Editorial

The issue you are about to delve into aims to bring to you the universe, the ways we perceive it, and what we know about our place in it. This is admittedly a lofty goal, and we hope at least that what is presented here will provoke more questions, as this is what drives us and adds to what we know.

This volume is not a traditional description of the universe, broadening its scale as we wander from the Sun to cosmology while we zip by the planets, the stars, and galaxies. Nor is it simply a historical or chronological account of what we have known from tens of thousands of years ago until the present day, although we certainly need to know where we have been in order to have an idea of where we are heading.

It does attempt, with some guidance in terms of the history, the tools, and the applied methodologies and their change in time, to be a window into the human experience of research, knowledge, its creation, and its transmission from one generation to the next, of the yearnings, fears, promises, and expectations that lie in the unknown and that some people see in science and thus decide to devote their lives to it, as a way to bring order to what is close to us, and thus to better understand what we cannot reach. It also seeks to inspire, with concrete examples of real people from different generations, eras, and backgrounds, learning from each other, working together on projects and achieving goals that would seem unattainable individually, and where reality far surpasses fiction (to take but one example, whereas we used to have only our eyes to observe, today we have the entire electromagnetic spectrum, gravitational waves, and neutrinos as probes). It tries to be an expression of what we would like to be, of appreciating what we have on Earth and that can help us have some modesty and humility in contemplating what is clearly immensely greater than us, and which is not affected in the least by our differences.

It is also a desire to share, through astronomy as an example we have at hand but that is far from exclusive, that knowledge is universal, that there are disciplines that are immensely collaborative and require global efforts with participation in a Republic of Letters, both real and digital, where the exchange of information, people, and ideas is fluid, pleasant, and indispensable for progress, allowing us to know each other and therefore understand each other better. It is also an affirmation that the pursuit of fundamental knowledge and the exploitation of Mexico’s existing capabilities allow for full integration into the discipline at a global level, not just today or yesterday, but for decades already, and with a bright and promising future if we know how to take advantage of them and widen their potential. This impact can be broadened further still for the benefit of society, both within and outside Mexico. The troubles that the world faces today require visionary proposals, actions, and policies, collaborative in their reach from all sectors of society, including academia, and each must assume their role and responsibility. Therefore, this is also a call to make it so, not only in astronomy, but throughout all areas of human endeavor.

We wish you a pleasant and thought-provoking immersion.

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