AOW #4 Video

Summary: This video was about the threat that earth has of being hit by an asteroid from outer-space.  While the media makes it seem likely that apocalyptic asteroids, the chance that our earth will experience any severe asteroid hit is very small.  Scientists have studied the movement of many large and small asteroids and do not believe that any are on their way towards earth in the next century.  Even if their were, there are ways which its path towards our planet can be diverted.  However, there is a chance that some could be hiding behind the sun in which case we would have only about a month's notice and no defense plan.
Author: This video was based off of an article written by Tad Friend for The New Yorker magazine.  He has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1998. Before working for this magazine, Friend was a contributing editor at many other publications, including Esquire. He also wrote a memoir called  

Cheerful Money: Me, My Family, and the Last Days of Wasp Splendor.  The New Yorker is currently published 47 times a year, and has won many awards, including three 2010 National Magazine Awards for Public Interest, Reviews & Criticism, and Photo Portfolio.    

Context/Exigence: The context of this video is addressing the fear people have towards asteroids hitting our planet.  It has been popularized by movies such as Armageddon and Deep Impact. With events such as the apocalypse in 2012 coming up, it would help to ease people's thoughts of our world ending from an asteroid hit.

Purpose: The purpose of this video was to explain to people what asteroids are and how they move in space.  It was also to explain what we are doing on earth to help prevent these massive rocks from hitting us so that people do not have to worry about it ever happening.  I think that the author accomplished his purpose because I have much less of a fear that an asteroid will kill us all.

Audience: The audience is whoever has read The New Yorker or has an interest in asteroids and space.

Rhetorical Elements: Friend uses a large amount of logos in this video about asteroids.  He explains what scientists know about asteroids and factual reasons of why the chance earth will be hit by one is not likely.  He also shows the ways that humans can prevent them from hitting the planet in a few ways. 

http://www.newyorker.com/video