Overview

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.

Full Product Details

Author:   Steven J. Dick
Publisher:   Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Imprint:   Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Edition:   1st ed. 2020
Weight:   1.240kg
ISBN:  

9783030416164

ISBN 10:   303041616
Pages:   799
Publication Date:   12 May 2021
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

Epigraph Dedication Preface: Cosmos and Culture Part I. The Biological Universe Introduction 1. Plurality of Worlds: A Persistent Theme in Western Civilization 2. The Twentieth Century History of the Extraterrestrial Life Debate:  Major Themes 3. From the Physical World to the Biological Universe: Historical Developments Underlying the Search for     Extraterrestrial  Intelligence (SETI) 4. The Biophysical Cosmology: The Place of Bioastronomy in the History of Science 5. The Biological Universe Revisited 6. Back to the Future: SETI Before the Space Age 7. The Drake Equation in Context Part II.  Cosmic Evolution and Implications of Alien Life Introduction 8. Cosmic Evolution: History, Culture, and Human Destiny 9. Consequences of Success in SETI: Lessons from the History of Science 10. Cultural Aspects of Astrobiology: A Preliminary Reconnaissance at the Turn of the Millennium 11. The Role of Anthropology in SETI:  An Historical View 12. Bringing Culture to Cosmos: Cultural Evolution, the Postbiological Universe, and SETI 13. Toward a Constructive Naturalistic Cosmotheology 14. Astroethics and Cosmocentrism 15. Should We Message ET and Is an Asilomar Consultation Process Possible 16. Astrobiology and Society: An Overview at the Beginning of the 21st Century Part III.  The Exploration of Space Introduction 17. Exploring the Unknown: 50 Years of NASA History 18. Exploration, Discovery and Culture: NASA’s Role in History 19. Space, Time and Aliens: The Role of Imagination in Outer Space 20. The Impact of the Hubble Space Telescope 21. The Decision to Cancel the Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission (SM4) and its Reversal 22. Reflections on French-American Relations in Space, 1957–1975 Part IV.  Measuring the Universe: Goals, Institutions, Techniques Introduction 23. Measuring the Universe: A Brief History of Astrometry 24. Pulkovo Observatory and the National Observatory Movement 25. John Quincy Adams, the Smithsonian Bequest, and the Origins of the U. S. Naval Observatory 26. The First Time Balls, the First North American Time Ball 27. The U. S. Naval Astronomical Expedition of James Melville Gilliss in the Southern Hemisphere, 1849-1852 28. Measuring the Astronomical Unit: The American Transit of Venus Expeditions of 1874 and 1882 29. Geodesy, Time, and the Markowitz Moon Camera: An Interwoven International Geophysical Year       Story Part V. Discovering, Classifying, and Understanding the Cosmos Introduction  30. Pluto, Discovery, and Classification in Astronomy 31. Astronomy’s Three Kingdoms: A Comprehensive Classification System for Astronomy 32. The Discovery of Polar Motion and its Importance  33. Observation and Interpretation of the Leonid Meteors over the Last Millennium  34. The Discovery and Exploration of the Moons of Mars  35. The Universe and Alfred Russel Wallace  36. Discovering a New Realm of the Universe: Hubble, Galaxies, and Classification  Part VI   The Philosophy of Astronomy, Cosmology, and Astrobiology  Introduction       37. The Philosophy of Astronomy, Cosmology, and Astrobiology: A Preliminary Reconnaissance  38. Critical Issues in the History, Philosophy, and Sociology of Astrobiology  39. Lessons Learned from the Twentieth-Century Extraterrestrial Life Debate  40. Cosmology and Biology, an Entangled Web?  Part VII  Envoi: Reflections on Humanity and the Cosmos  41. Interstellar Humanity  42. The Consolations of Astronomy and the Cosmic Perspective  Appendix 1 Testimony Before the United States Congress  Appendix 2  Sources and Permissions  

Reviews

Steven Dick's writing is always very interesting, thoughtful, and well-researched, and he is very good at covering broad themes. ... Much of this book is an interesting read, and it forms a very useful reference work ... . (Richard McKim, The Observatory, Vol. 141 (1282), June, 2021) Steve Dick not only makes accessible a significant portion of his oeuvre, but provides perceptive contemporary commentary on how the many questions and issues he has addressed over the years in the areas of the history of astronomy, the taxonomy of astronomical practice, the continuing search for life elsewhere in the Universe, and the question of the ubiquity of life itself, have fared, through his efforts and those of many others. (David H. DeVorkin, Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, Vol. 23 (3), 2020)

Steve Dick not only makes accessible a significant portion of his oeuvre, but provides perceptive contemporary commentary on how the many questions and issues he has addressed over the years in the areas of the history of astronomy, the taxonomy of astronomical practice, the continuing search for life elsewhere in the Universe, and the question of the ubiquity of life itself, have fared, through his efforts and those of many others. (David H. DeVorkin, Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, Vol. 23 (3), 2020)

Author Information

Steven J. Dick served as the NASA Chief Historian and Director of the NASA History Office from 2003 to 2009.  He was the 2014 Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology at the Library of Congress’s John W. Kluge Center. In 2013 he testified before the United States Congress on the subject of astrobiology.  From 2011 to 2012 he held the Charles A. Lindbergh Chair in Aerospace History at the National Air and Space Museum. For 25 years he worked as an astronomer and historian of science at the U. S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.  He is the author or editor of 23 books, including Discovery and Classification in Astronomy: Controversy and Consensus (Cambridge, 2013), The Impact of Discovering Life Beyond Earth (Cambridge, 2015), Astrobiology, Discovery, and Societal Impact (Cambridge, 2018, winner of the PROSE Award from the Association of American Publishers), and Classifying the Cosmos: How We Can Make Sense of the Celestial Landscape (Springer, 2019). In 2006, Dick received the LeRoy E. Doggett Prize from the American Astronomical Society for a career that has significantly influenced the field of the history of astronomy. In 2009, minor planet 6544 Stevendick was named in his honor.

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