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THE RED PLANET
To The Best of Our Knowledge
from Wisconsin Public Radio
For eons Mars has been the toast of the galaxy –
and has ignited the human imagination. The Red Planet is home to
the God of War – and to little green men. In this hour of To
the Best of Our Knowledge, exploring Mars. We'll get the latest
on NASA's new Mars missions, and take a look at the god Mars in
literature and mythology. Also, colonizing the Red Planet –
it may not be as far away as you think.
SEGMENT 1:
Ken Croswell's new book is called "Magnificent
Mars." It's a picture book of the Red Planet, so he's all
excited about the new NASA Mars Rovers. Croswell tells Anne Strainchamps
why scientists believe Mars used to have water, and therefore,
maybe life.
SEGMENT 2:
Robert Zubrin believes we can and should
colonize Mars. His book is "The Case for Mars: The Plan to
Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must." He's president of
the Mars Society and does his best to persuade Jim Fleming to
start packing his bags. And, since we're dreaming, we re-visit
Ray Bradbury's "Martian Chronicles."
SEGMENT 3:
In "The Hunt for Zero Point" Nick Cook
writes about the secret world of research into anti-gravity
technology. Cook is the aviation editor of Jane's Defense Weekly,
the respected English military affairs journal. He tells Steve
Paulson that anti-gravity sounds like science fiction and is all
tangled up with something called zero point energy, but whatever
it is, it's real. Unlike Orson Welles' "The War of the Worlds"
which we also sample. And, classicist Mary Lefkowitz talks
with Steve Paulson about Mars, the Roman God of War. The Greeks
called him Ares, and he had a tough time for a god. Lefkowitz
is the author of "Greek Gods, Human Lives."
Cassette copies are available
at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 04-01-11-b.
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Books:
- Nick Cook, The Hunt for Zero Point
(Atlantic)
- Ken Croswell, Magnificent Mars (Free
Press)
- Mary Lefkowitz, Greek Gods, Human Lives:
What We Can Learn from Myths (Yale)
- Robert Zubrin, The Case for Mars: The
Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must (Simon &
Shuster)
Links:
Music:
- (All music from the amazing CD Box Set: BRAIN IN
A BOX: THE SCIENCE FICTION
COLLECTION on Rhino Records.)
- 2001: A Space Odyssey. Introduction from Also Sprach
Zarathustra. The City of Prague Philharmonic. Nic Raine.
- The Day The Earth Stood Still. Prelude/Outer Space
/ Radar. Bernard Hermann.
- It Came From Outer Space. Visitors from Space.
Dick Jacobs.
- Planet of the Apes. Main Title. Jerry Goldsmith.
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The Conversation.
John Williams.
- Star Trek. Main Title and Closing Theme. The Royal
Philharmonic. Fred Steiner.
Distribution dates:
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Questions and comments can
be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org
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