Scientists race to warn a colleague that his experiment could destroy life on Earth.Scientists race to warn a colleague that his experiment could destroy life on Earth.Scientists race to warn a colleague that his experiment could destroy life on Earth.
Photos
Philip Faversham
- Jeffrey Stackpole
- (as Phil Faversham)
Allan Drake
- Chu Ling
- (as Alan Drake)
Will Hussung
- Planetarium Lecturer
- (as Will Hussong)
Kyle MacDonnell
- Vocalist
- (as Kyle MacDonald)
Boyd Crawford
- Man on Aircraft
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- GoofsThe shadow of the camera can clearly be seen when it dollies in during the chess game.
- Quotes
Carl Everson: There's a time for study and a time for action. We've come to the time for action!
Featured review
An anti-nuclear fable from early in the atomic age
Desperate attempts are made to warn a scientist that the experiential nuclear reaction that he is about to initiate could destroy all life on Earth. This simple cautionary tale about scientific hubris is framed by a planetarium speaker discussing how long the Earth could last unless mankind does something very reckless and is clearly inspired by the real life concerns by members of the Manhattan Project (such as Arthur Compton) that 'atmospheric ignition' was a possible result of induced nuclear fission. The episode is reasonably 'progressive' by early Cold-war standards - the scientist opines on the value of open communications (as opposed to the extreme secrecy and censorship surrounding nuclear technology) and how his work could benefit all of humanity rather than simply add to America's arsenal. The series' low-budget is apparent in the minimal sets and props and not much happens - people all over the world tell each other that disaster is imminent and the scientist argues with his wife about whether he should listen to anyone else's opinion. The exchanges at the lab never ring true - the scientist is not portrayed as a megalomaniac who would willingly risk the Earth for the glory of a great discovery, he just seems intent on throwing the switch (even though he recognises the existential risk in doing so) because he's tired of naysayers. The ending is somewhat unexpected and the episode is a historically interesting relic of the early cold-war era (the version I watched on-line opens with a plea from CARE for money to support people displaced by the War in Europe and later there is an advertisement for US Defense Bonds).
helpful•10
- jamesrupert2014
- Dec 12, 2021
Details
- Runtime27 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content