Stars in the Universe. Astronomers frequently say that there are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all the beaches on the earth. (a) Given that a typical grain of sand is about 0.2 mm in diameter, estimate the number of grains of sand on all the earth’s beaches, and hence the approximate number of stars in the universe. It would be helpful to consult an atlas and do some measuring. (b) Given that a typical galaxy contains about 100 billion stars and there are more than 100 billion galaxies in the known universe, estimate the number of stars in the universe and compare this number with your result from part (a).
Lecture 19 History of Motion Pictures The Business of Blockbusters and High Concept 1. What is a blockbuster a. Film opens in wide release i. On as many screens as possible in as many theaters as possible b. Film has a very large budget i. Now regularly $150+ million ii. The marketing budget is about the same as the production budget c. Ancillary markets are important as well i. Home video (in the 80s/90s-VHS; 2000s-DVD; 2010-Streaming) 2. The Impacts of VHS a. Hollywood hesitant to sell rights for video sales b. Opens up market for competition i. The independent boom just as in theaters in 70s c. Eventually, Hollywood begins selling home videos and became a majority of a film’s business i. The long tail 3. High Concept a. The look b. The hook c. The book