NASA Enters The Marvel Universe With The S.T.A.T.I.O.N
Marvel has in a manner reinvented the superhero universe. It took the usual good versus bad story lines and created an entire universe with complex characters whose stories are interlinked with one another. With the release of Avengers 2: Age of Ultron next year, Marvel Cinematic Universe(MCU) will conclude its Phase Two.
While everyone is waiting for MCU’s next installment, Marvel in association with NASA and the National Academy of Sciences is close to opening the Marvel S.T.A.T.I.O.N (Scientific Training and Tactical Intelligence Operative Network) exhibit at the Discovery Times Square exhibition centre.
The six month long exhibition will teach the attendees about the science of the Marvel Universe. It is one massive exhibition with 140 video screens, dozens of large-scale touch interfaces, working robotics, augmented reality, and motion response applications.
The visitor is oriented as an Agent of SHEILD (the show’s first season had an Awesome finale). The lucky ones who get to go will be treated as Agents in training and will get to play around with lots of cool stuff.
They will get to learn to operate Iron Man’s suit, see the neurological effects of Bruce Banner’s transformation into the Hulk, and physically test themselves against Captain America. The agents will also get to see some of the memorabilia from the attack on New York which was defended by the Avengers. There are some amazing visuals at the S.T.A.T.I.O.N.
Its almost like entering into Tony Stark’s workspace
The organizers approached NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for authentic scientific content. The MCU itself is a very science centric universe. Across the Movies and the TV shows, it tries to explain the events with a scientific perspective. They even backup the supernatural phenomenons of the universe with scientific explanations. Here is an example from Thor 2 of regular dialogues from which downplay the supernatural elements:
Loki: “I went down to Midgard to rule the people of Earth as a benevolent God, just like you.”
Odin: “We are not gods! We’re born, we live, we die, just as humans do.”
Loki: “Give or take five thousand years.”
Joss Whedon, Director of Avenger 1 & 2, is one of the major science fiction Directors who have tried to interlink fictional narratives with real science. His brother Jed Whedon took an even more indepth scientific approach while making Agents of SHIELD.
NASA has provided the S.T.A.T.I.O.N with written content, images and videos on topics like electromagnetic spectrum, black holes as powerful energy sources, and aerospace materials used in creating Iron Man’s armor.
Using the NASA’s exoplanet research technology, the “Agents” will get to map out the exoplanets and try to find Asguard.
Your ID card gives you access to an Awesome interactive website
The Exhibition also gives you an access to an interactive website for which you to us the login id given on the pass at entry (Lame.)
This unique, interactive educational display was to open on May 30th but was delayed for extensive testing of equipment. This is one novel approach of teaching regular folks about the awe-inspiring knowledge of science. We really hope that it comes to India someday.
