Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilisation

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Starry Messenger felt more like a summary of Neil's political worldview more than anything. Perhaps that's my fault for expecting a book on science/space etc. However, at one point, he tried to summarize the (very complicated) Israel & Palestine conflict in a few sentences. Much of what he said felt surface-level & unnecessary. By 1626 knowledge of the telescope had spread to China when German Jesuit and astronomer Johann Adam Schall von Bell published Yuan jing shuo, (Explanation of the Telescope) in Chinese and Latin. He included myriad thought experiments to show the absurdity in stereotyping people (according to skin color, sexuality, political leanings, etc), and how lazy it is to simply plop a label on someone we don't even know, and decide we know everything about them.

I enjoyed reading the candour that he used. This book might rub people the wrong way, but science often does. He also drew in a bit of Biblical perspective, which I thought was super cool.

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Really enjoyed this. I love the concept of looking at the world, and at things that we take for granted, as an outsider might, and re-examining our assumptions and thoughts about what is "normal" or "accepted".

The book is interesting, but I expected it to be more about science and less about random subjects. Still, Tyson is a smart, well-read, amusing guy and he provides tidbits you could use to sound smart at parties and gatherings. 🙂 Isabelle Pantin. Sidereus Nuncius: Le Messager Celeste. Paris: Belles Lettres, 1992. ASIN B0028S7JLK.a b c d Mendillo, M. "The Appearance of the Medicean Moons in 17th Century Charts and Books—How Long Did It Take?", 2010. Proceedings Of The International Astronomical Union, 6(S269), 33. Usually I reserve the whole month of October for horror/thrilller/crime books only, but I've been sitting on this one for a few weeks and I just couldn't wait any longer, I was too excited. Incluso en algunos temas sentí que me dio una mirada superficial o que lo desvió a una arista que no me parecía tan interesante. Por ejemplo, en el primero sobre la belleza me hubiera gustado más, pero la enfocó en "la verdad es la belleza" y solo habló sobre la verdad objetiva, verdad personal y todo eso. Por eso siento que fue algo muy personal para él, pero que para una persona externa se sintió como solo anecdótico y no un libro que aportara algo. This selection of engravings, charts, diagrams, and texts reveals the furred and cratered faces, the portents and instruments in European observations of the heavens from the sixteenth through the eighteenth century. Drawing in part on a recently acquired collection of early modern comet literature, these items explore the fascination and anxiety with the world, its state, and its possibilities of imperfection that infused the early modern European discussions of the stars. The Exhibition Nevertheless, I appreciate what the author is trying to do here. Because it is true that the farther you zoom out, the pettier most "problems" appear. It offers a different perspective. After all, we do get to smell flowers and watch sunsets that are nothing short of divine.