An interview with astronauts on the International Space Station, a keynote by The Daniels, and Cheech & Chong…a fun SXSW day!

Live from Space: NASA Astronauts & Your Work in Orbit

ISS Astronauts: Jeanette Epps, Loren O’Hara; Panelists: Jennifer Buchli, Leah Cheshier, Kristin Fabre

NASA sessions are always fun and educational. This session started with a live 20-minute interview with two female astronauts on the ISS. The astronauts work 12-hour days and have scheduled exercise times and weekly private medical conferences. Their research covers biological sciences, physical sciences, space science, earth science, tech demos, and stem engagement. Fun facts: Someone has been living there for 23 years. The station orbits the earth 16 times per day. The moon is 1000 times further away from the earth than the ISS.

The panel continued with more NASA-related discussion. They noted that “space is hard.” The ISS is a National Lab, and 50% of its research is open to the public. Commercial partnerships such as SpaceX are game changers.

Fiera Del Suono: The Echoes of the Carnival Chronicles

I explored this small immersive exhibition at the Creative Industries Expo. Visitors walked through colorful inflatables while listening to a story and music on headsets. I think this experience would have been better in a darkened separate room instead of the edge of the Expo floor.

TENNGER

Keynote: Daniels: How We Pulled Off Everything Everywhere All at Once

“The Daniels”—Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert—spoke about their experiences in writing and directing the hit film, Everything Everywhere All at Once. They began by explaining their framework for telling their stories is based on the Japanese concept of ikigai (search for fulfillment and purpose: What you love, What the world needs, What you are good at, What you can be paid for.) “Clearly, Quentin Tarantino only makes movies that he loves.” The Daniels love action movies and kung fu. Their attempt at What the world needs became the empathy fight up the stairs in the movie. They closed with an invitation “…to find your fulfillment by remembering your place in the world, the power you hold as a storyteller, and your responsibility to that power.”

Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie

Cheech and Chong decided to make a reunion movie. The premise of this (mostly) documentary film is that they are driving through the desert and talking and arguing. Occasional friends and family magically appear in the back seat. Some quotes from their Q&A: “We made Chicanos legal.” “We’re still here, how about that?” and “Are the fans satisfied? Yes.”