In this essay, Omar Mouallem suggests that we're more likely to stare at the light in our hands than the light above. He says "It's easy to want to call the anti-light pollution activists Luddites and remind them of the incredible access we now have to outer space via our digital one."Is technology merely a supplement, not a substitute, for the real thing? What do we lose when we lose the sky?
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Isabella Darrah
One of my fondest recurring memories is going down to the lake at my family’s summer home well past sunset and laying on my back on the dock, shoulder to shoulder with my cousins and siblings. I often feel connected with nature when I am out alone. Yet staring out into the endlessness of the universe is so mesmerizing. When we “lose the sky” we lose our sense of how tiny we are. We lose any thought and future discoveries that may occur outside Earth’s limits.
Technology is by no means a substitute for outer space. When I am enjoying nature, on ground or far, far above it, the last thing I want to do is access my phone. Even if I’m looking up something relevant, it can wait.
Mouallem describes the hour long lineup to the Jasper Dark Skies Festival and then wonders if we really need one certain gathering spot to just look up. This hit me weird. Surely the festival will have many activities and resources, but I could never wait in line to stargaze. And of course we don’t need a specific spot to gather in to stargaze, but again this made me uneasy. I think maybe, as Mouallem said, we are so engrossed and addicted to our phones that we may forget that a sparkling show in the sky may be available and eager to please every night while we’re scrolling through our news feeds in bed.
Manny C
Totally guilty of the night-time newsfeed scrolling routine. In an attempt to break those routines I have tried to take normally indoor tasks, outside, just to enjoy the weather. We are definitely guilty of using technology as a substitute, but I can’t remember a time where my phone made me feel small. I agree that there is so much to be taken in, that technology can quickly lose it’s importance when we are in the right place both physically and in our state of mind. I never want to live in a place where I have to wait in line to star-gaze, recognizing that is some people’s reality makes me all the more grateful to live where I do and take advantage of the beauty at hand.
Manny C
It’s 2 A.M. The sun is shining over the Cook Inlet. Volcanoes can be seen springing from the horizon across the inviting, and yet, frigid ocean. I’m standing on a bluff overlooking this sheer beauty. I’m taking in every sight, smell, and sound. I only wish my wife were here to share in this gloriously stereotypical Alaskan summer scene. I take out my phone and snap a series of pictures to share with her when I get home. She is going to love it.
We have all been here before. Trying to capture beauty or an experience on film. While my wife did love the pictures, I knew they didn’t come close to expressing the full wonder of what I saw early that morning. One could argue it was the type of phone, but even with the most high quality camera, what can truly replace experience?
Technology is a supplement for reality, and while not a replacement, it greatly improves our understanding. From the beginning of time humans have witnessed the splendor of the Earth, Moon, and stars and have sought to understand it. Our ingenuity has propelled us to further understanding, and the acquisition of better and faster means, technology now being at the forefront of discovery.
What do we lose when we lose the sky? We lose the desire and curiosity deep inside that first spurred us to look up to begin with. When the first-hand experience is removed, so is the opportunity to respond based on what we may see, hear, and feel. It is no wonder Mouallem remarks on the low number of young star-gazers. If fewer young people are experiencing the stars in person, fewer would be inclined to pursue astronomy as a career field or as a hobby. When their understanding is primarily from a screen, their experience is already secondhand.
James W.
Technology is without a doubt at the forefront of discovery. In an age where so much has been discovered for so long, there is precious little to be learned without new technology. However, I do think that without real experience, and human imput even the most advanced technology is useless. Nothing new can be discovered if you only search the internet. Without mankind asking questions, the technology we use is useless.
I absolutely agree that information gained from a screen pales in comparison from information gained through experience. Reading an article, or watching a video cannot provide you all the sensory experience that actually being there can. Feeling the breeze on your face, or the smell of fresh cut grass, only deepen the connection and importance of an event for us. Recording an event only acts to draw you away from the experience. As nice as it is to record a concert with your phone, while doing so you are focused on the screen, not experiencing the things around you. Lets be honest, you never go back and watch those videos anyway.
Justin Baugh
One could argue that with advancement in technology the technology could discover things for us and then we could experience them without having to leave the safety of our house.
James W.
Dense city centers have taken the night sky away from its populace, the night sky becomes a mystery to us, because it is hidden from us. The longer that things are hidden from us, the more we forget about it. It was surprising, as someone who grew up in smaller towns, when Mouallem talks about the 1994 Los Angeles earthquakes, where people had completely forgotten about the Milky Way. For most of us, when something isn’t there to see, we don’t go looking for it. As the stars become hidden from light pollution, we stop looking up to see them, instead we look down at the phones that demand our attention.
Some argue that all the information lost from looking up at the stars can be regained in technology, and information that we can access at the touch of a button through a computer or our phones. No other time in history has information been so easily accessible to so many people. But in that sea of knowledge, how often do we actually spend the time to learn something. Instead we our time online looking at Facebook, mindlessly scrolling through advertisements and 30 second viral videos. We tell ourselves that we could go out and learn anything we want, about anything that interests us. But spoiled for choice, we never do. I am as guilty of this as anyone. In a sea of information, everything becomes bland, and nothing sticks out to capture our attention and interest the same way as looking up at the clear dark sky to see those stars sparkling at us. Technology and digital information will never be a replacement for material things and real experiences.
Scott Chaddon Jr
I have to agree with you about our overabundance of information and lack of drive. I know so many people that ask questions but never look to answer them, and only a small handful that actually go online to study their curiosities. This is certainly true of the stars as well. People who don’t see them ever think of them, even when we are introduced to the ideas of the night sky (and what it holds) fairly early on in our education. Out of sight, out of mind.
I can honestly say that a complete lacking of the night sky is a foreign concept to me. I hear about light pollution and the lack of stars in the city, but I have never experienced it myself.
Scott Chaddon Jr
“During the 1994 Los Angeles earthquakes and subsequent blackouts, a nearby observatory was flooded with calls from Angelenos reporting an ominous bright streak looming above… It was the Milky Way…†(P. 125)
I have lived in Fairbanks, Alaska all of my life. Because of this, I have gone without seeing the night sky for about one-fourth of my life, and I cannot ever recall seeing the Milky Way before. When I was a teenager I went to the continental United States for a summer camp. I had always known that in lower latitudes that summer nights were dark, but seeing it for the first time was amazing to me. Even as I look out of the window right now, I know that I won’t see a single star even if I stayed up all night. This is the norm for me.
On the other hand, lack of a night sky in the warmer parts of the year drew my eyes up every night when the sky actually did darken. I could point to exactly where the big dipper from my driveway every night and every morning during the winter months. Something else I’ve found is that Alaskans always have one eye on the night sky, hoping to see an aurora.
With all this in mind, I can say that technology is definitely a supplement for the night sky. While I am happy that I can look at the stars during the bright summers, and even around the summer solstice, I’m glad that during spring and autumn that I can stand outside and enjoy the stars and the moon. There’s something serene about it. It’s something rare and beautiful for me.
Even during the winters, one does not want to be outside on a clear night (clear nights mean cold nights). This is another reason why having technologies is a benefit. We need light to see in the dark of winter, and our devices are a valuable resource to study the stars from a warm environment through a “window†that isn’t frosted over.
Overall, I’d have to say that, at least in Alaska, our technology doesn’t seem to effect our views of the night sky as much as in other places. Our lack of comfortably viewable night skies, and seasonal lack and over abundances of natural light, make the current levels of technology and levels of light pollution ideal. Our wildlife isn’t even effected as much, due to the odd light levels being the natural norm. We don’t lose the skies any more or less than is normal. Our technology actually helps open up the skies to us even more.
Ryan Hoskins-Chaddon
There is no substitute for looking up at the sky at any time of the day, especially during those times when legions of stars come out of hiding and throw down their spears of light. I don’t know how many people get to experience a sky flooded with stars or who get to see the streams of the Milky Way, but I have seen times, in the winter, when my entire field of vision was filled with stars. Luckily I live in a place that allows this, but when I look in town I can see the street lights drowning the the sky and preventing the night sky view.
Technology is great and for those who can’t easily see the night sky it is the only way to view it. Unfortunately, as Omar Mouallem said, viewing the sky in this way is “very unimpressive.†(pg 125). It would be like the difference of seeing a picture of a volcano erupting and actually viewing it as it happened. You lose so much when you rely on technology to see something as powerful and imposing like a volcanic eruption and the vastness of the galaxy. Adding to the feeling of awe when we actually take the time to see the stars is the knowledge that we are only looking at a small portion of our galaxy when we know that there is a much larger universe behind it. It makes you feel small and technology cannot replace that kind of experience.
We lose our inheritance, Mouallem confers from Ling, when the night sky is taken from us (pg 128). In that inky blackness there is more than just pretty lights. There are stories and histories, passions and heartbreaks, and I say the very thing that makes us human. From those stars humans have created gods, poetry, and scientific innovations. This all stems from the wonder that we seek from the night sky. We all are born with a significant amount of wanderlust that keeps us moving from one place to the next and space has motivated much of that. From the invention of flight, to taking pictures of Pluto, to looking at what makes up the atmosphere of distant planets surrounding the stars that we can see from earth, we rely on the darkness to bring us the light of joy, satisfaction, and ambition.
Have you ever watched Star Trek or some other science fiction show? Or have you ever read one of Isaac Asimov’s books or any of the millions of sci-fi novels on the shelves right now? If you have, why did you start reading or watching it? I propose that imposing ourselves as a character in these mediums gets us closer to what is being ever more scarce, being close with the vast emptiness that is slowly, but surely, being taken from us and no amount of technology can replace it.
Chelsea Barnett
I agree with you that technology cannot be a substitute for the real thing. I saw many pictures of the Northern Lights, but it wasn’t until I saw them in person that it really hit me that “Wow! This really exists in a way that I could have never imagined it would look in real life.” I also agree with you that technology cannot replace the religious, spiritual, and cultural connections people have with seeing the night sky with their own eyes.
Chelsea Barnett
“Its absurd to think humans should need a protected area or festival to remind them to gaze upward, something that once came to us as naturally as breathing.†(pg. 125)
I thought that this quote of the essay really stood out to me because it calls for us to think about the way we view star-gazing and how unnatural our view of it is. This quote points out to us how disconnected we have become from doing something as natural as looking up at the stars.
I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and have never seen the Milky Way in real life. When I see pictures of it I am in awe that the sky could ever really look like that and I hope to one day be able to see the sky in its natural beauty with no light pollution. I think that it is extremely important for us to look at the sky and observe the lights of what is really out there. Looking at the night sky and being able to observe stars and planets gives people a sense of wonder and amazement of our universe as well as curiosity of our galaxy and the unknown in space. Being able to see other things from outside Earth can remind people of what else is out there and spark curiosity in making scientific study.
It is also very important to be able to see the night sky unobstructed for personal and spiritual reasons. As it is mentioned in the essay, Plains Cree people’s beliefs of creation are associated with the Milky Way. Being able to see the sky without light pollution is important to be able to preserve these spiritual beliefs and culture. Being able to see the sky also can give people a sense of self and where they are in the universe which can aid in personal development and spiritual or religious beliefs.
There is no substitute for the natural world. Technology helps people understand our world better but there is nothing that can be a substitute for the natural world which is why it is so important to preserve and return things to nature. As technology expands and improves, we will be able to understand more about space and the universe but technology will never be able to replace what seeing the night sky unobstructed with our natural eyes shows us.
Ryan Hoskins-Chaddon
It’s true that technology isn’t any substitute for natural stargazing. I would, however, say that technology allows us to understand the night sky, and ourselves, in new ways every day. The LIGO telescope, for instance, that we read about earlier. How fantastic is it that we are closer to understand unapproachable objects light years away? What will we take away from it and how will it help us to develop in the decades to come? The two worlds, the natural and technological, are separate but equally fascinating. Do you think that one day we may be able to find a combined reverence of the two or do you think that we will, or should, keep them separate?
Kimberly Ulery
I found that very interesting- I used the exact same quote because it stood out the most to me, as well! I agree- there is no substitute for the natural world. Technology enables us to feel tidbits of what it may feel like to be out in nature, but will never compare to the actuality of being out in nature.
Justin Baugh
As time passes, technology is ever growing and the advances that come from it are in our hands. We lose our connection to the natural part of our life. Technology is a substitute for the natural life and it is becoming harder to turn off the technology and take a break in nature. Modern day people and people of the future have to find a balance between the two otherwise the average person is going to have a deprivation of one or the other which may cause some serious health issues.
Christian Williams
I definitely agree that it’s getting harder to turn off the technology. Even now, we’re all taking this class from our computers or phones. I think it’s just really important to grow with our technology. Grow as people and stay connected with where we came from. That way we can have that balance.
Christian Williams
“After a few years of study, I realized darkness had nothing to do with astronomy and everything to do with biology.†This quote from Robert Dick at the University of Ottawa, really got me thinking. I’ve lived the past 16 years in a place (Alaska) that has really weird daylight times. People that live here, know what effect too much darkness and too much daylight can have since every year we get too much of both. It would be very interesting also to look at the animals and plants that live here and how they evolved to live their lives with such contrasting amounts of lights depending on the time of year. Then, of course, we have the northern lights here too that are something crazy when you really think about it. Once you have experienced them in person, nothing is the same. I would as far as to say that seeing them in person for the first time when they are really good changes how you look at the sky. To me, the technology we have access to today could never substitute that. Pictures and videos in our phones are cool, but real life is game-changing. If we were to lose that, lose the sky, nothing would be the same. People look to the sky for hope, inspiration, etc… and in the process of looking up, you have to see what is in front of you. If we solely begin to look at what we already have in our hands, we’ll never look up and out, just inside and no one person has all the answer inside.
Kimberly Ulery
In this day and age, being outside and getting the natural lights is something that we now have to be encouraged and reminded to do. We have lost our natural way, and now rely on the light in our hands as the vast majority of entertainment. Even when we do go outside, we bring the light in our hands, to do photographing, or to still continuously be on it. “It’s absurd to think humans should need a protected area or festival to remind them to gaze upward, something that once came to us as naturally as breathing.” (Mouallem 125) Yes, it really is absurd to think we need a festival to remind us to look at the stars, or the sky. Back in the day, a big date night involved going and lying on the ground in front of the stars, and that was a quality, romantic date. Nowadays, dinner and a movie is commonplace, and we’re lucky if we even go out to do that! I for one love the northern lights here in Alaska, but I am guilty when it comes to even looking out the window every other night to see if they’re there. I do not believe technology assists in our mental and physical needs to enjoy the great outdoors and natural lights. In fact, I believe it’s more harmful than anything, to rely on technology to entertain us and fulfill our needs. However, even though I do believe it’s more harmful, I still fall to it and rely on it primarily as my sole source of entertainment, which I wish that I would not; but unfortunately succumb to it nearly every time. I’m hoping to veer away from this, but many times it’s easier said than done.