Oh no, not another boring science video! That was my first thought when, at 12 years of age, the science teacher wheeled out the TV trolley. Videos seemed such a cheap excuse for teaching…

But by the time the ten minute short ‘Powers of Ten‘ had finished, there was an unusual calm in the classroom. Some might have been in awe of the ground-breaking Star-Wars style special effects. For me, those few minutes had opened my eyes to the awesomeness of the Universe in a way no arm-waving teacher could.

The premise is magnificently simple and beautifully put together. From a starting point at a picnic in a Chicago park the camera slowly starts to zoom out. Every ten seconds the view becomes ten times further away, until the earth, and then finally our galaxy becomes a tiny speck in the distance. The film then reverses – and after returning to the picnic scene, starts to zoom in closer and closer…

I was delighted to rediscover this video on Youtube – and I hope you enjoy it too. Even though it was made in 1968, it has aged better than a single malt. A modern remake narrated by Morgan Freeman was put together in 1996.

Which is better? You decide – just kick back and enjoy: Read more