science

Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits)

Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) 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 Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) rather than just read about it. In short: "Wolf 359" is an episode of the original The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on November 7, 1964, during the second season.

Key takeaways

Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

"Wolf 359" is an episode of the original The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on November 7, 1964, during the second season. The title is derived from a star of the same name located relatively near Earth.

The episode is well known for the following quote:There is a theory that Earth and sun and galaxy and all the known universes are only a dust mote on some policeman's uniform in some gigantic super-world. Couldn't we be under some super-microscope, right now?

Summary The speedy evolution of an alien culture is observed through a professor's telescope. However, the experience soon goes out of control when a malevolent lifeform evolves at the planet's surface and threatens the scientific team.

Opening narration Outward stretches the quest for truth. Stars without end. Timeless infinities. A billion, billion galaxies. Man's imagination reaches out and out, while betimes the farthest reaches of knowledge are found in the smallest places...

Main plot Working on behalf of corporate interests, scientist Jonathan Meridith has created a miniature version of a remote planet (in the titular Wolf 359 system) in his laboratory. Due to the miniaturization, this artificial world knows an accelerated development, thus allowing Meridith to study its evolution through an electronic microscope, and to observe the birth of archaic life forms on its surface. However, soon a mysterious lifeform evolves along with the developing experiment. It is aware of the scientist's presence—even acting aggressively toward him at some point. Manifesting by night in the absence of light, the creature takes a physical shape into the laboratory itself, destroying all life inside it, including plants, a colony of ants and a couple of guinea pigs. Becoming aware of the situation, Meridith weighs the value of his experiment versus the possible dangers. He resorts to firing his lab assistant and sending his wife back home, in order to keep them away from harm. Pursuing his studies, the scientist soon discovers the creature inhabiting the planet seems to be a manifestation of the planet itself, similar to its collective mind, and bent on destruction. As the evolution of the miniature world progresses, Meridith observes a reproduction of the darkest moments of Earth's history at its surface (including the development of nuclear weapons). Lowering his guard one night, the scientist is suddenly attacked by the creature; he is, however, saved by his wife. She returns from home at the right moment to breach the miniature planet's containment cell, causing its atmosphere to escape so that the creature is destroyed along with the planet. In the epilogue, Meridith can be seen recording his final report on Wolf 359, saying that the experiment is over and the planet destroyed. Yet he also mentions that the experience could be successfully recreated in the future, if only one could find a better planet.

Closing narration There is a theory that Earth and sun and galaxy and all the known universes are only a dust mote on some policeman's uniform in some gigantic superworld. Couldn't we be under some supermicroscope, right now?

Cast The main cast for the episode is as follows:

Patrick O'Neal – as Jonathan Meredith Sara Shane – as Ethel Meredith Peter Haskell – as Peter Jellicoe Ben Wright – as Philip Exeter Dundee Dabney Coleman – as James Custer

References

External links

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) 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 Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) 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 Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) 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 Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits)

In research: Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) 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 Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) 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: Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1964 American television episodes, Fiction set around Wolf 359, The Outer Limits (1963 TV series) season 2 episodes, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) 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 Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) 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 Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) in simple terms?

"Wolf 359" is an episode of the original The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on November 7, 1964, during the second season.

Why does Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits) 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 Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits)?

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 Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits).