This article was first published in April 2023 in My Mensa Weekly, our exclusive newsletter for Mensa members. Find out more about becoming a Mensa member here.
Words by Joanna Cummings. Image credit NASA
What do Formula One, psychoactive substances and the continental drift of Pangea have in common? Speed, of course!
Our encounters with speed in early education see it distilled to its simplest definition: ‘how fast something moves’. The documentary Rapid Motion Through Space: An Incomplete History of Speed – featuring IQ magazine interviewee Robin Ince – explores all aspects of the concept of speed and how it connects everything in the known universe.
In the two-hour film, a variety of scientists, engineers, sportspeople and comedians discuss speed in all its incarnations; as well as the fast-paced thrills of Formula One and the dramatic shifts of geological history, this whistle-stop tour takes in the speed of thought, asks why we love to go fast – and tracks the long, long journey of thousands of snails. (But in case you’re wondering, the famous Keanu Reeves action thriller does not get a mention).
The documentary – now available to watch for free on YouTube – was produced by the Ince-founded Cosmic Shambles Network (CSN), where “science, comedy, music and art collide”. The aim of CSN is to bring together scientists and entertainers to curate and produce content “for curious minds”.
Robin Ince himself – introduced on film by his moniker ‘the becardiganed polymath’ – weighs in on the speed of thought both from a neurological angle, and from his perspective as a stand-up comedian. He also touches on the possible connections between his often-unexpected thought patterns and his recently diagnosed ADHD.
“[I’d intend to give an] eloquent and lightly amusing discussion about the art of Louise Bourgeois and then as soon as I hit the stage I’d say, ‘There’s something I need to tell you about spiders’… it meant the audience saw a different show every time!”
CSN co-founder and Director Trent Burton said in a press release that as a vast topic, speed was perfect as the focus for the company’s first of many feature documentaries:
“We’ve packed a whole lot into two hours, from Grand Prix motorcycles to Bermuda land snails… We hope the film serves as a tasting menu of ideas and that viewers will want to head off and further explore different areas.”
In IQ’s interview with Ince, he talked about a “beautiful line of curiosity” that can run through human beings. With broad-ranging and engaging documentaries like Rapid Motion Through Space, CSN is tapping into and encouraging that curiosity.
For those who like to sample from ‘a tasting menu of ideas’, CSN’s YouTube channel has an appealing array of additional content, including a livestream of Ince’s popular Science Shambles podcast, and the complete range of videos from the Stay at Home Festival – an online event produced as a response to the first pandemic lockdown.
So, if you’d like to embark on a breakneck journey from outer space to the undergrowth, from the high-speed world of MotoGP to the leisurely pace of the sloth…then the Rapid Motion Through Space documentary is a good place to start.
All that’s left to say is… Run, don’t walk!
