New research connects visibility of night sky and interest in science.
For millennia,humans’ observation of the stars has shaped agricultural, navigational, and cultural practices. But, because of modern light pollution the stars are fading from the perceptual field of many populations—and interest in astronomy, humanity’s “oldest science,” may be affected.
A new study by I-LABS scientists Rodolfo Cortes Barragan and Andrew Meltzoff is the first to suggest that light pollution–excessive artificial lighting from urban areas–may also affect human psychology and scientific behavior. Researchers examined light pollution data collected by physicists and combined it with psychological data from the Pew Research Center. US populations that live under low light pollution report feeling more “wonder about the universe.” Simultaneously, data showed that populations feeling more wonder about the universe demonstrate more interest in astronomy.
The findings suggest that light pollution is not only impacting biological and ecological processes, but also human behavior, science education, and society. Salvaging opportunities such as viewing the starry night sky may contribute to broadening access to science and education.
Read the article in the current issue of Scientific Reports.