Communication in Context: Analysis & Research  (101-2-2)

Instructors

James Schwoch

Meeting Info

Frances Searle Building 1483: Tues 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

The second course moves beyond the introduction offered in Communication Studies 101-1 through additional skills training and expanded research and analytic assignments. This section will focus on developing research, analysis, and writing skills through hands-on experience building upon the focus area of Professor Schwoch in the area of The New Outer Space.

This course offers a selective, yet galactic, approach to investigating the contemporary conditions of outer space in 2020s and 2030s. No longer the semi-exclusive domain of a few powerful nations and a handful of rich corporations (although both remain very active), still grudgingly shared with scientists such as astronomers and earth scientists (now shared more grudgingly than ever before) what is increasingly called The New Outer Space involves activities by most of the nations of the planet, a huge range and diverse scale of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and inventors, and a largely uniformed public that knows little to nothing about The New Outer Space that is arriving for our future. We will look at issues such as the vanishing of dark and quiet skies as satellites increase in number and undermine astronomical research; plans to build telescopes on the Shielded (Dark) side of the Moon; the growing environmental problems of space debris returning to Earth and splashdown at Point Nemo, the rapidly filling oceanic graveyard of satellites; the competition for access to and control of Cislunar Space; whether and why The Moon needs its own time zone; mega-constellations of satellites that will grow to includes thousands of satellites in orbit; LEO, MEO, GEO and other orbits; new direct-to-smartphone satellites such as BlueWalker 3, at certain moments the 9th-brightest object in the skies of the Northern Hemisphere; Space Advertising with coordinated satellites depicting corporate logos and similar images; names and corporations you have likely heard of, such as Elon Musk and SpaceX, as well as activities likely unknown to many, such as the rising importance of New Zealand as a launch site; and why nations we do not often associate with outer space activities (Rwanda, Luxembourg, and many others) are now co-investing with industry start-ups for a huge and growing range of outer space activities.

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Communication Studies Majors.