astronomy

Of Stars and Men

Of Stars and Men is a astronomy 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 Of Stars and Men rather than just read about it. In short: Of Stars and Men is a 1964 American animated documentary film directed by John Hubley, based on the 1959 book of the same title by astronomer Harlow Shapley, who also narrates. It was produced by Hubley and Faith Hubley and has been cited as an example of an "animated documentary".

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Of Stars and Men is a 1964 American animated documentary film directed by John Hubley, based on the 1959 book of the same title by astronomer Harlow Shapley, who also narrates. It was produced by Hubley and Faith Hubley and has been cited as an example of an "animated documentary".

Premise The film tells, in documentary style, of humankind's quest (in the form of a child) to find its place in the universe, through themes such as outer space, physical matter, the meaning of life and the periodic table.

Release The film was first screened during a conference at MIT's Visual Department. The film's public premiere was on April 28, 1964, at New York's Beekman Theater, along with a collection of Hubley/U.P.A. shorts (Moonbird and Gerald McBoing-Boing among them) which preceded its showing.

Reception The critical reception was uniformly positive. Variety wrote: "John and Faith Hubley have concocted a beguiling, absorbing animated look at man and his place in the universe in this medium length pic. ... Shapley's concise and friendly commentary, delivered by himself, and the clear and expert visuals make the points with eye appeal and investiveness. Humor is also laced into it. Animation is deft as well as creative with a fine employment of color. It is an excellent use of the medium." Boxoffice wrote: "John Hubley, who helped create the tremendously fascinating Mr. Magoo ... has teamed with his equally talented wife, Faith, in a meticulous adaptation of scientist Harlow Shapley's (he doubles as narrator) book, which thoughtfully explored the status of modern man in the universe." TV Guide wrote: "Evolution and man's place in the universe are explored in this charming animated fable. ... Though the ideas expressed in the story are familiar, the presentation is pure visual delight. The stylized pictures are brimming with humor and also carry a touch of pathos.

Disputes about genre The film's genre was a matter of contention among festival curators: at the Venice Film Festival, Of Stars and Men was placed in the live-action feature category, while at the San Francisco Film Festival, it competed in the documentary category and won an award.

Home media Of Stars and Men received a VHS release from Buena Vista Home Video in July 1990, and had its DVD debut from Image Entertainment nine years later, as part of a compilation of Hubley productions.

See also List of American films of 1964 The Cosmic Eye, a 1987 film from the Hubleys List of animated feature-length films

References

Beck, Jerry (2005), pp. 181–2. The Animated Movie Guide. ISBN 1-55652-591-5. Chicago Reader Press. Accessed May 23, 2007.

External links Of Stars and Men at IMDb PBS' Independent Spirits page about the Hubleys, includes clip from the film, RealPlayer required (archived from the original on 21 October 2002) Harvard Square Library's full text scan of Shapley's book (archived from the original on 4 June 2011)

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Of Stars and Men

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Of Stars and Men claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, 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 Of Stars and Men 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 Of Stars and Men 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 Of Stars and Men

In research: Of Stars and Men appears in astronomy 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 Of Stars and Men 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: Of Stars and Men is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1959 non-fiction books, 1964 American animated films, 1964 English-language films, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Of Stars and Men 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 Of Stars and Men in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Of Stars and Men 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 Of Stars and Men out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Of Stars and Men in simple terms?

Why does Of Stars and Men matter?

Because it connects several astronomy 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 Of Stars and Men?

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 Of Stars and Men.