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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.
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.
In this comprehensive and interdisciplinary volume, former NASA
Chief Historian Steven Dick reflects on the exploration of space,
astrobiology and its implications, cosmic evolution, astronomical
institutions, discovering and classifying the cosmos, and the
philosophy of astronomy. The unifying theme of the book is the
connection between cosmos and culture, or what Carl Sagan many
years ago called the "cosmic connection." As both an astronomer and
historian of science, Dr. Dick has been both a witness to and a
participant in many of the astronomical events of the last half
century. This collection of papers presents his reflections over
the last forty years in a way accessible to historians,
philosophers, and scientists alike. From the search for alien life
to ongoing space exploration efforts, readers will find this volume
full of engaging topics relevant to science, society, and our
collective future on planet Earth and beyond.
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.
In this comprehensive and interdisciplinary volume, former NASA
Chief Historian Steven Dick reflects on the exploration of space,
astrobiology and its implications, cosmic evolution, astronomical
institutions, discovering and classifying the cosmos, and the
philosophy of astronomy. The unifying theme of the book is the
connection between cosmos and culture, or what Carl Sagan many
years ago called the "cosmic connection." As both an astronomer and
historian of science, Dr. Dick has been both a witness to and a
participant in many of the astronomical events of the last half
century. This collection of papers presents his reflections over
the last forty years in a way accessible to historians,
philosophers, and scientists alike. From the search for alien life
to ongoing space exploration efforts, readers will find this volume
full of engaging topics relevant to science, society, and our
collective future on planet Earth and beyond.
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).
The search for life in the universe, once the stuff of science
fiction, is now a robust worldwide research program with a
well-defined roadmap probing both scientific and societal issues.
This volume examines the humanistic aspects of astrobiology,
systematically discussing the approaches, critical issues, and
implications of discovering life beyond Earth. What do the concepts
of life and intelligence, culture and civilization, technology and
communication mean in a cosmic context? What are the theological
and philosophical implications if we find life - and if we do not?
Steven J. Dick argues that given recent scientific findings, the
discovery of life in some form beyond Earth is likely and so we
need to study the possible impacts of such a discovery and
formulate policies to deal with them. The remarkable and often
surprising results are presented here in a form accessible to
disciplines across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
The search for life in the universe, once the stuff of science
fiction, is now a robust worldwide research program with a
well-defined roadmap probing both scientific and societal issues.
This volume examines the humanistic aspects of astrobiology,
systematically discussing the approaches, critical issues, and
implications of discovering life beyond Earth. What do the concepts
of life and intelligence, culture and civilization, technology and
communication mean in a cosmic context? What are the theological
and philosophical implications if we find life - and if we do not?
Steven J. Dick argues that given recent scientific findings, the
discovery of life in some form beyond Earth is likely and so we
need to study the possible impacts of such a discovery and
formulate policies to deal with them. The remarkable and often
surprising results are presented here in a form accessible to
disciplines across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
The 50th anniversary of NASA on 1 October 2008 found an agency in
the midst of deep transition. In the closing year of the presidency
of George W. Bush, only a month before the presidential election
and in the midst of a worldwide economic crisis, the Agency was
implementing a new Vision for Space Exploration intended to return
humans to the Moon, to proceed onward to Mars, and to study the
cosmos beyond. All of this was to be done not with new funding, but
by ramping down the Space Shuttle Program that had been the
centerpiece of human spaceflight for three decades and ramping up a
new program known collectively as Constellation. The immediate
elements of Constellation were a new launch vehicle, Ares I; an
"Apollo on steroids" human capsule dubbed Orion; and the lunar
lander Altair. Huge decisions were being made that would likely
affect the Agency for decades to come. In short, a new era of
spaceflight was dawning-or at least that was NASA's fondest hope.
It was in this milieu that the History Division at NASA
Headquarters commissioned oral history interviews to be undertaken
with NASA senior management. This volume is the result and provides
a snapshot of the thinking of NASA senior leadership on the
occasion of its 50th anniversary and in the midst of these sea
changes. It is all the more valuable from an historical point of
view because of the large changes that have again taken place since
the 50th anniversary. Since the interviews could not be done
instantaneously, this volume is the result of conversations
recorded during 2007 and 2008. The interviews were facilitated by
Rebecca Wright and Sandra Johnson of the Johnson Space Center (JSC)
in Houston, and the whole program was under my guidance as the NASA
Chief Historian at Headquarters in Washington, DC. Recordings and
transcripts are available at JSC and Headquarters and are now part
of the Agency's considerable oral history efforts of the past
several decades.
An engrossing read, Critical Issues in the History of Spaceflight
is a volume consisting of scholarship on the current state of the
discipline of space history presented in a joint NASA and NASM
conference in 2005. The essays presented in the book question such
issues as the motivations of spaceflight, and the necessity, if
any, of manned space exploration. Though a highly informative and
scholarly volume, Critical Issues in the History of Spaceflight is
thoroughly enjoyable for readers off all different backgrounds who
share an interest in human spaceflight. 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.
There is no doubt that the last 50 years have witnessed numerous
accomplishments in what has often been termed "the new ocean" of
space, harkening back to a long tradition of exploration. Earth is
now circled by thousands of satellites, looking both upward into
space at distant galaxies and downward toward Earth for
reconnaissance, weather, communications, navigation, and remote
sensing. Robotic space probes have explored most of the solar
system, returning astonishing images of alien worlds. Space
telescopes have probed the depths of the universe at many
wavelengths. In the dramatic arena of human spaceflight, 12 men
have walked on the surface of the Moon, the Space Shuttle has had
119 flights, and the International Space Station-a cooperative
effort of 16 nations-is almost "core complete." In addition to
Russia, which put the first human into space in April 1961, China
has now joined the human spaceflight club with two Shenzhou
flights, and Europe is readying for its entry into the field as
well. After 50 years of robotic and human spaceflight, and as
serious plans are being implemented to return humans to the Moon
and continue on to Mars, it is a good time to step back and ask
questions that those in the heat of battle have had but little time
to ask. What has the Space Age meant? What if the Space Age had
never occurred? Has it been, and is it still, important for a
creative society to explore space? How do we, and how should we,
remember the Space Age?
Cosmic evolution, the idea that the universe and its constituent
parts are constantly evolving, has become widely accepted only in
the last 50 years. It is no coincidence that this acceptance
parallels the span of the Space Age. Although cosmic evolution was
first recognized in the physical universe early in the 20th
century, with hints even earlier, the relationships among planets,
stars, and galaxies, and the evolution of the universe itself,
became much better known through the discoveries by planetary
probes and space telescopes in the latter half of the century. It
was also during the last 50 years-a century after Darwin proposed
that evolution by natural selection applies to life on our own
planet-that researchers from a variety of disciplines began to
seriously study the possibilities of extraterrestrial life and "the
biological universe." Considering biology from this broader
cosmological perspective has expanded biological thinking beyond
its sample-of-one straightjacket, incorporating biology into cosmic
evolution. Astrobiology is now a robust discipline even though it
has yet to find any life beyond Earth. But there is a third
component to cosmic evolution beyond the physical and the
biological. Even if we only know of culture on one planet so far,
cultural evolution has been an important part of cosmic evolution
on Earth, and perhaps on many other planets. Moreover, it also
dominates the other two forms of evolution in terms of its
rapidity. Humans were not much different biologically 10,000 years
ago, but one need only look around to see how much we have changed
culturally. Yet, unlike the study of biological evolution, which
has made great progress since Darwin's Origin of Species, the
scientific study of cultural evolution languished after Darwin's
death for the better part of a century. Only within the past few
decades has significant progress been made, and concerned with
advancing their fledging science, cultural evolutionists have yet
to expand their thinking beyond their current planetary
sample-of-one concerns. But if life and intelligence do exist
beyond Earth, it is likely that culture will arise and evolve. In
this volume authors with diverse backgrounds in science, history,
and anthropology consider culture in the context of the cosmos,
including the implications of the cosmos for our own culture.
This is a volume consisting of scholarship on the current state of
the discipline of space history presented in a joint NASA and NASM
conference in 2005. The essays presented in the book explore such
issues as the motivations for spaceflight, and relative merits of
human and robotic space exploration.
As the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008, historians as well as
scientists and engineers could look back on a record of
accomplishment. Much has been written about the evolution of NASA's
multifaceted programs and the people who carried them out. Yet much
remains to be done, and we hope this publication will facilitate
research in this important field. As an active internal function,
NASA history also marks its 50th year in 2009. Aware of the
historic mission on which it was embarking, NASA hired its first
Chief Historian, Eugene M. Emme, in 1959. Emme remained on the job
until 1978 and was the first of an unbroken line of NASA Chief
Historians that included Monte D. Wright (1978-82), Sylvia Fries
(1983-90), and Roger D. Launius (1990-2002). These individuals also
served as Directors of the History Office at NASA Headquarters. As
is evident from this publication, the various NASA Centers also
carry out historical and archival functions. Research in NASA
History describes the efforts of NASA to capture and record the
events of its past and to make that past accessible to NASA
personnel, the historical community, and researchers. It describes
the research opportunities and accomplishments of NASA's
Agency-wide history program. It also offers a concise guide to the
historical documentary resources available at NASA Headquarters in
Washington, DC; at NASA facilities located around the country; and
through the federal records systems.
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