Living only for the present, using up natural resources, polluting the environment without considering future generations — can humans ever change? Lawyer and popular-culture lecturer Abrams and her husband Primack, an astrophysicist noted for his work on dark matter, argue that people might, if only they learned a little cosmology.
Echoing the words of Joseph Campbell, who studied the myths of ancient and modern peoples, the authors argue that the world needs a modern understanding of human beginnings — a common story. The origin of the universe — with concepts such as the Big Bang, cosmic inflation, dark matter and dark energy — could become this overarching story for all humankind.
Abrams and Primack are careful to explain that they’re not discounting religion as a way for people to connect with each other and understand the meaning of the universe. But the authors believe that by understanding concepts of cosmology, a more global understanding of the human role in the cosmos will emerge.
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