Steven J. Dick
| Steven J. Dick | |
|---|---|
 NASA publications photo |
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| Nationality | American |
| Fields | Astrobiology History of Science |
| Institutions | U.S. Naval Observatory NASA |
| Alma mater | University of Indiana |
Steven J. Dick is an American astronomer, author and historian of science most noted for his work in the field of astrobiology. Dick served as the Chief Historian for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration from 2003 to 2009. He is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics and its SETI Permanent Study Group.[1]
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[edit] Career
Steven J. Dick received a Bachelor of Science in astrophysics from Indiana University in 1971. In 1977, he obtained a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in the history and philosophy of science. For 24 years, Dick worked as an astronomer and historian of science for United States Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., including three years at the Naval Observatory's Southern Hemisphere station in New Zealand. In 2003, he was named the Chief Historian for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).[2]
Dick received the NASA Group Achievement Award "for initiating the new NASA multidisciplinary program in astrobiology, including the definition of the field of astrobiology, the formulation and initial establishment of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, and the development of a Roadmap to guide future NASA investments in astrobiology."[3] Dick's published work in the field of astrobiology includes Plurality of Worlds: The Origins of the Extraterrestrial Life Debate from Democritus to Kant (Cambridge University Press, 1982); The Biological Universe: The Twentieth Century Extraterrestrial Life Debate and the Limits of Science (Cambridge University Press, 1996); Life on Other Worlds: The 20th Century Extraterrestrial Life Debate (1998), and, with James Strick, The Living Universe: NASA and the Development of Astrobiology (2005).
Dick served as Chairman of the Historical Astronomy Division of the American Astronomical Society (1993–1994), as President of the History of Astronomy Commission of the International Astronomical Union (1997-2000) and as President of the Philosophical Society of Washington.[4][5][6] He is on the editorial board for the Journal for the History of Astronomy, and is an associate editor of the International Journal of Astrobiology.
In 2006, Dick received the LeRoy E. Doggett Prize from the American Astronomical Society for a career that has significantly influenced the field of the history of astronomy.[7] Also in 2006, Dick was selected to deliver the first Billingham Cutting Edge Lecture,[8] at the International Astronautical Congress in Valencia, Spain. In 2009, minor planet 6544 Stevendick was named in his honor.[9]
[edit] Selected publications
- Plurality of Worlds: The Origins of the Extraterrestrial Life Debate from Democritus to Kant (Cambridge University Press, 1982) ISBN 0521319854
- The Biological Universe: The Twentieth Century Extraterrestrial Life Debate and the Limits of Science (Cambridge University Press, 1996) ASIN B000UUKKY6
- Life on Other Worlds: The 20th Century Extraterrestrial Life Debate (Cambridge University Press, 2001) ISBN 0521799120
- Many Worlds: The New Universe, Extraterrestrial Life and the Theological Implications (Templeton Foundation Press, 2000) ISBN 1890151424
- The Living Universe: NASA and the Development of Astrobiology (Rutgers University Press, 2005) (co-authored with James Strick) ISBN 0813537339
- Sky and Ocean Joined – The U.S. Naval Observatory 1830-2000 (Cambridge University Press, 2007) ISBN 0-521-81599-1
[edit] References
- ^ NASA, NASA Names Dr. Steven J. Dick to be New Historian NASA HQ press release, Oct. 10, 2003
- ^ (NASA 2003)
- ^ (NASA 2003)
- ^ Brashear, Ronald Steven J. Dick Awarded the 2006 LeRoy E. Doggett Prize, American Astronomical Society, 2006
- ^ "Presidents of the History of Astronomy Commission of the IAU and those of ICHA, a joint Commission of the IAU and the IUHPS/DHST founded in 2001". http://www.le.ac.uk/has/icha/history.shtml.
- ^ "PSW List of Presidents". http://philsoc.org/Presidents.html. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- ^ (Brashear 2006)
- ^ IAA SETI Permanent study Group "Billingham Cutting Edge Lecture"
- ^ Harvard University "Minor Planet Names"
