Ray of Light

R.I.P., RAY: The first news I saw this morning was that one of the deans of science fiction, Ray Bradbury, had died.

The Illustrated Man, Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles ... and so many other stories and books of Bradbury's helped spark my interest in science years and years ago. Immediately after reading the news, I decided I needed to get my hands on a copy of R is for Rocket to read to/with the kids as bedtime stories.

Today, the kids' science teacher started the class speaking about Bradbury and what an influential and important writer he was.

I was happy to be able to share a germane Bradbury quote with the science students: "The best scientist is open to experience and begins with romance -- the idea that anything is possible."

This afternoon, we watched a half-hour television documentary about Ray Bradbury (1963) by David L. Wolper. What a delight it was. It was about the business of being a writer, and it included a dramatization of a story Bradbury was working on, "Dial Double Zero." It was about a telephone system with what seemed to be a growing intelligence.

After the video, I asked the kids to write something - anything about what we watched. It could be about Bradbury, about writing, about sci fi, about Bradbury's story.

I found it interesting that both of them chose to write primarily about the story presented within the interview. They were both really intrigued by its content. I think Mr. Bradbury would have liked that. :)

Annabelle on Bradbury:
I learned about Ray Bradbury in a YouTube video today. It was about his story called "Dial Double Zero" and about some of Ray Bradbury's life. He was very imaginative and loved writing.

Ray Bradbury's story, Dial Double Zero, was very inspiring for me to write my own story like his. The fact that the voice from the phone was sinister just added suspense and mystery, just like a good story should. The story was about a person who had a voice on his phone when he tried to call anyone, and the voice mimicked whatever he said!

He started to try to tell his friend, Ralph, by phone, about it. But he noticed the voice could have heard him. As he kept calling, the voice got smarter as it learned more language. After a couple of calls he decides to go up the telephone pole to discover what it is making the calls. The cops come, he opens the phone box, he saw what it was, but discovered it had won. That is all of the story I know.

CJ on Bradbury:
I like how Dial Double Zero Begins with thinking about a possibility that human kind could live in electricity. Another thing I like about Dial Double Zero is that the phone mimics the person talking in it. At one part in the story, the phone overheard the person talking about something to his friend Ralph. (The phone, if I am correct.)

Ray Bradbury wrote many other great stories, to. One of them being R is for Rocket, and another being 451 Fahrenheit. Do you know what Ray Bradbury used to write? well, He had to use a typewriter. (It was hard to edit with typewriters)

You should check out many other Great Ray Bradbury Books, too!

ONE IF BY BOAT: So, this is how our shuttles travel these days by barge. 

Here's a NASA photo by Bill Ingalls showing Enterprise, the prototype for the space shuttle fleet, being barged up the Hudson River for delivery to the Intrepid Museum in New York City today. It will be housed in the museum's Space Shuttle Pavilion, which opens to the public on July 19.

Though it's hardly the explosive excitement of watching a rocket fueled launch, it sure would have been cool to see Enterprise traveling through NYC this way. Wish we'd planned a field trip for it!

DARE TO DREAM: Today, a Facebook friend pointed me in the direction of a video that won the "Why Explore Space" contest hosted by The Coalition for Space Exploration. Watch it.
It's short and powerful and, trust me, you don't have to be a space case to appreciate the message.