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NASA SP-2009-1704. Steven J. Dick, Editor. Based on a symposium
held on October 28-29, 2008 at NASA. Scholars turn a critical eye
toward NASA's first 50 years.
Integrating concepts from philosophical, anthropological, and
astrobiological disciplines, Cosmos and Culture begins to explore
the interdisciplinary questions of cosmic evolution
Fifty years after the founding of NASA, from 28 to 29 October 2008,
the NASA History Division convened a conference whose purpose was a
scholarly analysis of NASA's first 50 years. Over two days at NASA
Headquarters, historians and policy analysts discussed NASA's role
in aeronautics, human spaceflight, exploration, space science, life
science, and Earth science, as well as crosscutting themes ranging
from space access to international relations in space and NASA's
interaction with the public. The speakers were asked to keep in
mind the following questions: What are the lessons learned from the
first 50 years? What is NASA's role in American culture and in the
history of exploration and discovery? What if there had never been
a NASA? Based on the past, does NASA have a future? The results of
those papers, elaborated and fully referenced, are found in this
50th anniversary volume. The reader will find here, instantiated in
the complex institution that is NASA, echoes of perennial themes
elaborated in an earlier volume, Critical Issues in the History of
Spaceflight. The conference culminated a year of celebrations,
beginning with an October 2007 conference celebrating the 50th
anniversary of the Space Age and including a lecture series, future
forums, publications, a large presence at the Smithsonian Folklife
Festival, and numerous activities at NASA's 10 Centers and venues
around the country. It took place as the Apollo 40th anniversaries
began, ironically still the most famous of NASA's achievements,
even in the era of the Space Shuttle, International Space Station
(ISS), and spacecraft like the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) and
the Hubble Space Telescope. And it took place as NASA found itself
at a major crossroads, for the first time in three decades
transitioning, under Administrator Michael Griffin, from the Space
Shuttle to a new Ares launch vehicle and Orion crew vehicle capable
of returning humans to the Moon and proceeding to Mars in a program
known as Constellation. The Space Shuttle, NASA's launch system
since 1981, was scheduled to wind down in 2010, freeing up funds
for the new Ares launch vehicle. But the latter, even if it moved
forward at all deliberate speed, would not be ready until 2015,
leaving the unsettling possibility that for at least five years the
United States would be forced to use the Russian Soyuz launch
vehicle and spacecraft as the sole access to the ISS in which the
United States was the major partner. The presidential elections a
week after the conference presaged an imminent presidential
transition, from the Republican administration of George W. Bush to
(as it turned out) the Democratic presidency of Barack Obama, with
all the uncertainties that such transitions imply for government
programs. The uncertainties for NASA were even greater, as Michael
Griffin departed with the outgoing administration and as the world
found itself in an unprecedented global economic downturn, with the
benefits of national space programs questioned more than ever
before. There was no doubt that 50 years of the Space Age had
altered humanity in numerous ways ranging from applications
satellites to philosophical world views. Throughout its 50 years,
NASA has been fortunate to have a strong sense of history and a
robust, independent, and objective history program to document its
achievements and analyze its activities. Among its flagship
publications are Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in the
History of the U.S. Civil Space Program, of which seven of eight
projected volumes were completed at the time of the 50th
anniversary. The reader can do no better than to turn to these
volumes for an introduction to NASA history as seen through its
primary documents. The list of NASA publications at the end of this
volume is also a testimony to the tremendous amount of historical
research that the NASA History Division has sponsored over the last
50 years, of which this is the latest volume.
NASA-SP-2009-4802. NASA History Series. Edited by Steven J. Dick
and Mark L. Lupisella. Authors with diverse backgrounds in science,
history, anthropology, and more, consider culture in the context of
the cosmos. How does our knowledge of cosmic evolution affect
terrestrial culture? Conversely, how does our knowledge of cultural
evolution affect our thinking about possible cultures in the
cosmos? Are life, mind, and culture of fundamental significance to
the grand story of the cosmos that has generated its own
self-understanding through science, rational reasoning, and
mathematics? Book includes bibliographical references and an index.
At a May 1981 "Proseminar in Space History'' held at the
Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in
Washington, DC, historians came together to consider the state of
the discipline of space history. It was an historic occasion. The
community of scholars interested in the history of spaceflight was
not large; previously, well-meaning but untrained aficionados
consumed with artifacts had dominated the field, to the exclusion
of the larger context. At a fundamental level, this proseminar
represented a "declaration of independence'' for what might be
called the "new aerospace history.'' In Retrospect, it may be
interpreted as marking the rise of space history as a recognizable
subdiscipline within the field of U.S. history. Bringing together a
diverse collection of scholars to review the state of the art in
space history, this proseminar helped in a fundamental manner to
define the field and to chart a course for future research. Its
participants set about the task of charting a course for
collecting, preserving, and disseminating the history of space
exploration within a larger context of space policy and technology.
In large measure, the course charted by the participants in this
1981 proseminar aided in advancing a very successful agenda of
historical research, writing, and understanding of space history.
Not every research project has yielded acceptable results, nor can
it be expected to do so, but the sum of the effort since 1981 has
been impressive. The opportunities for both the exploration of
space and for recording its history have been significant. Both
endeavors are noble and aimed at the enhancement of humanity.
Whither the history of spaceflight Only time will tell. But there
has been an emergent "new aerospace history'' of which space
history is a central part that moves beyond an overriding concern
for the details of the artifact to emphasize the broader role of
the spacecraft. More importantly, it emphasizes the whole
technological system, including not just the vehicle but also the
other components that make up the aerospace climate, as an integral
part of the human experience. It suggests that many unanswered
questions spur the development of flight and that inquisitive
individuals seek to know that which they do not understand.
The search for life in the Universe, once the domain of science
fiction, is now a robust research program with a well-defined
roadmap, from studying the extremes of life on Earth to exploring
the possible niches for life in the Solar System and discovering
thousands of planets far beyond it. In addition to constituting a
major scientific endeavor, astrobiology is one of the most popular
topics in astronomy, and is of growing interest to a broad
community of thinkers from across the academic spectrum. In this
volume, distinguished philosophers, theologians, anthropologists,
historians and scientists discuss the big questions about how the
discovery of extraterrestrial life, whether intelligent or
microbial, would impact society. Their remarkable and often
surprising findings challenge our foundational concepts of what the
discovery of alien life may hold for humankind. Written in easily
accessible language, this thought-provoking collection engages a
wide audience of readers from all backgrounds.
As one of the oldest scientific institutions in the United States,
the US Naval Observatory has a rich and colourful history. This
volume is, first and foremost, a story of the relations between
space, time and navigation, from the rise of the chronometer in the
United States to the Global Positioning System of satellites, for
which the Naval Observatory provides the time to a billionth of a
second per day. It is a story of the history of technology, in the
form of telescopes, lenses, detectors, calculators, clocks and
computers over 170 years. It describes how one scientific
institution under government and military patronage has
contributed, through all the vagaries of history, to almost two
centuries of unparalleled progress in astronomy. Sky and Ocean
Joined will appeal to historians of science, technology, scientific
institutions and American science, as well as astronomers,
meteorologists and physicists.
This volume is, first and foremost, a story of the relations between space, time and navigation, from the rise of the chronometer in the U.S. to the Global Positioning System of satellites, for which the Naval Observatory provides the time to a billionth of a second per day. It is a story of the history of technology, in the form of telescopes, lenses, detectors, calculators, clocks and computers over 170 years. It describes how one scientific institution under government and military patronage has contributed, through all the vagaries of history, to almost two centuries of unparalleled progress in astronomy.
Throughout the twentieth century, from the furor over Percival
Lowell's claim of canals on Mars to the sophisticated Search for
Extraterrestrial Intelligence, otherworldly life has often
intrigued and occasionally consumed science and the public. Does
'biological law' reign throughout the universe? Are there other
histories, religions, and philosophies outside of those on Earth?
Do extraterrestrial minds ponder the mysteries of the universe? The
attempts to answer these often asked questions form one of the most
interesting chapters in the history of science and culture, and The
Biological Universe is the first book to provide a rich and
colorful history of those attempts during the twentieth century.
Covering a broad range of topics, including the search for life in
the solar system, the origins of life, UFOs, and aliens in science
fiction, Steven J. Dick shows how the concept of extraterrestrial
intelligence is a world view of its own, a 'biophysical cosmology'
that seeks confirmation no less than physical views of the
universe.
Astronomical discovery involves more than detecting something
previously unseen. The reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet
in 2006, and the controversy it generated, shows that discovery is
a complex and ongoing process - one comprising various stages of
research, interpretation and understanding. Ranging from Galileo's
observation of Jupiter's satellites, Saturn's rings and star
clusters, to Herschel's nebulae and the modern discovery of quasars
and pulsars, Steven J. Dick's comprehensive history identifies the
concept of 'extended discovery' as the engine of progress in
astronomy. The text traces more than 400 years of telescopic
observation, exploring how the signal discoveries of new
astronomical objects relate to and inform one another, and why
controversies such as Pluto's reclassification are commonplace in
the field. The volume is complete with a detailed classification
system for known classes of astronomical objects, offering
students, researchers and amateur observers a valuable reference
and guide.
Are we alone in the Universe? From the furor over Percival Lowell's claim of canals on Mars at the beginning of the century to the more recent controversial rock from Mars and the sophisticated Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), the prospect of otherworldly life has often titillated and occasionally consumed science and the public. The search for planetary systems, the quest to explain UFOs, and inquiries into the origin of life have fueled an abundance of popular and scientific literature. They have also provided Hollywood with fodder for some of the most popular films of our time, including ET, Aliens, Independence Day, and Contact. Lucid and accessible, Life on Other Worlds chronicles the history of the twentieth-century extraterrestrial debate. Putting the latest findings and heated controversies into a broader historical context, Steven Dick documents how the concept of extraterrestrial intelligence is a world view of its own--a "biophysical cosmology" that seeks confirmation no less than physical views of the Universe. The debate rests at the very limits of science, and attempts at confirmation only illuminate the nature of science itself. Dick shows that appreciating the history of the debate enables a better understanding of the nature of science, and is central to any forward-looking view of religion and philosophy. For anyone interested in a look over the edge of scientific discovery, Life on Other Worlds provides the exciting tale behind the greatest debate in the twentieth century. Dr. Steven J. Dick is an astronomer and historian of science at the U.S. Naval Observatory. He is the author of Plurality of Worlds: The Origins of the Extraterrestrial Life Debate from Democritus to Kant (Cambridge, 1982) and Biological Universe (Cambridge, 1996).
Throughout the twentieth century, from the furor over Percival Lowell's claim of canals on Mars to the sophisticated Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, otherworldly life has often intrigued and occasionally consumed science and the public. The Biological Universe provides a rich and colorful history of the attempts during the twentieth century to answer questions such as whether "biological law" reigns throughout the universe and whether there are other histories, religions, and philosophies outside those on Earth. Covering a broad range of topics, including the search for life in the solar system, the origins of life, UFOs, and aliens in science fiction, Steven J. Dick shows how the concept of extraterrestrial intelligence is a world view of its own, a "biophysical cosmology" that seeks confirmation no less than physical views of the universe. This book will fascinate astronomers, historians of science, biochemists, and science fiction readers.
Are we alone in the Universe? From the furor over Percival Lowell's claim of canals on Mars at the beginning of the century to the more recent controversial rock from Mars and the sophisticated Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), the prospect of otherworldly life has often titillated and occasionally consumed science and the public. The search for planetary systems, the quest to explain UFOs, and inquiries into the origin of life have fueled an abundance of popular and scientific literature. They have also provided Hollywood with fodder for some of the most popular films of our time, including ET, Aliens, Independence Day, and Contact. Lucid and accessible, Life on Other Worlds chronicles the history of the twentieth-century extraterrestrial debate. Putting the latest findings and heated controversies into a broader historical context, Steven Dick documents how the concept of extraterrestrial intelligence is a world view of its own--a "biophysical cosmology" that seeks confirmation no less than physical views of the Universe. The debate rests at the very limits of science, and attempts at confirmation only illuminate the nature of science itself. Dick shows that appreciating the history of the debate enables a better understanding of the nature of science, and is central to any forward-looking view of religion and philosophy. For anyone interested in a look over the edge of scientific discovery, Life on Other Worlds provides the exciting tale behind the greatest debate in the twentieth century. Dr. Steven J. Dick is an astronomer and historian of science at the U.S. Naval Observatory. He is the author of Plurality of Worlds: The Origins of the Extraterrestrial Life Debate from Democritus to Kant (Cambridge, 1982) and Biological Universe (Cambridge, 1996).
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