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Everyday science

Everyday science

A fast-paced adventure: journey through the history of speed

05 Apr 2023

Achintya Rao reviews the documentary film Rapid Motion Through Space: an Incomplete History of Speed written, directed and produced by Trent Burton

Amy Reynolds stood in a museum
Notions of motion Rapid Motion Though Space is presented by Amy Reynolds, a broadcast journalist who specializes in motor sports. (Courtesy: Trunkman Productions)

While on a road trip in India last December, I was reacquainted with the country’s many amusing highway signs reminding motorists to drive responsibly, often through rhyme. My favourite: “Speed thrills but kills”.

The message reminded me of our human obsession with going fast. We have films, hobbies and sports centred around it, and are constantly trying to speed up processes and technology. We even keep records of both the fastest and the slowest things in the universe, as well as those closer to home here on Earth. But we don’t always pay attention to every way in which we experience speed on a daily basis, whether it’s how fast we’re hurtling through the Milky Way or the speeds at which we process our thoughts.

A few weeks after my trip, I was invited to attend the premiere of a new documentary film on the topic of speed. Written, directed and produced by Trent Burton of the Cosmic Shambles NetworkRapid Motion Through Space: an Incomplete History of Speed takes the viewer on a two-hour ride that explores the myriad notions of motion.

The film shines a spotlight on some unexpected aspects of speed, with the trademark Cosmic Shambles mix of ultra-nerdy science discourse and unabashed silliness. For example, mathematician and comedian Matt Parker explains the scientific definition of speed and introduces us to derivatives, then provides a whimsical demonstration courtesy of a gaming console.

The documentary is presented by Amy Reynolds – a familiar face to speed-obsessed fans of MotoGP and W Series – and it was produced in association with the Royal Institution (RI) in London, where a lot of the narrative footage was shot and the premiere took place.

From the RI’s lecture theatre, Reynolds informs us that the concept of speed has been around since the days of Aristotle – but the film isn’t a history lesson. And despite swiftly introducing us to the speed of the universe’s rapid expansion courtesy of dark energy, and the seemingly slow rate of tectonic drift that can nonetheless reshape the surface of our planet over millions of years, the film isn’t a science lecture either. Rapid Motion Through Space serves us a smorgasbord of every possible interpretation of the idea of speed, and there’s something for everyone, from physics fans to athletics aficionados to ecology enthusiasts.

I was most surprised by the appearance of sports commentator and former captain of the England men’s cricket team, David Gower. My surprise wasn’t because I felt Gower lacked the expertise to address the speed with which a batter must react to a fast-moving cricket ball, but because of the inclusion of cricket itself, famously thought of by some as a rather slow sport. In a contrast of pace, the documentary also gave plenty of airtime to the world of motor sports, including a trip to the famous Silverstone racetrack in the UK. There, the audience learns from motorcycle racers what it’s like to ride at the staggeringly high speeds of over 360 km/h.

Desiree Henry at a running track

Not everyone is into speed for the sake of speed itself, however. “Every time we go faster, we learn something new,” Reynolds reminds us. This is true for the UK-based Bloodhound LSR team, which is seeking to break the land-speed record. But the engineers are also keen to demonstrate they can achieve that goal by developing more environmentally friendly solutions that will prove useful for humanity at large. Our attention is also brought to other considerations of speed within the environment, particularly how accelerating climate change is impacting the speed of ocean currents and related phenomena.

For a title that mentions space, the film concerns itself largely with proceedings on Earth. But this isn’t to say that the cosmos is ignored entirely. Rapid Motion Through Space brings us astrophysicists describing the speeds of galaxies, as well as Britain’s first astronaut, Helen Sharman, on the experience of getting to and living on the International Space Station. At the other end of the spectrum, we find ourselves shrunk to the size of a proton and learn what it is like to be accelerated to nearly the speed of light inside CERN‘s Large Hadron Collider.

Burton conceived Rapid Motion Through Space during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK. He proposed his idea to supporters of the Cosmic Shambles Network, and the documentary was made thanks to their generosity and crowdfunding. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and you can too, at no cost because it’s available in its entirety on YouTube. But if you are interested in watching it on the big screen, the Cosmic Shambles team plans to screen the film across the UK later in 2023, accompanied by a Q&A with some of the cast members. However you decide to watch Rapid Motion Though Space, don’t forget to strap in for a thrilling journey.

  • 2023 The Cosmic Shambles Network in association with the Royal Institution
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