How the Stars Gave Birth to the Human Cosmos

Once upon a time, the sky was filled with stories that helped ancient peoples get a grip on the workings of the natural world. But ironically, those advances may be leading to the extinction of the stories.

“We understand so many wonders about the cosmos, but at the same time … we’ve never been so disconnected from the cosmos,” says Jo Marchant, the author of a new book titled “The Human Cosmos: Civilization and the Stars.”

“I’m interested in how we built the scientific view, but I’m also interested in what have we lost,” Marchant said. “Does it matter that we no longer see the stars? We know from light pollution that most people in Europe and the U.S. can no longer see the Milky Way, for example. With artificial lighting and heating, and air travel, and our computers and phones, we’re living in a way that’s more disconnected from the cycles of the sun and moon than ever before.”

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Once upon a time, the sky was filled with stories that helped ancient peoples get a grip on the workings of the natural world. But ironically, those advances may be leading to the extinction of the stories.