Fifty years have elapsed since the release of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” which creatively tried to make sense of the past and speculated about the future.
Northern Nevada lecturer Mike Thomas will review that 1968 blockbuster film and its impact on a generation during his presentation on Saturday at Western Nevada College’s Jack C. Davis Observatory.
Thomas will also provide a lecture on “Old West Lawmen” on Friday at the observatory.
Both lectures are free to the public and begin at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7.
Respect for the science fiction film hasn’t waned. The United States Library of Congress selected “2001: A Space Odyssey” for preservation in the National Film Registry. And in 2002 and 2012 polls conducted by Sight and Sound magazine, the film ranked among the top 10 films of all time. After its release in April 1968, “2001: A Space Odyssey” received an Academy Award for best visual effects.
Thomas’ talk about Old West Lawmen will include stories about the men who brought law and order to the Western Frontier.
Thomas has presented free lectures at the observatory for the past decade. He delivers as many as 20 history and science lectures per month in Northern Nevada.
There is always something happening on Saturday nights at the observatory. When lectures aren’t planned, the observatory is open to the public from sundown to 11 p.m. These Saturday nights are referred to as Star Parties and are led by the Western Nevada Astronomical Society, which brings together people with an interest in astronomy.
Jack C. Davis Observatory is located at 2699 Van Patten Drive.