All posts by : David Ault

Imagine that the Earth was a distant place that you once called home but could never visit again. What would you remember most about the planet, and how would you describe it to someone who had never been there? Set on the surface of the Moon in the year 2081, a grandfather and granddaughter are watching a solar eclipse from the scenic cliffs overlooking their moon colony. They discuss the contrasts between the moon, the only home the granddaughter knows, and the Earth, where the grandfather has spent most of his life. As they watch the Moon’s shadow move across the Earth, the grandfather tells stories of crashing asteroids, erupting volcanoes, roaring dinosaurs, and more. The stories are experienced by the viewers, beginning with a view through the telescope of the dynamic Earth; a stark contrast with the unchanging lunar landscape. EARTH’S WILD RIDE is like many tales shared by grandparents over the centuries, except “the old country” is really another planet, always visible, but totally unlike the granddaughter’s world. While learning about eclipses, the ice age, Earth’s water cycle and differences between the Earth and Moon, the audience is taken on a roller-coaster-like ride through canyons of raging rivers and hot flowing lava. Adventure and appreciation for home fill this 20-minute journey back to the Earth. Ages: All ages Length: 20 mins Also available in English*, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish* and Turkish. * indicates subtitles available in that language.