This 50 minute Discovery Channel documentary attempts to answer the question: What would happen if we had no moon?The subject of this documentary was very intriguing and the program itself was entertaining. There were a lot of interesting facts and ideas as well as simulations. Without further consideration, this seems to be a really interesting and well thought out movie.
However, after watching this program, I found myself unable to actually answer the question "What would happen if we had no moon?" It seemed that though the documentary was interesting and fun to watch, it was not well organized or focused. It skipped from one idea to another without connections and lacked a main idea.
All in all, this is not a movie I would recommend. The title was tempting, but the program itself was a disappointment.
Despite this, the movie did prompt me to search for a real, straightforward answer to the difficult question. I found that the article below nicely summarized and described several important ideas involving Earth's relationship to the moon. It seems as if the moon not only has tremendous physical effects on the Earth, but also is necessary for further understanding of science and the Earth's place within our solar system.
The main conclusion that I drew from this investigation was that the moon will remain a subject of intrigue as long as there are people to live under it. It has fascinated every culture for it's beauty, mystery, and strange, unexplained connections to life on Earth. "The Many Mysteries of the Moon." Now that would make a great AV title!
If We Had No Moon
UPDATE:
October 14, 2009
Follow up:
Recently in the news, NASA has been accused of "blowing up" or "bombing" the moon. Of course, much of this reporting seems to be for dramatic effect. However, as a part of NASA's LCROSS mission, the administration sent two spacecraft crashing to the surface of the moon in order to collect moon dust and rocks to test for signs of water and life. Some believe this to be an acceptable action for the sake of furthering science, and some do not approve of damaging a planet to test for possible life or adequate living conditions.
Personally, I do not believe that it was at all acceptable for NASA to send the spacecraft to the moon with the intention of hacking away at it.
The moon is essential to our planet; thus the documentary, If We Had No Moon. Even if NASA's actions did not cause any serious damage to the moon as a whole, it sent a message to the world that it is OK to recklessly smash objects into the moon. This sets a bad precedent that could lead to further, more serious damage.
Further, the moon "has fascinated every culture for it's beauty, mystery, and strange, unexplained connections to life on Earth." Nothing ruins this meaning for humanity more than an administration smashing crafts into it. This shows an extreme lack of respect not only to the moon, but also to people.
To me, it was inexcusable for NASA to fling objects at the moon and cause it damage. I do not believe that finding life or water on the moon is at all as important as preserving the moon itself. If there is anything that I learned from watching If We Had No Moon, it is that the moon is invaluable and we should appreciate and accept it in it's entirety.
Did NASA Really Drop a Bomb on the Moon?
