Event Category: 
Science Dome
Fort Steilacoom

30 minute live planetarium presentation + 30 minute video LIFE A Cosmic Story

Narrated by two-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster, Life begins in a grove of towering redwoods, majestic emblems of Northern California. From there, the audience “shrinks” dramatically as it enters a single redwood leaf and then a redwood cell, learning that despite their unique appearance, redwoods are composed of the same basic molecules as all other organisms on Earth. After this opening statement of shared ancestry, the audience launches on a journey through time, witnessing key events since the Big Bang that set the stage for life. The first stars ignite, galaxies coalesce, and entire worlds take shape. On the early Earth, two scenarios for the dawn of life are presented — one near a turbulent, deep-sea hydrothermal vent, and the other in a primordial “hot puddle” on a volcanic island. From these microscopic beginnings, life transformed the entire Earth as it evolved and diversified: filling the atmosphere with oxygen, turning the continents green, and altering global climate patterns. The 25-minute show ends with a review of geological evidence and the connectedness of all living things on Earth.

Pierce College students are free.  General admission $8.  Please purchase tickets in advance.

For more information and to purchase your tickets, visit Science Dome Public Shows.

Campus Location: 
Fort Steilacoom
Building: 
Rainier
Room Number: 
263
Event Contact Name: 
Hillary Stephens
Event Contact Email: