FMST 006. First-Year Seminar: The Astronomical Imaginary

From movies and TV shows taking place in farflung galaxies to interactive space sims and phone apps that label the night sky in real time, outer space has long been both a favored subject of representation and active site of mediation. This first-year seminar examines depictions of outer space in film, TV, video games to chart a history of off-planet “travel” through visualization technologies and practices. Our survey of outer-space media will complicate the boundary between science and fiction–the “observed” and the “imagined”–to ask how these images reflect and refract astrophysical knowledge, promote national ideologies, and shape conceptions of life on Earth and human destiny. Required weekly readings and screenings.
Humanities.
Writing course.
1 credit.
Spring 2025. Rehak.
Catalog chapter: Film and Media Studies
Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/film-media-studies

Access the class schedule to search for sections.