Collected here are their most recent accounts of heavenly explorations. Like the geographic explorers of earlier centuries, astronomers and astronomical physicists venture into uncharted spaces, come upon new worlds, expand the knowable, and challenge thinking about the place of humans in all things. Cosmic Dispatches covers questions ranging from the beginning of the universe, its age, and its expansion, to the future of exploration on Mars, the search for extraterrestrial life, and the search for a unifying scientific theory. Recent leaps in technology have allowed scientists to peer deeply into the universe and to bring into focus fascinating and unsuspected phenomena. Cosmic Dispatches conveys the excitement and significance of what they are learning.
Cosmic explorations can be a humbling experience.
Time and distances expressed in light-years by the millions and billions are difficult to calibrate with our brief lifespans as individuals or a species. Other intelligent beings may share this universe. And perhaps ours is only one of many parallel universes. He began his career as a journalist for the Wall Street Journal and continued as a contributing editor for Time magazine. He has been writing for the New York Times since 1965, serving as a correspondent covering the Apollo Moon project and subsequently serving as director of science news.