• Question: Does the fact the planets and stars you observe and analyse are inaccessible and largely irrelevant to everyday life discourage your research?

    Asked by Will to Hugh, Helen on 11 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Hugh Osborn

      Hugh Osborn answered on 11 Nov 2014:

      You’re right – what we do as astronomers has little effect on people’s day-to-day life. But I think it does add to society. We are trying to answer imortant questions about the universe and our place in it. Are we alone? Is the Earth special? How did everything begin? Answering those questions may not be important on the average school day, but for humanity as a whole and for our species to progress, they are very important.

      So no; it certainly doesn’t discourage me!

    • Photo: Helen Johnson

      Helen Johnson answered on 11 Nov 2014:

      Definitely not! 😀
      Hugh is right, as astronomers we ask lots of really important questions – Where did we come from, and what is our place in the Universe? What are the fundamental forces and how are they all connected? What is dark matter? I think it’s an incredibly important part of human nature to be curious about the world around us, and to be questioning things.
      Scientific research doesn’t always have to be focussed on something ‘everyday’ to make improvements to our lives, either. Do you think when Einstein was working on his theory of relativity he knew it would make satellite communications possible? We’ve gained so much from exploring space that you wouldn’t even think of – new materials, medical technology, cordless tools… (the list goes on: http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/spinoffs/en/).
      I think seeing our place in the Universe is important for us to realise how special our planet is, too. We need to look after it.

Comments