Blended Worlds: Experiments In Interplanetary Imagination
A new exhibit at the Brand Library & Art Center in Glendale, “Blended Worlds: Experiments in Interplanetary Imagination” explores the landscape of human relationships with our ever-expanding environment. As part of “PST ART: Art & Science Collide,” an event presented by the Getty and involving more than 70 exhibitions from museums and institutions across Southern California, this exhibit questions how empathy and connectedness can both reveal new worlds and inspire innovative ways to nurture them. Ten artists, collaborating with a team of Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists and engineers, invite us to consider how a greater connectedness with nature can renew our sense of wonder and curiosity with our planet and the cosmos.
Aligning to JPL's priorities and goals:
JPL’s involvement in the "PST: Art & Science Collide" initiative aligns with JPL’s core priorities and goals.
Providing Data & Expertise
In accordance with the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, all NASA data is publicly available. Data that was used in the Blended Worlds exhibit is referenced in the links below.
Global Inspiration
JPL encourages engagement with space science and Earth science through diverse perspectives. By expanding partnerships, JPL aims to inspire and amplify stories that reshape humanity's future in space exploration.
Collaboration
“Blended Worlds: Experiments in Interplanetary Imagination” was developed in collaboration with the City of Glendale by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), an operating division of Caltech and a federally funded research and development center for NASA. JPL acknowledges the generous support of the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission and the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Trust.
This exhibit is among more than 70 exhibitions and programs presented as part of PST ART. Returning in September 2024 with its latest edition, PST ART: Art & Science Collide, this landmark regional event explores the intersections of art and science, both past and present. PST ART is presented by Getty.
More Information:
PST PST ART: Art & Science Collide
Exhibit Location:
Brand Library & Art Center, 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale, CA 91201
NASA Datasets
NASA Perseverance Rover’s Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA)
The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) aboard NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission gathers detailed data about the Martian environment. This dataset includes several types of data: raw measurements, partially processed data, calibrated data, and more refined derived data, which is recommended for most scientific analysis. Additionally, SkyCam images from the rover capture visual data of the Martian sky. Most data is provided in easy-to-use CSV format, with accompanying documentation to help understand and utilize the information.
This dataset was used in the "Blended Worlds" exhibit “tele-present wind”.
NASA Climate (Sea Level Rise)
This NASA Climate Sea Level dataset provides measurements of global sea level changes, tracking the rise in sea levels due to factors like melting ice sheets and glaciers, and the expansion of seawater as it warms. The dataset includes satellite observations starting from 1993 and historical data from coastal tide gauges dating back to 1900.
To access and download this dataset, you will need to create a free Earthdata account through NASA. Once registered and logged in, you can click the "download data" button on the dataset page to obtain the latest available information.
This dataset was used in the "Blended Worlds" exhibit “Earth Speaks”.
NASA Climate (Carbon Dioxide)
This NASA Climate Carbon Dioxide dataset tracks the concentration of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere, a key greenhouse gas that significantly contributes to global warming and climate change. This dataset includes long-term measurements taken by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, since 1958, and historical CO2 levels from Earth's past glacial cycles captured by ice cores.
To access and download the latest carbon dioxide data, you need to create a free Earthdata account through NASA. Once registered and logged in, you can download the data directly from the dataset page. The dataset is essential for understanding the impact of human activities on the planet’s climate through the increase in atmospheric CO2.
This dataset was used in the "Blended Worlds" exhibit “Earth Speaks”.
NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies Surface Temperature
This NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) Surface Temperature Analysis (v4) dataset provides detailed information on global surface temperatures, updated monthly. This dataset includes graphs and plots that track temperature changes over time, offering insights into global warming trends.
To access the latest temperature data and analysis, visit the dataset website, where the data is continuously updated and available for download. Additionally, a global mean estimate text file dataset provides global temperature estimates over decades.
These dataset sources were used in the "Blended Worlds" exhibit “Earth Speaks”.
NASA Apollo Seismic Data
The Apollo Seismic Data set provides insights into the Moon's seismic activity, gathered during the Apollo missions. It includes data from the Passive Seismic Experiment (PSE) and is organized into two main collections: the SEED Collection, which contains moonquake recordings in a specialized digital format for quake-related data, and the ASCII Table Collection, which presents the same data in a more accessible table format. Compiled by scientist Ceri Nunn as well as colleagues Yosio Nakamura, Sharon Kedar, and Mark Panning, this dataset is archived by the PDS Geosciences Node.
This dataset was used in the production of the "Blended Worlds" exhibit “Seismic Percussion”.
NASA InSight Seismic Experiment for Investigating the Subsurface (SEIS)
The dataset from the SEIS (Seismic Experiment for Investigating the Subsurface) instrument aboard NASA’s now-retired InSight lander offers detailed measurements of seismic activity on Mars. SEIS instruments are protected by a dome-shaped Wind and Thermal Shield to ensure accurate readings despite Mars' environmental conditions. The reprocessed SEIS data, updated as of Oct. 4, 2023, is archived in the Planetary Data System (PDS) and is also accessible through the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) and the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP). The dataset includes various collections, such as SEIS SEED and ASCII Data, Lander Activity Files, and others.
This dataset was used in the production of the "Blended Worlds" exhibit “Seismic Percussion”.
NASA Exoplanet Archive
The NASA Exoplanet Archive is an online resource that compiles and cross-references astronomical data on exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) and their host stars. It serves as a comprehensive catalog, offering stellar parameters (such as positions, magnitudes, and temperatures), exoplanet parameters (like masses and orbital details), and discovery data (including radial velocity curves, photometric light curves, images, and spectra). The archive is designed to support the search for and characterization of extrasolar planets, providing tools for data analysis and exploration.
This dataset was used in the "Blended Worlds" exhibit “Sensory Mementos / Interstellar Soundings”.
Science and Technology Expertise
Team of expert scientists, listed below, collaborated with Blended World’s commissioned artists, contributing their expertise across multiple domains, including advising and interpreting the data.
- Anjali Tripathi - Astrophysicist, JPL
- Brenna Hatch - Technologist and Geospatial Researcher, JPL
- Ceri Nunn - Lunar Seismologist, Research Scientist, JPL
- Charles Miller - Mission Science, Surface, Biology and Geology (SBG), JPL
- Corey Cochrane - Scientist in Planetary Interiors and Geophysics, JPL
- Duane Waliser - Chief Scientist, Earth Science and Technology Directorate, JPL
- Holly Bender - Optical Engineer, JPL
- Jose Antonio Rodriguez Manfredi - Centro de Astrobiología Scientist/Principal Investigator of the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) on NASA’s Perseverance Rover
- Josh Willis - Principal Scientist/Oceanographer, JPL
- Kalind Carpenter - Robotics Engineer, JPL
- Kevin Hand - PI/Director, Ocean Worlds Lab, JPL
- Lori Shiraishi - Associate Chief Engineer: Spacecraft Mechanical Section, JPL
- Marc Simard - Senior Research Scientist, JPL
- Michelle Gierach - Associate Scientist, Earth Sciences and Technology Directorate, JPL
- Moogega Cooper - Planetary Protection Engineer, JPL
- Niklas Bohn - Scientist, analysis of algae blooms on the Greenland Ice Sheet, JPL
- Nobuaki Fuji - Collaborator on the NASA InSight Lander’s Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) Instrument
- Rishi Verma - JPL - Data Systems Architect
- Shinsuke Shimojo - Gertrude Baltimore Professor of Experimental Psychology, Caltech