The Dimming of Starlight The Philosophy of Space Exploration

Galileo and Kepler dreamed of the possibility of space exploration, although its reality was later underappreciated and even challenged by social, ideological, and scientific critics as a diversion from our problems on Earth.

The Dimming of Starlight tells the fascinating stories of how space exploration places us in unusual situations that force us to come up with new ideas about nature. This strong connection between scientific exploration and scientific change makes us aware of a new panorama of problems, dangers, and opportunities that leads to new solutions and technologies that would have been unimaginable under old perspectives. Thus, the exploration of Venus led to the discovery of the destruction of Earth's Ozone layer. This discovery will save hundreds of millions of lives in the coming centuries. As we explore space, we learn to protect our planet from catastrophe, and all the while we change drastically our ideas about the nature of the universe. With its account of serendipity and splendor, the book invites readers on an exciting journey in which, step by step, we are shown the crucial importance of space exploration for humanity.

Gonzalo Munévar, UC Berkeley Ph.D., is a Professor Emeritus at Lawrence Technological University. His main research interests are experimental neuroscience, space exploration, evolutionary biology, and philosophy of science. He continues to perform research on bipolar disorder and consciousness, think about space exploration, and write literature.

Foreword by Konrad Szocik
Preface
Acknowledgments

Chapter 1. Why Philosophy?
Chapter 2. The Standard Case For and Against Space Exploration
Chapter 3. The Philosophy of Exploration
Chapter 4. Comparative Planetology and Serendipity
Chapter 5. Cosmology and Fundamental Physics
Chapter 6. Space Biology
Chapter 7. Humankind in Outer Space
Chapter 8. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Chapter 9. Space Technology and War
Chapter 10. Survival and Wisdom

Index