssey 4K UHD Blu-ray will include special features such as Commentary from stars Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood, The Making of a Myth, Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001, Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001, 2001: A Space Odyssey - A Look Behind the Future, What Is Out There?, 2001: FX and Early Conceptual Artwork, Look: Stanley Kubrick!, 11/27/66 Interview with Stanley Kubrick (Audio Only), Original Theatrical Trailer, along with collectibles such as a Premium Booklet and Art Cards. The traditional Remastered Blu-ray will only come with the feature film in hi-definition , plus Commentary from Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood.  This Light-Up HAL 9000 USB Flash Drive Can't Sing, But Probably Won't Kill You Either Master Replicas, makers of some of the finest lightsaber replicas in any galaxy, sadly closed its doors back in 2008. Last year, however, part of its original team opened Master Replicas Group, a new company that’s relaunching with a series of 2001: A Space Odyssey collectibles to start, including a flash drive based on one of Hollywood’s most terrifying villains. Read more at Gizmodo here: https://gizmodo.com/this-light-up-hal-9000-usb-flash-drive-cant-sing-but-p-1826995993 Purchase the Mini-HAL 9000 here: HAL Mini USB 3.0 Flash 32GB LIMITED EDITION   
Happy Father's Day to all dads, step dads, foster dads, pet dads, grand dads, great grand dads.....you get the point.
"For the first time since the original release, this 70mm print was struck from new printing elements made from the original camera negative. This is a true photochemical film recreation. There are no digital tricks, remastered effects, or revisionist edits. This is the unrestored film - that recreates the cinematic event that audiences experienced fifty years ago." - Christopher Nolan
Source: Warner Bros
Like shark movies? If so, you are going to love this!
Be sure to keep an eye out for MRG's line of Smithsonian licensed fossil replicas coming soon!
Do you remember this classic from Kids Learning Tube? It's a great video teaching children all about the red planet.
If you are a parent or a teacher that wants to teach your kids or students about Mars, be sure to include one of our Olympus Mon Space Terrains to make it an interactive experience. FYI, The song is a bit of an ear worm song! :) Purchase your Limited Edition Olympus Mons Space Terrains here: Mars - Olympus Mons Limited Edition As Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi masterpiece returns to theaters for its 50th anniversary, have moviegoers betrayed its legacy? But I know what you’re thinking: What about its algorithms? I checked Rotten Tomatoes, and 2001: A Space Odyssey sits with an 89 percent audience score. From critics, it has a comfortable 92 percent “Fresh” rating. That’s a mere eight percentage points behind Paddington 2. Sweet. But Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi epic has been an official classic for decades. That tends to skew the vote. How would audiences rank 2001 on Rotten Tomatoes or IMDb if the film were unleashed as a new thing today? Even in 1968, critics argued over its slow pace, its violation of storytelling conventions, its baffling ending. Given the recent low audience scores for arty horror movies such as Hereditary and Annihilation, and the online tantrums thrown by Star Wars true believers who can’t abide variations on the formula (the faithful deliberately tanked online ratings for The Last Jediand Solo), I wonder how the perversity of 2001 would go over now. The Internet-era urge to “solve” enigmatic movies might also work against Kubrick’s masterpiece. What’s the deal with that black slab? Who begins a movie with 20 minutes of monkeys? Why the giant baby? Read more at Seattle Weekly here: www.seattleweekly.com/film/2001-in-2018/  |
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