SienaPopescu
Mrs.Lucarelli
ComparativeCivilizations
13January2016
SharkTankScript
AccepterOurnextguestclaimsthathecanchangethewaywecanwelookatthesky.Lets
bringhimout,AndrewHawkins.
InventorLetssaythatyou'reanastronomer.Youdontwanttoexploreoursolarsystem.You
wanttoexploreothersolarsystems.Otherstarsystems.Maybeevenothergalaxies.Keepin
mind,thisisyouronlysourceofrevenue.Then,onenight,anearbystargoessupernova.You,in
London,dontgettoseethesupernovabecauseitwasacloudyday.However,itwasaclearblue
skyforyourrivalsinToulouse,andtheyaretheoneswhoobservethesupernova,writeaboutit,
andpublishtheirworks.Theyendupbeingtheoneshaulinginloadsofmoney,andyourejust
beingabletomakeendsmeetbyalsoworkingthegraveyardshiftatthenearbymarket.Howcan
astronomersavoidthispotentialfateoftheircareer?Well,youneedatelescopethatyoucanrely
onanytimeoftheday,andwithwhateverweatherthatyoumayface.Thistelescopehasthe
solutiontoyourproblem.Itslensesarecoatedwithaonemillimeterthicklayerof
semipermeablesilicon.Thisallowscertainwavelengthsoflighttopassthroughthelenses,but
alsoblocksoutspecificwavelengthsoflight.Thewavelengthsthatarerejectedbythelensesare
thewavelengthsthatareemittedbyoursun.Sinceouratmosphereislitduringthedayfrom
refractedwavelengthsoflightemittedfromoursun,thistelescopecanbeusedduringtheday.
Popescu2
Also,allcelestialbodiesinoursolarsystemarelitbyoursun,sotheyessentiallyremain
invisibletothistelescope,perfectforlookingbeyondoursolarsystem.Sinceallstarsemit
differentwavelengthsoflight,wecanbesurethatbyblockingthewavelengthsreleasedbyour
sunwillstillallowustoseeeverythingelseinspace.Also,thetelescopeislightweightandmuch
moreversatilethantheothertelescopesonthemarket.Overall,itsagreattelescopethatcan
ensureanyastronomertoseethenextbigastronomicaleventwheneveritmayhappen.
RejecterAndhowmuchareyouplanningtoselleachonefor,Mr.Hawkins?
InventorUhhhhProbablyabout4,200bucksapiece.
RejectorYikes.Um,mosttelescopesonthemarketrightnowaregoingforonlyabout2grand.
Howdidyouevencomeupwiththatnumber?Doyou
really
thinkthistelescopeissomuch
betterthanthetraditionaltelescopeswehavetoday?
InventorCertainly.Theoneswhousethistelescopewillbeabletoresearchgalacticand
intergalacticbodiesinthenightaswellastheday.Thisextratimewillallowthemtopublish
moreworks,andwithinafewyearsorlesstheirfindingswillbeworththeextracostofthis
device.
AcceptorHowdoyouplanoneffectivelymarketingthisinvention?
Popescu3
InventorGreatquestion.Therichestastronomerswillbethefirstpeopletobuythisdevice.The
richestastronomersalsohappentobethesmartestandtheoneswiththebestconnections.After
justoneofthemmakesagreatdiscovery,theworkthattheypublishwillmentiontheuseoftheir
new,amazingtelescope.Illbesuretopaythemsomeextramoneytotalkabouthowwithout
thistelescope,theyneverwouldhavemadetheirdiscovery.Afterthis,upperandmiddleclass
astronomerswillbuyourproducttomakegreatdiscoveries.Eachtimetheydoso,Illgivethem
moneysointheirpublishedworkstheywillmentionhowimportantitwasforthemtohavemy
telescope.Inadecade,itwillbecomethetelescopeofchoiceforallastronomers,andanyone
whowantstosucceedinthefieldwouldneedtohaveoneoftheirown.
RejectorSoyouarepayingpeoplewhopaidforthetelescopetogetthewordoutthereforyou?
InventorWell,essentially,yes,buttheresultswillprovetobefantastic.
RejectorIgotanotherquestionforyou.Howwouldthistelescopeblockartificiallightinbig
citieslikeyourown,wherehundredsofastronomerslive?Theartificiallightscertainlyarent
rejectedfromthelenses.Andthiscouldaffecttheviewing,amIcorrect?
InventorYes,thatstrue.Artificiallightsdogetinthewayofthelenses.
RejectorIfIwasanastronomer,thatwouldbetoomuchofaproblemforme.Imean,thenight
iswhenastronomyisbestviewedinbutcitylightsgetinthewayandcanmakeaccurate
Popescu4
calculationsandobservationsalmostimpossibletodraw.Tome,itreallydoesntseemlikethis
telescopeissomuchbetterthanthetraditionalones.
InventorWell,itisntexactlypossibletoblockoutartificiallights.Theyallproducedifferent
wavelengthsoflight.However,letsremember:traditionaltelescopescantblockthemouteither
,anditreallyisntsuchaconcernforthem.Also,letsrememberthatyoucanusethistelescope
inthedaywheneveryouwantandnothingwillaffectyourviewingofthesky.Thatisplentyof
timetorecordalloftheobservationsthatyouneedtogetdone.Ifyouwanttouseitinthenight
however,youarejustasgoodoffastheothertelescopesobservingthesky.Infact,Iwouldsay
youwouldbebetteroffbecauseoftheversatilityofferedbythistelescope.Itweighsthree
pounds,andispracticallypocketportable.Icanassureyouthatyourenotgonnafindatelescope
asniftyasthisone.
Rejector(doubtfully)Right,okay.Howmuchareyouaskingfromus?
InventorImlookingfor450,000dollarsfora20%commisiononallpurchases.
Rejector*fakelaughinmockery*?(bigpause)Listen,itsagoodproductbutIdontthinkits
gonnabeverysuccessful.Whereisallthemoneybeingmadeinastronomyrightnow?In
discoveriesthatarebeingmadein
our
solarsystem.Bigmoneyisgonnabemadeinuncovering
tosecretsofSaturnandJupitersmoon.Orinuncoveringthesecretsofourownmoon.Maybe
thereareplanetsoutthereinoursolarsystemwehaventevenfound.Theresalsosomeserious
Popescu5
cashinthestudyofasteroidsandcometswhichalwaysgethugepresscoverage.Andthe
problemisthatyourtelescopecantevenobserveanyofthat.Dontgetmewrong,Icantellthat
thisinventionisquiteincredibleandspecialized.But,see,thatisitsproblem.Itseemsabittoo
specialized.Imean,whenwetalkaboutastronomywegenerallytalkaboutoursolarsystem.
Andthistelescopecantevenseeobjectsinoursolarsystem.Also,whatifadiscoveryisnever
madewiththistelescope?Evenifitis,whosaysitwillbesignificantenoughtobepublishedina
paper?Ifitsnot,theregoyourchancesofthisdeviceeverhittingbig.
InventorButsir,therearestillopportunities(cutoff)
Rejector(interrupting)Tome,itseemslikewaytoolargeofariskformetotake.Igottasay
no.
AcceptorBeforeIcangiveyouananswer,Imustask,haveyoumadeanydiscoverieswiththis
telescopesofar?
InventorWell,IwouldntreallysayImthebestastronomer.Iwouldconsidermyselfmoreof
aninventorthananastronomer,butIhaveseensomeprettyinterestingthings.OnethingthatI
havefoundwassmalldotspassingbysomestarsystems.Whoknowswhatthesethingscould
be.Theycouldbeplanets,otherdimmerstars,orsomethingthatmaychangethewaywethinkof
astronomyforever.
Popescu6
AcceptorOkay,interesting.Goon.
InventorAlso,IhavebeenobservingAlphaCentauri,whichisthecloseststartooursolar
system.Itis
very
easytoviewwiththetelescope.WhatIhavenoticedisthatthestarseemsto
moveinawaythatstarsdonottendtomoveinthatis,unlessanobjectwithalarge
gravitationalpullisnearit.Thismeansthereisaverylargeobjectthatisnotastarnearour
closestgalacticneighbor.Findingoutwhatitiswillbeahugedealandweneverknowwhatit
maybring.
AcceptorFascinating.Iactuallythinkthatbeingthefirsttolookoutsideoursolarsystemlike
thiswouldprovetobringinevenmoremoney.Justimaginespearheadingthewaytolookingat
anevenlargerpictureprovidingcompaniesandthepublicwithavisionofwhatisbeyond
limits!Ofcourse,exploringourownsolarsystemisgoingtoattractattention,Imean,welive
here,buthumannatureneverfailstointroducecuriosityintoeverything.Wemaythinkthatall
thegreatdiscoveriesthatwillbemadeareinoursolarsystem.Afterall,weknowwhatweare
lookingfor.However,wedontknowwhatwearegoingtofind
outside
oursolarsystem.Maybe
hugegalaxies,millionsofstars,orevenplanetssimilartotheoneweliveon!
Rejector(laughs)Yea,okay.
Acceptor(ignoresandcontinues)Ifthatsthecase,thenastronomyasweknowitwillshiftto
beingfocusedonoursolarsystem
and
totherestofourgalaxy
and
beyond.Atelescopethatis
Popescu7
mostusefulforobservingtheseplacescouldverywellturnintoafortune500corporation.
Givingpeopletheopportunitytoexpandtheirknowledgeandthereforeanswertheircuriositiesis
somethingthatcertainlyhastheabilitytorakeinquitealotofcash.Ithinkthatthisisabrilliant
inventionthathasalotofopportunity,whichIamwillingtoacceptyouroffer.Thiswill
certainlyrevolutionizeastronomyforever.
InventorThatsgreat.Thankyousomuchforyourtimeandforacceptingmyoffer.Iam
lookingforwardtoworkingwithyou!