Donald Goldsmith
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Articles by Donald Goldsmith
Congratulations to the Artemis II crew – but the case for sending astronauts into space is rapidly shrinking
The Artemis II crew – from left, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman – inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home, 8 April 2026. Photograph: Nasa/UPI/Shutterstock The 2020s has seen a revival of the “Apollo spirit”. The US and China are seemingly in a race to send humans to the moon by the end of the decade – and thereafter, perhaps, even to Mars. Nasa astronauts have just returned from a 10-day journey looping around the moon.
Congratulations to the Artemis II crew – but the case for sending astronauts into space is rapidly shrinking
Martin Rees and Donald Goldsmith The 2020s has seen a revival of the “Apollo spirit”. The US and China are seeminglyin a raceto send humans to the moon by the end of the decade – and thereafter, perhaps, even to Mars. Nasa astronauts have just returned from a 10-day journey looping around the moon.
The illusion of vision
Human visual perception is inherently subjective, influenced by the brain's interpretation of retinal signals based on prior experience ("unconscious inference"), leading to illusions rather than a pure record of external reality. Common observational errors in astronomy include misjudging size and distance of celestial objects due to limitations in retinal image interpretation, and misinterpreting three-dimensional motion (e.g., perceiving a directly approaching aircraft as rising vertically).
Explore 30 years of exoplanet discoveries
In October 1995, after decades of serious effort, astronomers announced the first discovery of a planet orbiting a Sun-like star. Until then, the few planets known to exist beyond the solar system accompanied pulsars, the collapsed remnants of burnt-out stars, and had revealed themselves through glitches in the precise timing of the pulsars’ radio emission.
The Webb Telescope Shows We Don’t Need Astronauts to Explore the Cosmos
NASA’s release of the stunning images from the James Webb Space Telescope signals the start of a new era of space-borne astronomical observation. With seven times more light-gathering power than the Hubble telescope, its predecessor, the Webb is opening our eyes to the cosmos as never before possible and will give us new information about faraway worlds, the formation of galaxies and the furthest reaches of space.
Mars: do we still need astronauts?
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The End of Astronauts-and the Rise of Robots
How much do we need humans in space? How much do we want them there? Astronauts embody the triumph of human imagination and engineering. Their efforts shed light on the possibilities and problems posed by travel beyond our nurturing Earth. Their presence on the moon or on other solar-system objects can imply that the countries or entities that sent them there possess ownership rights. Astronauts promote an understanding of the cosmos, and inspire young people toward careers in science.
Why should we ever send humans to Mars?
By Donald Goldsmith and Martin Rees April 19, 20225:50 AM Slate has relationships with various online retailers. If you buy something through our links, Slate may earn an affiliate commission. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. All prices were up to date at the time of publication.
Avoiding Or Rolling Over Required Minimum Distributions Already Taken In 2020
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Do We Really Need to Send Humans into Space?
What future lies ahead for humans in space? Last year, the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing found a host of private and governmental projects that aim to send astronauts far beyond the near-Earth orbits that have limited human space exploration since 1972. China, which landed the first spacecraft on the lunar far side in 2019, has plans to place astronauts to the moon. India, which crashed a lander on the moon in 2019, dreams of doing likewise.
Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation
What made the experience of listening to Undeniable the most enjoyable? I've been a Bill Nye fan since childhood, though not as avid a follower had it not been for my religious upbringing. Since breaking away from that I have had my childhood enthusiasm and hunger for more science fully restored. I found this book compelling and very exciting. What did you like best about this story? It's easy to follow, friendly, funny and is less critical of religion than it deserves.
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