Interstellar and Our Message for the Future

Interstellar review and notes:

Interstellar is a science fiction film that deals with space travel, time travel, and saving the human race. Personally, I really loved this film. I think it was my favorite film that we have watched in this class. I loved the execution of the film, the emotions behind it, the science behind it- I found it all so fascinating. If I wasn't dedicated to becoming a marine scientist, I think I would probably pursue a career in astronomy. 

It also fills one of my favorite genres in science fiction: apocalyptic fiction. I love books, movies, and video games centered around how humanity might end. It can be a rather bleak look at humanity, but it can also be incredibly hopeful. A look at how humanity can persevere and serve even in the worst of conditions, even in the worst odds. I think Interstellar really encapsulates this premise of survival and perseverance, in the worst of times.

Our project:

For our project, we each wanted to focus on important factors in our lives that could change in the future. For me, that was obviously the ocean. There are a lot of factors that are changing the oceans currently, all of which are important. Coral bleachings are exposing ur coastlines and eliminating habitats that over 75% of ocean life depend on. Rising temperatures in the world are melting polar ice caps, raising sea levels gradually, making coastlines dangerous and changing the geography of the coasts. However, what I chose to focus on in my portion of the video is the increase of plastics in the oceans.

Plastics is not a new threat. We've known about the dangers of plastics for a while now, but little has been done until recently to prevent the spread of plastics. Currently, in the center of the pacific ocean, there is a large patch of garbage floating on the surface known as the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch." The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is made 3.6 million pieces of plastic, all floating in the center of the northern Pacific gyre. It is the largest plastic pollution patch in the world.

Plastic harms the environment in countless ways. It is lethal to many sea creatures including whales, sea birds, turtles, dolphins, sharks, and other key stone species. Common threats include consumption of plastics and entanglement in plastics. However, these are the visible threats. There is a microscopic threat growing in the oceans, and it is microplastics.

Microplastics are microscopic shards of plastic created as plastics break down in the water. These plastics can be easily consumed by organisms, given their small sizes, These plastics have adverse health effects that can already been seen in a number of organisms. As plastics increase in the ocean, these microplastics will eventually make their way into the human food chain and can be very dangerous.

There are possible solutions, however these solutions are not viable unless we start working on them now.