The Science of Interstellar 1 Christopher Nolan’s epic, visionary science fiction adventure puts on the screen some of the most amazing images of space and space travel, ever filmed. But how accurate is the science behind Interstellar? Here we highlight some big science questions in the movie, and the real science behind them. Could we travel to the stars? 2 If reaching the outer planets of the solar system is an ambitious, but achievable, goal within a few generations, sending humans beyond the solar system presents a much greater challenge. The problem is that space is really, really big! If the distance from the Earth to the Sun is taken as one unit (in fact scientists refer to this distance—about 150 million kilometres—as an “astronomical unit”) then the distance from the Earth to Saturn is about 8.5 units. On this same scale, however, the distance to even the nearest star is more than 20,000 times greater! This is why astronomers use a different unit of distance than miles or kilometres: they use the light year, or the distance travelled by a beam of light (which moves at about 300,000 kilometres per second) in one year. A light year is about 10 million, million kilometres, and by comparison the astronomical unit is only about 8 light minutes. And yet even the nearest star is more than 4 light years away, and the Milky Way galaxy—home to over 100 billion stars—is about 100,000 light years across. 3 Could we ever build a spacecraft capable of crossing such vast distances? Could astronauts survive such a journey? According to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, the speed of light is the ultimate cosmic speed limit: nothing can travel faster than light. But relativity also predicts that, for astronauts travelling close to the speed of light, time on board their spaceship runs more slowly. So if a spaceship could travel at such a speed (leaving aside the enormous engineering challenges this presents) in principle it could cover hundreds of light years while the astronauts on board aged by only a decade or so. The catch, however, is that by the time the spaceship returned to the Earth many centuries would have passed, and the astronauts’ families and friends would be long dead. 4 Is Einstein’s theory and its cosmic speed limit the last word on interstellar travel, then? What about the “hyperspace” and “time warp”—favourite of science fiction? Could that point the way to a massive cosmic shortcut? Is there life elsewhere in the universe? 5 Perhaps this is the hardest of our questions to answer, as it doesn’t simply depend on the laws of physics but on many other complex areas of science that we don’t yet fully understand. We can say for sure that life exists on the Earth, and we can also say for sure that there are billions of stars in the universe—many of which are just like the Sun. In the past 20 years we have detected planets orbiting some of those stars in our immediate cosmic neighbourhood, and it looks very much as if planets are commonplace. Moreover, some recent studies strongly suggest that rocky, Earth-like planets may be very common too. In the next few decades we hope to start detecting these planets in large numbers. Using giant telescopes on the ground and in space we should be able to work out what their atmospheres are made of and whether they could support life. 6 So if there are lots of planets out there capable of supporting life like us, and the Earth turned out to be the only place in the universe where life has arisen, then (as Carl Sagan once famously said) this would seem like an awful waste of space! 1 Interstellar is a movie that _ . A. serves as a science textbook on space B. puts a lot of effort into its visual effects C. is based on Nolan’s space adventure D. receives an award as the best movie 2 Sending people to the outer planets of the solar system is a _ . A. task that is more challenging than time travel B. time-consuming task requiring lots of effort C. dream in science fiction that is out of reach D. goal that every human being is committed to 3 How could astronauts survive a journey that covers hundreds of light years? __ . A. By travelling at the speed close to 300,000 kilometres per second. B. By going into a sound sleep on the spaceship. C. By bringing their families together with them. D. By breaking Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. 4 Why is the question “Is there life elsewhere in the universe” difficult to answer? __ A. Because no alien life has been found by scientists. B. Because the laws of physics are too difficult for humans. C. Because many areas of science are too complicated. D. Because we haven’t taken the question into consideration. 5 Which of the following statements is true about Earth-like planets? __ A. Earth-like planets orbit the Sun in the solar system. B. Earth-like planets have been found in great numbers. C. Earth-like planets with atmospheres can support life. D. Earth-like planets might be observed through giant telescopes.

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2021-04-14

The Science of Interstellar 1 Christopher Nolan’s epic, visionary science fiction adventure puts on the screen some of the most amazing images of space and space travel, ever filmed. But how accurate is the science behind Interstellar? Here we highlight some big science questions in the movie, and the real science behind them. Could we travel to the stars? 2 If reaching the outer planets of the solar system is an ambitious, but achievable, goal within a few generations, sending humans beyond the solar system presents a much greater challenge. The problem is that space is really, really big! If the distance from the Earth to the Sun is taken as one unit (in fact scientists refer to this distance—about 150 million kilometres—as an “astronomical unit”) then the distance from the Earth to Saturn is about 8.5 units. On this same scale, however, the distance to even the nearest star is more than 20,000 times greater! This is why astronomers use a different unit of distance than miles or kilometres: they use the light year, or the distance travelled by a beam of light (which moves at about 300,000 kilometres per second) in one year. A light year is about 10 million, million kilometres, and by comparison the astronomical unit is only about 8 light minutes. And yet even the nearest star is more than 4 light years away, and the Milky Way galaxy—home to over 100 billion stars—is about 100,000 light years across. 3 Could we ever build a spacecraft capable of crossing such vast distances? Could astronauts survive such a journey? According to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, the speed of light is the ultimate cosmic speed limit: nothing can travel faster than light. But relativity also predicts that, for astronauts travelling close to the speed of light, time on board their spaceship runs more slowly. So if a spaceship could travel at such a speed (leaving aside the enormous engineering challenges this presents) in principle it could cover hundreds of light years while the astronauts on board aged by only a decade or so. The catch, however, is that by the time the spaceship returned to the Earth many centuries would have passed, and the astronauts’ families and friends would be long dead. 4 Is Einstein’s theory and its cosmic speed limit the last word on interstellar travel, then? What about the “hyperspace” and “time warp”—favourite of science fiction? Could that point the way to a massive cosmic shortcut? Is there life elsewhere in the universe? 5 Perhaps this is the hardest of our questions to answer, as it doesn’t simply depend on the laws of physics but on many other complex areas of science that we don’t yet fully understand. We can say for sure that life exists on the Earth, and we can also say for sure that there are billions of stars in the universe—many of which are just like the Sun. In the past 20 years we have detected planets orbiting some of those stars in our immediate cosmic neighbourhood, and it looks very much as if planets are commonplace. Moreover, some recent studies strongly suggest that rocky, Earth-like planets may be very common too. In the next few decades we hope to start detecting these planets in large numbers. Using giant telescopes on the ground and in space we should be able to work out what their atmospheres are made of and whether they could support life. 6 So if there are lots of planets out there capable of supporting life like us, and the Earth turned out to be the only place in the universe where life has arisen, then (as Carl Sagan once famously said) this would seem like an awful waste of space! 1 Interstellar is a movie that _ . A. serves as a science textbook on space B. puts a lot of effort into its visual effects C. is based on Nolan’s space adventure D. receives an award as the best movie 2 Sending people to the outer planets of the solar system is a _ . A. task that is more challenging than time travel B. time-consuming task requiring lots of effort C. dream in science fiction that is out of reach D. goal that every human being is committed to 3 How could astronauts survive a journey that covers hundreds of light years? . A. By travelling at the speed close to 300,000 kilometres per second. B. By going into a sound sleep on the spaceship. C. By bringing their families together with them. D. By breaking Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. 4 Why is the question “Is there life elsewhere in the universe” difficult to answer? A. Because no alien life has been found by scientists. B. Because the laws of physics are too difficult for humans. C. Because many areas of science are too complicated. D. Because we haven’t taken the question into consideration. 5 Which of the following statements is true about Earth-like planets? __ A. Earth-like planets orbit the Sun in the solar system. B. Earth-like planets have been found in great numbers. C. Earth-like planets with atmospheres can support life. D. Earth-like planets might be observed through giant telescopes.

The Science of Interstellar
1 Christopher Nolan’s epic, visionary science fiction adventure puts on the screen some of the most amazing images of space and space travel, ever filmed. But how accurate is the science behind Interstellar? Here we highlight some big science questions in the movie, and the real science behind them.
Could we travel to the stars?
2 If reaching the outer planets of the solar system is an ambitious, but achievable, goal within a few generations, sending humans beyond the solar system presents a much greater challenge. The problem is that space is really, really big! If the distance from the Earth to the Sun is taken as one unit (in fact scientists refer to this distance—about 150 million kilometres—as an “astronomical unit”) then the distance from the Earth to Saturn is about 8.5 units. On this same scale, however, the distance to even the nearest star is more than 20,000 times greater! This is why astronomers use a different unit of distance than miles or kilometres: they use the light year, or the distance travelled by a beam of light (which moves at about 300,000 kilometres per second) in one year. A light year is about 10 million, million kilometres, and by comparison the astronomical unit is only about 8 light minutes. And yet even the nearest star is more than 4 light years away, and the Milky Way galaxy—home to over 100 billion stars—is about 100,000 light years across.
3 Could we ever build a spacecraft capable of crossing such vast distances? Could astronauts survive such a journey? According to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, the speed of light is the ultimate cosmic speed limit: nothing can travel faster than light. But relativity also predicts that, for astronauts travelling close to the speed of light, time on board their spaceship runs more slowly. So if a spaceship could travel at such a speed (leaving aside the enormous engineering challenges this presents) in principle it could cover hundreds of light years while the astronauts on board aged by only a decade or so. The catch, however, is that by the time the spaceship returned to the Earth many centuries would have passed, and the astronauts’ families and friends would be long dead.
4 Is Einstein’s theory and its cosmic speed limit the last word on interstellar travel, then? What about the “hyperspace” and “time warp”—favourite of science fiction? Could that point the way to a massive cosmic shortcut?
Is there life elsewhere in the universe?
5 Perhaps this is the hardest of our questions to answer, as it doesn’t simply depend on the laws of physics but on many other complex areas of science that we don’t yet fully understand. We can say for sure that life exists on the Earth, and we can also say for sure that there are billions of stars in the universe—many of which are just like the Sun. In the past 20 years we have detected planets orbiting some of those stars in our immediate cosmic neighbourhood, and it looks very much as if planets are commonplace. Moreover, some recent studies strongly suggest that rocky, Earth-like planets may be very common too. In the next few decades we hope to start detecting these planets in large numbers. Using giant telescopes on the ground and in space we should be able to work out what their atmospheres are made of and whether they could support life.
6 So if there are lots of planets out there capable of supporting life like us, and the Earth turned out to be the only place in the universe where life has arisen, then (as Carl Sagan once famously said) this would seem like an awful waste of space!
1 Interstellar is a movie that _ .
A. serves as a science textbook on space
B. puts a lot of effort into its visual effects
C. is based on Nolan’s space adventure
D. receives an award as the best movie

2 Sending people to the outer planets of the solar system is a _ .
A. task that is more challenging than time travel
B. time-consuming task requiring lots of effort
C. dream in science fiction that is out of reach
D. goal that every human being is committed to
3 How could astronauts survive a journey that covers hundreds of light years? __ .
A. By travelling at the speed close to 300,000 kilometres per second.
B. By going into a sound sleep on the spaceship.
C. By bringing their families together with them.
D. By breaking Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity.
4 Why is the question “Is there life elsewhere in the universe” difficult to answer? __
A. Because no alien life has been found by scientists.
B. Because the laws of physics are too difficult for humans.
C. Because many areas of science are too complicated.
D. Because we haven’t taken the question into consideration.
5 Which of the following statements is true about Earth-like planets? __
A. Earth-like planets orbit the Sun in the solar system.
B. Earth-like planets have been found in great numbers.
C. Earth-like planets with atmospheres can support life.
D. Earth-like planets might be observed through giant telescopes.

答案：

B
 --- 
B
 --- 
A
 --- 
C
 --- 
D

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A)It was 45 years ago that Neil Armstrong took the small step onto the surface of the moon that changed the course of history. The years that followed saw a Space Age of scientific, technological and human research, on which we have built the modern era. Starting from the moon, we will move deeper into the solar system. The Apollo missions cleared a path for human exploration to the moon. Today we are extending that path to near-Earth asteroids(小行星), Mars and beyond. B)We're building on the Apollo program's accomplishments to test and fly novel(新的), cutting-edge(尖端) technologies today for tomorrow's missions. As we develop and test the new tools of 21st century spaceflight on the journey to Mars, we once again will change the course of history. C)The path to Mars begins with research on Earth and extends beyond its bounds, aboard the orbiting laboratory of the International Space Station, with our international partners. Some 250 miles above our heads, astronauts are conducting hundreds of experiments not possible on Earth, teaching us how humans can live, work and thrive(长得健壮) for longer periods in space. D)To help this nation send humans to deep space and return them to Earth safely, engineers across the country are developing a new space transportation tool that can travel far beyond our home planet. The Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket will be the most advanced space vehicles ever built. Together, they will take us farther into the solar system than humans have ever traveled. They are our spaceship to Mars and beyond. E)As we turn our eyes toward Mars, we are designing missions to take us to a "proving ground"around the moon called cis-lunar(月球周围) space, where some of the very building blocks of the solar system can be explored. F)Near-Earth asteroids provide a unique opportunity we need for future human missions to Mars. Around 2019, we'll launch a robotic mission to reach a near-Earth asteroid. The spacecraft either will capture an entire asteroid or take a part off a much larger asteroid, then redirect the asteroid mass to a stable orbit(轨道) around the moon. Such missions will provide important information about the space to safely send humans to Mars. G)The new technologies we test by sending astronauts to study the asteroids in the cis-lunar space will make important advances to safely send humans to Mars. This includes tools like Solar Electric Propulsion, a highly efficient way to help us transport large objects and heavy cargo to support future Mars missions. NASA will continue to make significant investments in new technologies vital to achieving exploration goals. This includes advancements in entry, descent and landing technologies such as Low Density Supersonic Decelerators. H)Sending humans to deep space around the moon also will help advance techniques for space operations on and around Mars and its moons. The space around our moon is different than low-Earth orbit but very similar to what a spacecraft will experience on the trip to and from Mars. For instance, solar and cosmic radiation is intense. We also can use cis-lunar space to begin practicing activities in deep space, like spacewalks, and learn to cope with delays in communication with Earth because of the distance. I)Mars calls for us to explore. Missions to Mars could answer some of the fundamental questions of humanity: Does life exist beyond Earth? Could humans live on Mars in the future? J)The journey to answer these questions has risks, but the rewards for humanity are worth it. In our lifetime, NASA and the world will take the next giant leap to explore the red planet. ______11.Preparation for the journey to Mars can start from a place near Earth. ______12.People from different countries contribute to the exploration of Mars in one way or another. ______13.Great benefits will be gained from missions to Mars. ______14.A number of new technologies will be needed to send human beings to Mars. ______15Despite the risks, it is worthwhile to take this great leap to explore Mars. ______16.We are now standing on a new horizon, ready to take the next giant leap. ______17.If we want to travel to Mars, a more powerful form of transportation is needed. ______18.The cis-lunar space will serve as a genuine training ground. ______19.New missions near Earth will provide new information before we really send a human being onto Mars. ______20.The Apollo program has provided a strong base for our future explorations.
1
4. Science assures that highly evolved beings ____________ exist on the stars and planets around us, if life is common in the universe.
2
Apart from its advantages, travel also has it ____1_____, which make us not take great pleasantness. More often than not, we need a ____2_____ after our vacation. We travel because we need to , because distance and difference are the ______3_______ of creativity. Travel will change our mind to some extent, which in turn can have ___4_____ on everything in our life.
3
According to Newton's principle ______. A: the force of gravity keeps planets orbiting around the sun rather than flying off B: the sun is the most massive object, making up 99.8 percent of the mass of the solar system C: the amount of mass determine how fast the objects travel as they orbit each other D: Pluto receives the least force of gravity from the sun of all the planets in the solar system
4
Whether or not there is life in outer space is an enigma. We may never know for sure until we are capable of space travel or aliens actually land on our planet. What would we call something to which we have no answer? Enigma means () . A: reason B: certainty C: mystery