In a debate hosted by the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, six scientists argued whether remote sensing will reveal evidence of extant life on an exoplanet—any planet outside of our solar system—by the end of 2042.(more…)
Q: What’s the concept behind this book? Why did you write it?
A: I kept seeing appeals to the American frontier spirit in the public arguments of scientists. That rhetoric was often inspiring, giving scientists an exciting image of their work across the metaphorical “boundaries” of knowledge. But it was also troubling in the expectations it set out about the manifest destiny of scientists to push forward at all costs, and in the way it reinforced their separation from a public that funds their endeavors. (more…)