How Astronomy Has Opened the Gates to Humanity’s Greatest Inventions | Alex Filippenko

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Published on Feb 28, 2017

What’s so great about astronomy? Where does Professor Alex Filippenko begin. This branch of science is important for two salient reasons: it captures the attention of children who then grow up to become scientists across all disciplines, and even the most abstract, impractical research eventually leads to spinoff technology that radically changes our lives, as Filippenko explains.

Alex Filippenko is a Hertz Foundation fellow and recipient of the prestigious Hertz Foundation Grant for graduate study in the applications of the physical, biological and engineering sciences. With the support of the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, he pursued a PhD in astronomy at the California Institute of Technology. The Hertz Foundation mission is to provide unique financial and fellowship support to the nation’s most remarkable PhD students in the hard sciences.

Also see The New Cosmos: Answering Astronomy’s Big Questions

Over the past decade, astronomers, planetary scientists, and cosmologists have answered – or are closing in on the answers to – some of the biggest questions about the universe. David J. Eicher presents a spectacular exploration of the cosmos that provides a balanced and precise view of the latest discoveries. Detailed and entertaining narratives on compelling topics such as how the Sun will die, the end of life on Earth, why Venus turned itself inside-out, the Big Bang Theory, the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, and the meaning of life in the universe are supported by numerous color illustrations including photos, maps and explanatory diagrams. In each chapter the author sets out the scientific history of a specific question or problem, before tracing the modern observations and evidence in order to solve it. Join David J. Eicher on this fascinating journey through the cosmos!

The New Cosmos

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