Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T04:41:15.118Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The role of astronomy in society and culture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2011

David Valls-Gabaud  and
Alexander Boksenberg
David Valls-Gabaud
Affiliation:
CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, 61 Avenue de l'Observatoire, 75014 Paris, France email: david.valls-gabaud@obspm.fr
Alexander Boksenberg
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, United Kingdom email: boksy@ast.cam.ac.uk
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

As an ancient and multidisciplinary field, astronomy is an ambassador for all sciences. Astronomy's broad appeal, whether from its cultural interest of our place in the universe, or its practical aims such as sea- or space navigation, is well recorded in history from ancient to modern times, and sky-awareness, more generally, began prehistorically. Astronomy's perceived role and purpose has continually developed over the ages. In all, astronomy is not to be viewed as a narrow subject operating in isolation but one that has contributed comprehensively to the advancement of society.

Keywords

Artsocietysociologyculture
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 5 , Symposium S260: The Role of Astronomy in Society and Culture , January 2009 , pp. 4 - 8
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2011

References

Barrosa, M. and Pullen, L. 2008, CAP Journal, 4, 18Google Scholar
Bensaude-Vincent, B. 2003, La science contre l'opinion. Histoire d'un divorce (Paris: Les empêcheurs de penser en rond)Google Scholar
Bertola, F. 1995, Imago Mundi. La rappresentazione del cosmo attraverso i secoli (Cittadella: Biblos)Google Scholar
Bertola, F. 2003, Via lactea. Un percorso nel cielo e nella storia dell'uomo (Cittadella: Biblos)Google Scholar
Boghossian, P. 2006, The fear of knowledge: against relativism and constructivism (Oxford: Oxford University Press)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bouveresse, J. 1999, Prodiges et vertiges de l'analogie (Paris: Raisons d'agir)Google Scholar
Conner, C. D. 2005, A people's history of science. Miners, midwives and “low mechanicks” (New York: Nation Books)Google Scholar
Cropsey, J. 1995, Plato's world. Man's place in the cosmos (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press)Google Scholar
Gross, P. R., Levitt, N., & Lewis, M.W. (eds) 1996, The flight from science and reason (New York: The New York Academy of Sciences)Google Scholar
Haldane, J. B. S. 1927, Possible Worlds and Other Papers (London: Chatto & Windus), p. 286Google Scholar
Harwit, M. 1996, An exhibition denied. Lobbying the history of Enola Gay (New York: Springer Verlag)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hockney, D. 2001, Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters (London: Thames and Hudson)Google Scholar
Kemp, M. 2006, Seen | Unseen: Art, Science, and Intuition from Leonardo to the Hubble Space Telescope (Oxford: Oxford University Press)Google Scholar
Lévy-Leblond, J. M. 2010, La science n'est pas l'art (Paris: Hermann)Google Scholar
Plait, P. C. 2002, Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing “Hoax” (New York: Wiley)Google Scholar
Rousseau, J. J. 1751, Discours sur les sciences et les arts (Genève, Barillot & fils; in fact Paris: Noël-Jacques Pissot)Google Scholar
Schatzman, E. 1989, La Science menacée (Paris: Odile Jacob)Google Scholar
Shlain, L. 1991, Art and physics. Parallel visions in space, time and light (New York: Harper and Collins)Google Scholar
Singer, S. J. 2001, The splendid feast of reason (Berkeley: University of California Press)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sokal, A. D. 2008, Beyond the hoax: science, philosophy and culture (Oxford: Oxford University Press)Google Scholar
Sterhell, Z. 2006, Les anti-Lumières: Du XVIIIe siècle à la guerre froide (Paris: Fayard)Google Scholar
Van Helden, A. 2009, Experimental Astronomy, 25, 3CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weinberg, D. H. 2010, in Josiah McElheny: A Prism, Neri, L. and McElheny, J. (eds) (New York: Skira/Rizzoli Books)Google Scholar
Weinberg, S. 2001, Facing Up: Science and its Cultural Adversaries (Cambridge: Harvard University Press)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weinberg, S. 2009, Lake views. This world and the universe (Cambridge: Harvard University Press)Google Scholar