Category: Nonfiction (Page 3 of 3)

Why Bother With Space Exploration?

August 12, 2021 / Katie L. Carroll

This is the second installment of my posts about space exploration. You can check out the first one “Let’s Stop the Billionaires from Controlling Space Exploration” here.

A question that inevitably comes up when discussing space exploration is why bother at all? People will say that space exploration is expensive, that we should focus on fixing all the bad things here on Earth, and what do we humans really get out of it anyway?

Let’s start with that first one of how expensive it is. In my last post, I mentioned that NASA’s 2021 budget at $23.3 billion. To a single individual (unless you’re the likes of Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk), that kind of money is an obscene amount, but let’s put in perspective. NASA’s budget is a mere 0.5% of U.S. government spending. Contrast that with the 2021 defense budget of $703.7 billion or the 1964 NASA budget adjusted for inflation of $57.3 billion.

Next, let’s talk about how we should focus on our problems here on Earth rather than exploring space. This one almost doesn’t even require a response because it’s not a this-or-that kind of situation; sending humans to the moon doesn’t keep us from feeding hungry people. But I’ll humor the doubters and give an even more thorough response than that, which also addresses what we here on Earth get out of space exploration.

The work that NASA does can actually help solve our Earthly problems. NASA has a program dedicated to climate change with an entire fleet of instruments and spacecraft orbiting Earth to study climate science. Their scientific data is readily available to anyone on the globe, specifically those in charge of making and changing climate policies around the world.

The agency’s research encompasses solar activity, sea level rise, the temperature of the atmosphere and the oceans, the state of the ozone layer, air pollution, and changes in sea ice and land ice. NASA scientists regularly appear in the mainstream press as climate experts.
NASA’s “Taking a Global Perspective on Earth’s Climate”

Space exploration also pushes the development of cutting edge technology and innovation that leads to applications here on Earth. Ever taken a selfie (the rovers on Mars have…see “Watch (and Hear) How NASA’s Perseverance Rover Took Its First Selfie”)? You can thank space exploration for that. Here’s a video about some more of the technologies that have come out of it, including weather forecasting tools, fire resistant fabrics, and medical applications.

Beyond the tangible benefits of space exploration, allow me to wax poetic for a moment about the intangible. Recent studies have shown that experiencing a sense of awe reduces stress, loneliness, and depression and can even alleviate pain (see “Awe: The Instantaneous Way to Feel Good and Relieve Stress”).

What is more awe-inducing than looking up at the stars and imagining what is up there, thinking about the universe and our place in it? Well, actually knowing what is up there! Because as vast as our imaginations are, the more we explore space, the more we realize that some of it is stranger than we can imagine, like a space cloud that smells like rum or a planet composed of solid diamond.

Space exploration gives us mere mortals a chance to see how far we can go as a species, both in actually going into space and by pushing the boundaries of what our minds can understand. It also puts us in our place. One of my favorite ways to get a sense of awe is watch videos about the scope of the universe.

It reminds me that we are a tiny part of a vast world, barely even a blip in the 14-billion-year history of the universe. Yet (barring any secret alien files the government has) Earth is the only planet we know of that has life on it. And it has a vast array of life, an estimated 8.7 million species, all on this one speck of a planet.

We are insignificant in the scope of the universe, but we are also diverse and important in the complex web of it, probably in ways that we can’t imagine. Understanding our greater place is all part of exploring it. So, yeah, space exploration is important and worth doing.

I’ll leave you with one last quote from NASA before I circle back to those billionaires who want to take control of space exploration on my next post.

Human space exploration helps to address fundamental questions about our place in the Universe and the history of our solar system. Through addressing the challenges related to human space exploration we expand technology, create new industries, and help to foster a peaceful connection with other nations. Curiosity and exploration are vital to the human spirit and accepting the challenge of going deeper into space will invite the citizens of the world today and the generations of tomorrow to join NASA on this exciting journey.
NASA’s “Why we explore”

Let’s Stop the Billionaires from Controlling Space Exploration

July 20, 2021 / Katie L. Carroll

As yet another billionaire is set to head into “space” today (this time Jeff Bezos, founder and former CEO of Amazon…the first occurring earlier this month when Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, went 50 miles above sea level, technically falling short of the 62 miles that is the common scientific boundary of space), I want to say that it’s a bad idea to let these billionaires decide the future of space exploration.

Yes, it takes lots of money to explore space, and NASA has been doing it successfully on what is basically a shoe-string budget (the 2021 budget being $23.3 billion or 0.5% of the U.S. spending). And these billionaires (another one to be mentioned is Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX) certainly have the money to fund it.

SpaceX has already begun collaborating with NASA. Together they once again launched astronauts to space from U.S. soil in March 2020, breaking a dry spell of 9 years. SpaceX has also been contracted by NASA to bring astronauts to the moon as part of the Artemis program. These two events are noteworthy because the March 2020 launch was the first time NASA used a commercially built spacecraft and the Artemis program is a precursor to sending humans to Mars.

This is good financially because it means private companies are investing their own money in developing space technology and the financial burden isn’t solely on NASA (see “Why NASA pays SpaceX and Boeing to fly astronauts to the International Space Station”), which as I mentioned above is funded by the government.

So what’s so bad about that?

Well, the collaboration and the launching of billionaires to space can also be seen as the start of space exploration being turned into space tourism. And that’s where things get tricky.

Space tourism is basically when regular people go into space for recreation or business purposes rather than scientific ones (see “The Space Tourism Industry Is Stuck In Its Billionaire Phase”). So anyone with enough money, and right now we’re talking a lot of money (see “When Can I Buy a Ticket to Space? A Guide for Non-Billionaires”), would be able to take a trip to space.

Again, what’s so bad about that?

Well, while there are some international space laws and an Outer Space Treaty, space is still largely unchartered territory when it comes to governance. Largely, it’s been scientific missions to space that have been lead by organizations like NASA and the European Space Agency, which are meticulous and purposeful in their actions there, thinking deeply about how their missions impact Earth and whatever might be out there in space and on other planets.

I, for one, am very uncomfortable with guys like Bezos, Branson, and Musk being the ones to set space agendas, while I also recognize the contributions of a company like SpaceX as an important step in pushing the boundaries of space exploration.

I’ve read and listened to really smart people discuss the idea of billionaires making space their playground. There are a lot of reasons why it’s bad, including knowing why space exploration is important, the history of colonization, and what it actually means to terraform and colonize Mars. And all of that is far too much for one blog post.

So watch this space (see what I did there?) for more on this topic. In the meantime, you can check out “Could we really terraform Mars?” by Paul M. Sutter and “Mars Is a Hellhole: Colonizing the red planet is a ridiculous way to help humanity” by Shannon Stirone.

Highlights From the 2021 New England SCBWI Conference

June 21, 2021 / Katie L. Carroll

Long-time followers of the blog might remember how I like to do conference round-ups where I share bits of wisdom from writing conferences I’ve attended. You can check out past conference highlights here.

The 2021 New England SCBWI Conference was unlike any other NESCBWI one because it was fully digital this year. I was keeping my expectations low because I didn’t think it could possibly include the same sense of community as the in-person event. In addition to all the amazing workshops and keynote always offered, this particular conference was always about catching up with writing friends I’d usually only see once a year.

But conference co-directors Juliana Spink Mills and Casey W. Robinson and the entire committee managed to bring that NESCBWI vibe to the digital space. The conference included social hours where you could pick what “room” you wanted to be in (broken up into categories like what state your from, what kind of things you write, or just fun things like a witch’s tea room). In one chat, we ended up talking about pirates and I went and put on one of my pirate hats!

Friday night started off with a “Conversation With Two Legends: Nikki Grimes and Jane Yolen” hosted by Heidi E. Y. Stemple. It was packed full of great stories and advice, and these two truly are legends.

The friendship between them was very evident, even through a screen. When speaking about doing a writing retreat at Jane’s house, Nikki said, they were “two friends, two equals, doing the work.” Jane chimed in that when you’re with someone at the same stage as you, you don’t have to explain. Total author friendship goals there!

Jane intro’d herself by talking about “resolved combustion” and having “a place to cradle the nascent flame.” She told us, the fire is set, breathe deep, steady passionate…then blow yourself apart.

Nikki reminded us that “novel” means “new.” She realized she didn’t have to write the way everyone thought she should and that she had to do it the way that was right for her.

Saturday was packed full of workshops. We got to pick four to attend live and all the others were available to to view for a month afterwards. Being able to watch all the workshops offered is a big perk of the digital format.

In her workshop about picture book revision, Charlesbridge editor Julie Bliven said to come back to that spark of what is working and what you like about a manuscript to remind you of why it’s worth the revision.

Author Heidi E. Y. Stemple included a ton of amazing mentor texts when talking about non-fiction voice, resulting in me getting a little out of control with my holds list at the local library. She encouraged us to experiment with telling the story different ways and play with tone and language, and to not be afraid to try and fail when trying something different with a non-fiction manuscript.

Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, editor Kate Prosswimmer editor gave us a bunch of different guides to approach plot and character together. She said that the heart of a story is in the intersection of plot and character.

Saturday ended with a heart-tugging and joyful keynote from author/illustrator Mike Curato that tied so well into the conference’s theme of finding joy in the journey. His voice has such a soothing tone and I could have spent hours listening to him talk about his personal creative journey.

He talked about how his big break came when he realized he hadn’t made anything for himself in years and the joy was missing from his work. That’s when he created Little Elliot, who embodied so much of his childhood. Mike said that Elliot was his guide and would leave him through the darkness.

On Sunday, we got to pick two Ask-A-Mentor sessions to attend where faculty took questions directly from attendees. Then the conference ended with a keynote from Padma Venkatraman. If you ever get a chance to see Padma speak or teach a workshop, do it. She is so generous with her time and wisdom and is truly a gem to our New England SCBWI community.

Padma advised us to make a note of anytime someone says something kind or that they believe in you and to keep that in a book or somewhere to look at. In a sentiment that she constantly demonstrates, Padma said there is generosity in give away ideas and encouragement and that we should “lift other people.” I’m very much looking forward to her next book BORN BEHIND BARS, which is coming this fall.

And that was only some of the workshops and sessions I attended live. I spent the next month popping in to watch the recordings of the other sessions and filling up my notebook with inspiring advice and stories.

Interview With Meg Thacher Author of SKY GAZING

October 13, 2020 / Katie L. Carroll

I’m very excited to welcome fellow New England SCBWI member Meg Thacher to the blog to celebrate the release of her STEM non-fiction children’s book STAR GAZING: A GUIDE TO THE MOON, SUN, PLANETS, STARS, ECLIPSES, AND CONSTELLATIONS. I was very lucky to get an early copy (and the boys were super excited to check it out) and you can read my 5-star review on Goodreads.

Star Gazing: A Guide to the Moon, Sun, Planets, Stars, Eclipses, and Constellations had a bit of an unusual path to publication. What were the circumstances of how you came to write the book?

One day I got an email from Deb Burns, an acquiring editor at Storey Publishing, asking if I’d be interested in writing a book about astronomy for kids. It seemed completely out of the blue, but Storey’s model is to find experts to write books about what they’re experts in. I teach astronomy at Smith College, and by that time I’d written 19 articles for kids’ magazines. So I also had a track record of writing for kids, working to spec, and (mostly) meeting deadlines. Deb and I wrote the book proposal together, she pitched it to her editorial team, and we got the green light. So I highly recommend writing for magazines—it’s a great way to break into the business!

The design of the book is beautiful and it’s filled with so many fun little tidbits. How collaborative was the process of making the book?

Very collaborative. Along with my manuscript, I provided Storey with a list of suggested illustrations—photos, figures from the internet, and little sketches I’d made by hand or (I’m totally serious here) with Powerpoint. After Deb and a copy editor spiffed up my manuscript, my amazing book designer (Jessica Burns) took over. Storey hired an illustrator (Hannah Bailey) to do the diagrams, pictures, and amazing graphic novel sequences. It took three draft layouts and two in-person meetings to get to the final product (this was BC, before COVID). My main job during this process was making sure everything was scientifically accurate. Hannah’s illustrations look SO much better than my sketches, and Jess is just a wizard of putting text and illustrations on a page so that they make sense.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? What is your least favorite part?

I love everything about the writing process except actually writing! I’m a plotter, so I outline like crazy—the only way I can write nonfiction is to know where I’m going at all times. I am a research nerd, of course. And I really like to revise: it’s so satisfying when I find the perfect word or turn of phrase. But my first drafts? Blech.

What is next for you in your writing career? Do you have an upcoming releases or a favorite project you’re working on right now?

No upcoming releases yet. I’m working on a middle grade informational fiction book about a 5^th grade girl who loves astronomy. And like all children’s writers, I have a computer folder full of picture book manuscripts that are slowly making the rounds.

And finally, what is something funny/weird/exceptional about yourself that you don’t normally share with others in an interview?

I’m a really good swimmer. I was never on a swim team, but I lifeguarded and taught swimming from age 18 to 24. I can keep up with people who are in much better shape than I am because I have good form and an efficient stroke. (Just don’t ask me to do the butterfly!)

STAR GAZING blurb:

Sky Gazing is a guide to observing the sky from wherever you are, day or night—no telescope required. Kids aged 9–14 will learn how to find objects in the sky and delve into the science behind what they see, whether they live in a dark rural setting or under the bright lights of the city. Star charts will guide them in spotting constellations throughout the seasons and in both hemispheres while they learn about constellation myths from cultures around the world. Each chapter has guides to special events and binocular observing. Activities engage kids and their grown-ups in hands-on science.

Buy the book on Amazon, IndieBound, Better World Books, or Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:

Meg Thacher has been writing for children’s magazines since 2013, publishing thirty nonfiction features, infographics, scientist profiles, current events, DIY experiments, and a reader’s-theatre-style retelling of a Welsh folktale. Her debut book, Sky Gazing, comes out on October 13. She’s an active member of SCBWI (the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and two critique groups. She is now in her twenty-second year teaching astronomy at Smith College, where she has also taught writing. She enjoys singing, knitting, and swimming, and lives in a partially empty nest in western Massachusetts.

Website: megthacher.com

Twitter: @MegTWrites

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/MegTWrites