Join author and historian Matthew Shindell, Ph.D., curator of Earth and Planetary Science for the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, on Monday, June 3 at 2:00pm for a virtual discussion on his latest book, For the Love of Mars: A Human History of the Red Plant. 

In For the Love of Mars, Shindell surveys the red planet's place in the human imagination - from ancient astrologers and skywatchers through our present moment of exploration and virtual engagement. Through this program, Shindell will introduce viewers to historical figures across eras and the world who have made sense of this mysterious planet, including Mayan astrologer priests who incorporated Mars into seasonal calendars and religious ceremonies; Babylonian astrologers who discerned bad omens; figures of the Scientific Revolution who struggled to comprehend it as a world; Victorian astronomers who sought signs of intelligent life; and 20th- and 21st-century scientists who have established a technological presence on its surface.

 

By focusing on the diverse human stories behind the telescopes and robots we know and love, Shindell will show how Mars exploration has evolved in ways that have also expanded knowledge about other facets of the universe.

 

Register now for this captivating voyage through time!