[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-113971-en":3,"doc-seo-113971-105":29,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":91},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":20,"is_downloadable":20,"audit_status":20,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":13,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":27,"read_time":28},113971,1099513958607,"Jiven","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/100002390cf8733938c?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1778829742770036399",8,"Research & Report","Astronomy and philosophy - conceptual and methodological foundations and challenges - edited by Steven J. Dick","Astronomy and Philosophy examines the conceptual and methodological problems that arise when philosophical inquiry meets astronomical practice. Contributions from historians, philosophers, and pioneering scientists address metaphysical questions about reality, the limits of reasoning, and the challenges of observation and inference. The discussion spans space, time, life, intelligence, and the epistemology of key concepts, grounded in examples from Mars “canals” to exoplanets, black holes, dark matter, and the multiverse. Written for researchers while remaining accessible to curious readers, it also includes an editor profile and publication context.","ASTRONOMY AND PHILOSOPHY  \nPhilosophical problems fundamentally infuse the theory and practice of astronomy. Bringing together fifteen historians, ten philosophers, and five pioneering scientists, this volume provides a rigorous yet largely accessible examination of the conceptual and methodological challenges that lie at the intersection of philosophy and astronomy – broadly construed to include observational and theoretical astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, space science, and astrobiology. Drawing largely on interdisciplinary advances from the past two centuries, the book’s chapters tackle metaphysical inquiries into the fundamental nature of reality, the limits of reasoning, the problematic nature of observation and inference, the role of technology, and the epistemology of concepts such as space, time, life, and intelligence. Discussions are anchored to fascinating theories and examples from the “canals” of Mars to exoplanets, black holes, dark matter, and the multiverse. Written primarily for practicing scientists, this volume will also serve historians and philosophers of science, as well as the curious general reader.  \nsteven j. dick is an astronomer and historian of science. He was NASA’s Chief Historian and Director of the NASA History Office from 2003 until 2009 . He has also served as an astronomer and historian at the US Naval Observatory, and as the Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology. He is the author or editor of twenty-five books, including most recently Astrobiology, Discovery, and Societal Impact (Cambridge University Press, 2018), which won the 2019 PROSE award for Cosmology and Astronomy from the Association of American Publishers. He is the recipient of numerous awards and societal fellowships. Minor planet 6544 Steven Dick was named in his honor by the International Astronomical Union.  \nFrontispiece: “A Juggler of Worlds,” symbolizing the many issues that arise in the philosophy of astronomy, ranging from the epistemological and metaphysical to the societal and sociological. Illustration by J. J. Grandville from Un Autre Monde, Paris, 1844 .  \nASTRONOMY AND PHILOSOPHY Conceptual and Methodological Foundations and Challenges  \nEdited by  \nSTEVEN J . DICK  \nFormer NASA Chief Historian  \nShaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 8EA, United Kingdom  \nOne Liberty Plaza, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10006, USA  \n477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia  \n314–321, 3rd Floor, Plot 3, Splendor Forum, Jasola District Centre, New Delhi – 110025, India  \nCambridge University Press is part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a department of the University of Cambridge.  \nWe share the University’s mission to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence.  \n[www.cambridge.org](www.cambridge.org)  \nInformation on this [title: www.cambridge.org/9781009621137](title: www.cambridge.org/9781009621137)[ ](title: www.cambridge.org/9781009621137)DOI: 10. 1017/9781009621168  \n© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2026  \nThis publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press & Assessment.  \nWhen citing this work, please include a reference to the DOI 10.1017/9781009621168  \nFirst published 2026  \nA catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library  \nLibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data  \nNames: Dick, Steven J. editor  \nTitle: Astronomy and philosophy : conceptual and methodological foundations and challenges / edited by  \nSteven J. Dick.  \nDescription: Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY, USA : Cambridge University Press, 2026 . | Includes bibliographical references and index.  \nIdentifiers: LCCN 2026017337 (print) | LCCN 2026017338 (ebook) | ISBN 9781009621137 hardback |  \nISBN 978","cbCaiuYIhUow2og4","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiuYIhUow2og4","pdf",10562076,1,467,"English","en",105,"# Overview\n## Philosophy and the practice of astronomy\n## Themes and foundational challenges\n## Examples and case studies\n## Audience and interdisciplinary coverage\n# Publication information\n## Bibliographic and legal details\n## DOI and cataloging identifiers","[{\"question\":\"What intersection does the book focus on between astronomy and philosophy?\",\"answer\":\"The book explores how philosophical problems permeate both the theory and practice of astronomy, including observational and theoretical astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, space science, and astrobiology.\"},{\"question\":\"Which major issues are discussed 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