Communities reclaiming the night sky | Martin Griffiths | TEDxNantymoel

The night skies do not belong to us; they are a cultural heritage that we pass down to future generations. The stories, myths and legends that are associated with the stars reflect the differing attitudes and values of humans of all walks of life and all backgrounds, tribes and ethnic groups. Sadly, we are losing the night skies due to the scourge of light pollution. Gone are the days when we could look up in wonder at the constellations as our towns, cites and villages expand and communities develop technologies that light up their gardens, properties and businesses in addition to the glare from municipal street lighting.

In this engaging and thought-provoking talk, astronomer Martin Griffiths discusses our heritage and its importance and why we should protect the fragile ecosystem of the night skies and its varied tales. Martin Griffiths is an enthusiastic science communicator, writer and professional astronomer. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is also a member of other organisations including the Astrobiology Society of Britain; the Webb Deep-Sky Society and the Society for Popular Astronomy.

Martin is a recipient of the Astronomical League’s (2020) Dark Sky Advocate Award, The MENSA Art and Science Participation Medal (2017) the Astrobiology Society of Britain’s Public Outreach Award (2008) and the Astronomical League’s Outreach Master Award (2010). He has written or contributed to over 100 science articles, and is the author of six books.

Martin was one of the founder members of NASA’s Astrobiology Institute Science Communication Group and also managed a multi-million pound European programme in Astrobiology for adult learners across Wales. He is Director of the Brecon Beacons Observatory and a science presenter for Dark Sky Wales. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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