I "Dare to Explore": You Are Now Leaving Earth on a Journey to the Edge of the Universe

Ever since humans have lived on Earth we have looked up to the sky and wondered; are we alone? What is up there to be discovered? What, in the vast night sky, is there for us to see? We have studied the heavens for centuries and still our thirst to understand the unknown has not been quenched, and with every passing year we are penetrating deeper into space, discovering more than we could have possibly imagined, more than we could have possibly known; Comets and asteroids, planets and moons, galaxies and solar systems, suns and stars, star birth and star death, extreme violence and extreme beauty. The universe isn’t calm. It’s chaotic.

You are about to go on the journey of your life. In the “first accurate non-stop voyage from Earth to the edge of the universe” National Geographic’s Journey to the Edge of the Universe begins on Earth where “the stock market’s are still trading, and Star Trek is still playing.” But soon we speed away from our home, heading for our first destination--our moon. Our quest: to find another place out there in the cosmos where “like Goldilocks we could comfortably live.” At first, Journey

seems to be propelled by generalizations and speculations: What, How, Could, Would. ‘Maybe’ becomes the catchword of the day. But as the voyage continues viewers are transfixed by stunning visual effects and spectacular animation that sometimes look a little like the images could be real. And, in fact may are based on images taken by the Hubble Telescope. But it is Nigel Henbest’s script, performed by Alec Baldwin, which tie everything together, informing the viewer while, perhaps more importantly, telling a story. Short sentences followed by only slightly lengthy explanations keep the story flowing quickly and dramatically. Unlike other documentaries of its type, Journey, is not geared to the scientific community or to the science enthusiast. There are no confusing mathematical facts and figures. Journey is for the average viewer. But what is absolutely remarkable about Journey to the Edge of the Universe is something so subtle the average viewer may not ever pick up on it; the entire ninety minute documentary consists of one, single, fluid, sweeping shot. Not once does the picture cut away or fade. It is a feature so easily missed but a feat so brilliantly achieved.

Ever since I was young I have been fascinated by astronomy. I was the child who dreamed of being an astronaut. Of course, my ambitions now are more (pardon the pun) down to Earth, but part of me still longs to explore the universe. If I could I would travel through space for summer vacation. At night I am prone to walking into things as my eyes are always directed to the stars. Journey to the Edge of the Universe has satisfied so much of my curiosity, but has not completely extinguished it. Now, I am only hungry for more. (…and I still can not believe that it was all done in one shot!)