science

Lost in Space

Lost in Space is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lost in Space rather than just read about it. In short: Lost in Space is an American science fiction television series created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968, on CBS. Lightly dramatic, sometimes comedic in tone, the series was inspired by the 1812 Johann David Wyss novel The Swiss Family Robinson.

Key takeaways

Lost in Space belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lost in Space to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lost in Space from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Lost in Space is an American science fiction television series created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968, on CBS. Lightly dramatic, sometimes comedic in tone, the series was inspired by the 1812 Johann David Wyss novel The Swiss Family Robinson. The series follows the adventures of the Robinsons, a pioneering family of space colonists who struggle to survive in the depths of space. The show ran for 84 episodes over three seasons. The first season comprised 29 one-hour episodes, filmed in black and white. The 29th episode, however, had a few minutes of color at the end. Seasons 2 and 3 were shot entirely in color.

Series synopsis

Overview Amidst overpopulation on Earth, the United States is gearing up to colonize space. The Jupiter 2, a futuristic saucer-shaped spacecraft, stands on its launchpad undergoing final preparations. Its mission is to take a single family on a five-and-a-half-year journey to an Earth-like planet orbiting the star Alpha Centauri. The show's ensemble cast focuses on the Robinson family, parents John (Guy Williams) and Maureen (June Lockhart), and their three children, Judy (Marta Kristen), Penny (Angela Cartwright) and Will (Bill Mumy). John is a professor. The family is accompanied by U.S. Space Corps Major Donald West (Mark Goddard). The Robinsons and Major West are cryogenically frozen for the voyage, and are set to be unfrozen when the spacecraft approaches its destination. Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris), a physician working for Alpha Control, which is conducting the launch, is revealed to be a saboteur working on behalf of an unnamed nation or organization, with which he communicated under the code name Aeolis-14-Umbra. After disposing of a guard who catches him aboard the spacecraft, Smith reprograms the Jupiter 2's B-9 environmental control robot (Bob May, voiced by Dick Tufeld) to destroy critical systems on the spaceship eight hours after launch. Smith inadvertently becomes trapped aboard, and after launch his extra weight throws the Jupiter 2 off course, causing it to encounter asteroids. This, plus the Robot's rampage, causes the ship to prematurely engage its hyperdrive, and the expedition becomes hopelessly lost in the infinite depths of outer space.

Season 1 The first season begins as the Robinson family and their pilot are about to set out from Earth for a planet circling the star Alpha Centauri. Dr. Smith saves himself from the post-launch crisis of his own making by prematurely reviving the crew from suspended animation. The ship survives, but the damage caused by Smith's earlier sabotage of the Robot leaves the crew lost in space. The Jupiter 2 crash-lands on an alien world, later identified by Will as Priplanus, where they spend the rest of the season and survive a host of adventures. Smith remains with the crew and acts as a source of comedic cowardice and villainy, exploiting the eternally forgiving nature of Professor Robinson.

Season 2 At the start of the second season (from this point on filmed in color), the repaired Jupiter 2 launches into space once more, to escape the destruction of Priplanus following a series of cataclysmic earthquakes. The Robinsons crash-land on a strange new world, to become planet-bound again for another season.

Season 3 In the third season, a format change was introduced. In this season, the Jupiter 2 travels freely in space in seven episodes, visiting a planet but leaving at the end, or encountering an adventure in space. They visit new worlds in several episodes, with both crash and controlled landings, as the family attempts to either return to Earth or else at least reach their original destination in the Alpha Centauri system. A newly introduced "Space Pod" provides a means of transportation between the ship and passing planets, allowing for various escapades. This season had a different set of opening credits and a new theme tune, which had been composed by John Williams as part of the show's new direction.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Professor (Lt. Colonel) John Robinson (Guy Williams) – The expedition commander and the father of the Robinson children. Robinson is an astrophysicist who also specializes in applied planetary geology. Dr. Maureen Robinson (June Lockhart) – A biochemist who is often seen preparing meals, tending the garden, and helping with light construction while adding a voice of compassion. Major Don West (Mark Goddard) – The pilot of the Jupiter 2 whose military training and discipline is relied upon by the castaways. Judy Robinson (Marta Kristen) – The eldest of the Robinson children, she is in her early twenties and shares a mutual attraction with Major West. Penny Robinson (Angela Cartwright) – The middle child. An imaginative 11-year-old who loves animals and classical music. Early in the series, she acquires a chimpanzee-like alien pet which she names Debbie and is usually referred to as the "bloop" for the sound it makes. Will Robinson (Billy Mumy) – The youngest child. A precocious 9-year-old in the first season, he is a child prodigy in electronics and computer technology. Dr. (Colonel) Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris) – Acting as Alpha Control's flight surgeon in the first episode, he is later referred to as a "doctor of intergalactic environmental psychology", an expert in cybernetics and an enemy agent. Smith's predominantly selfish actions, cowardice, schemes, and laziness frequently endanger the expedition, but his role assumes less sinister overtones in later parts of the series. Young Will and the Robot are often foils to Dr. Smith's outlandish behavior. The Robot (Bob May, voiced by Dick Tufeld) – A B-9 model, class YM-3, environmental control robot who has no given name (though many people believe it was "Robbie", confusing it with the robot from Forbidden Planet). The machine was endowed with superhuman strength and futuristic weaponry, and additionally often displays human emotions. The Robot was designed by Robert Kinoshita.

Guest stars During its three-season run, a number of actors made guest appearances:

Jonathan Harris, although a permanent cast member, was listed in the opening credits as a "special guest star" in every episode of Lost in Space.

Production

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lost in Space

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lost in Space claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lost in Space before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lost in Space ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lost in Space

In research: Lost in Space appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lost in Space in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lost in Space is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1960s American science fiction television series, 1965 American television series debuts, 1965 English-language television series debuts, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lost in Space outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Lost in Space in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lost in Space means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lost in Space out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lost in Space in simple terms?

Why does Lost in Space matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lost in Space?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lost in Space.