Please engage in the debate

The cosmos is being increasingly humanised: incorporated into society’s projects.   Entertainment and information are routinely provided by satellites circling the Earth, warfare and surveillance are increasingly conducted via outer space and nearby parts of the cosmos are being made into tourist-destinations.  The Moon, Mars and asteroids are increasingly seen as resources and sites of exploration. 
 
It is time to take stock of these developments.  Why are they happening?  Who is really benefitting from them?  Should humanising the cosmos be a priority when we have so many pressing social and environmental problems back here on Earth?  Are there better ways of appreciating and valuing outer space?  How does humanising outer space reflect and alter our understandings of the cosmos and our place within it?
 
This website,  based on our book Cosmic Society. Towards a Sociology of the Universe, is intended for information-sharing and discussion. 
 
You can comment on each web page or you can send us a general comment by clicking on the Contact us link. Please contribute your ideas and engage in the debate.
 
Go to the News and Comments page to see a summary of the latest developments.
 
Peter Dickens and James Ormrod