In Into the Unknown:The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos, author and astronomer Kelsey Johnson argues that humanity is becoming increasingly detached from the universe—a growing disconnection she believes is problematic. Johnson reminds us that we are all products of the cosmos, which she sees as imparting an ethical responsibility to seek a deeper understanding of it. As she puts it, "We are made from the universe, and to me, that gives us a responsibility to try to understand it."
Johnsons points out that being engaged in the larger questions of our existence is also healthy for us. “We need this exposure to the universe to invoke humility, to kindle our humanity, to really spark creativity and curiosity.”
Johnson also speculates on the existence of extraterrestrial life and unexplained sightings, suggesting that, given the vastness of the cosmos, it’s more likely than not that other forms of life exist. “I think it's probably more likely than not that they exist…If there is extraterrestrial life, chances are that they are probably millions or 10s of millions of years more technologically advanced than we are…If they don't want to be seen, we're not going to see them.”
One thing that Kelsey Johnson does want us to see more of is the night sky. Currently, there are only two spots in the eastern half of the country “that can still reach levels of darkness in the night sky that are considered pristine. And that is extreme northern Minnesota, right on the Boundary Waters, there's a little pocket. And in extreme northern Maine, right up, in the top near Canada.”
Losing access to the night skies results in a further disconnection from the universe. As Johnson points out, the only “accessible forms of awe to humanity over millennia has been the night sky, and now 80% of the global population doesn't have access to it.”
“If they don't have access to [a dark sky], they don't know what they're missing, and they don't know what is being lost.”
Johnson points out that light pollution has largely gone unnoticed, yet its impact on our ecosystem has been devastating. "It's affecting all the flora and fauna," she says. "It now has traceable impacts on a whole host of things related to human health. Everything from insomnia and depression to cancer."
Kelsey Johnson, pictured here, invites us to ponder profound existential questions: “I would argue you should think about where the universe came from, or if there are other dimensions, or what is the nature of time, or is there extraterrestrial life, or what happens in black holes? All of these big, beautiful existential questions are there for all of us to think about.” Photo courtesy of Dan Addison
Into the Unknown: The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos, by Kelsey Johnson.
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