This week, Kelsey Johnson, astronomer and author of Into the Unknown:The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos talks about the Cosmos and the moral necessity of exploring existential questions about it’s and our existence. Johnson says nurturing our curiosity and cultivating a deeper connection with the stars in the night sky helps us gain a greater perspective of who we are and our place in the Cosmos.

This episode of Life Examined with Kelsey Johnson was broadcast January 5th 2025

Guest:

Kelsey Johnson

Professor of astronomy at the University of Virginia and author of “Into the Unknown:The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos.” Also former president of the American Astronomical Society and founder of the award-winning Dark Skies, Bright Kids program.

Writer and author Pico Iyer chronicles his over one hundred retreats to a small Benedictine hermitage high above the ocean in Big Sur, Northern California. Sharing personal experiences and stories, Iyer delves into the transformative nature of silence, contemplation and solitude.

This week, Alex Hutchison, writer and author of Endure and The Explorer’s Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map, talks about the Arrival Fallacy - that what we expect to feel after we accomplish a goal like getting a promotion or running a marathon sometimes doesn’t quite match up with our expectations. Rather than seeking a life changing transformation, Hutchinsons says to focus on the satisfaction and joy that’s gained from the process of achievement and not necessarily the outcome.

In the aftermath of the massive devastation, loss of life, homes and communities due to the recent fires in Los Angeles, George Bonanno, Margot Kushell and Carolyn Korsmeyer talk about trauma, resilience and why our homes and possessions are an integral part of who we are and the legacy we leave.

This week, Brad Stulberg writer and author of “Master Of Change: How To Excel When Everything Is Changing - Including You,” shares hopeful observations from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and reminds us that it takes time, sometimes months to recover from a large trauma but that given time despair will turn to resilience and people are able to move forward.

Author and palliative care doctor Sunita Puri reflects on the hope that drives people to hold on to life, and the uncertainties surrounding death. Endurance athlete and author Alex Hutchinson talks about the psychology and physiology behind human endurance.

This week MIT cognitive scientist and author Tali Sharot reflects on how variety and breaking up routines and habits can help foster a reset and restore joy in our lives. Traveling or learning a new skill can be stimulating, challenging and lead us to a greater sensitivity and appreciation of life.

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."

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