Cosmic Picture Receives Grant for Einstein’s Incredible Universe

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Mon, 03/13/2023 - 09:49 -- Nick Dager

Cosmic Picture Distribution has been awarded a three million dollar grant by the National Science Foundation for its upcoming project, Einstein’s Incredible Universe. The centerpiece of the project is a film for giant screen and Imax theatres that will celebrate the groundbreaking work of Albert Einstein, the curiosity that drove him to explore space and time, and the scientific creativity that led to his most revolutionary ideas.

Cosmic Picture Distribution has been awarded a three million dollar grant by the National Science Foundation for its upcoming project, Einstein’s Incredible Universe. The centerpiece of the project is a film for giant screen and Imax theatres that will celebrate the groundbreaking work of Albert Einstein, the curiosity that drove him to explore space and time, and the scientific creativity that led to his most revolutionary ideas.The film also features two modern astrophysicists and their own true stories of scientific exploration: Dr. Andrea Ghez, recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics and head of the Galactic Space Science Group at UCLA, and Dr. Nergis Mavalvala, Dean of the MIT School of Science and a professor in the university’s physics department.

Both were inspired by Einstein as young women and are today making significant discoveries of their own that build on and challenge some of his most radical theories. Accompanied and enriched by hands-on citizen science experiments aligned with the total solar eclipse in 2024 and a host of other learning activities, the project aims to engage young people – particularly girls – in science and astrophysics.

Cosmic Picture’s founder and CEO Taran Davies will serve as principal investigator, while Erica Meehan of Meehan Media Consulting and Andrea Durham, chief officer for science and education at the Saint Louis Science Center, will serve as co-principal investigators.

The film will be directed by Daniel Ferguson (Jerusalem, Superpower Dogs) and executive produced by the Genius 100 Foundation.

“This project has been a long time in the making, and we are thrilled to finally be able to bring Einstein’s Incredible Universe to the giant screen,” Davies said. “This film and the engagement program will deepen audiences’ understanding of astrophysics and will inspire our youth, especially young girls, to harness their creative capacity to achieve future innovations and advancements in STEM.”

“NSF investment in Einstein’s Incredible Universe is part of multi-decade effort to boost science learning beyond the classroom, where research has shown most learning takes place,” said NSF program officer Sandra H. Welch. “This project has the potential for strong impact, leveraging public excitement in the 2024 eclipse and providing valuable role models that will inspire newer generations to become scientists.”

Release is projected for 2025.

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