Technological Advancements and TV

A New Era in SpaceInvention of the SPACE SHUTTLE – a reusable spacecraft with wings that could rocket into space and then glide back to earth

April 12, 1981 = 1st Space Shuttle launch

1983: 1st Woman in Space = Sally Ride

A New Era in SpaceJanuary 1986: Challenger Shuttle exploded after liftoff, killing all seven people on board (defective seals on the rocket boosters) as thousands of spectators looked on.

Devastating disaster that confused/frightened Americanshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljPYmSdyVZc

Reagan assured Americans that exploration of space required bravery and this event was no exception

The Challenger Seven were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly…They had

that special grace, that special spirit that says, ‘Give me a challenge and I’ll meet it with joy.’ They had a hunger to

explore the universe and discover its truths…We’ve grown used to the idea that we’ve only just begun. We’re still

pioneers…Sometimes painful things like this happen. It’s all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It’s all

part of taking a chance and expanding man’s horizons. The future doesn’t belong to the faint-hearted; it belongs

to the brave!

A New Era in Space1988-2002: 87 successful shuttle missions to place satellites into orbit and for exploration

Space shuttles were perfect for reaching SPACE STATIONS: orbiting platforms that served as bases of operations for space research.

Hubble Telescope -

1990

International Space Station Funded by 16 nations

Deep Space Homer

Two of the most striking characteristics ofThe Simpsons are its social criticism and itsreferences to other cultural forms. JohnO'Connor, television critic for The New York Times, has labeled the program "the most radical show on prime time" and indeed, The Simpsons often parodies the hypocrisy and contradictions found in social institutions such as the…family, mass media, religion and medicine. Homer tells his daughter Lisa that it is acceptable to steal things "from people you don't like." Reverend Lovejoy lies to Lisa about the contents of the Bible to win an argument. Krusty the Clown, the kidvid program host, endorses dangerous products to make a quick buck. Homer comforts Marge about upcoming surgery with the observation that "America's health care system is second only to Japan's ... Canada's ... Sweden's ... Great Britain's...well, all of Europe." The critical nature of the program has been at times controversial. Many elementary schools banned Bart Simpson T-shirts, especially those with the slogan, "Underachiever, and Proud of It." U.S. President George Bush and former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett publicly criticized the program for its subversive and anti-authority nature.

- http://emmytvlegends.org/interviews/shows/simpsons-the