NASA History Community:
Just a quick reminder about Jonathan Coopersmith’s talk today about the relevant uses of history for policy. Hope you are able to join us! Thanks,
Steve
NASA History Talk: “It’s Complicated:” Historians, Policy and (Mis) Shaping the Final Frontier
Time/Date/Location: noon – 1 pm ET, Wednesday February 22, virtual via
MS Teams link
Speaker:
Jonathan Coopersmith
Contact: Steve Garber (stephen.j.garber@nasa.gov)
or hq-histinfo@nasa.gov
Description: From its inception, using history and social sciences to contribute to policy
and practice has intrigued NASA. Despite the potential, the reality has been different. Indeed, this talk argues that poor historical analogies and a misreading of the causes of the success of Apollo – the inadvertent misuse of history – have harmed NASA
for decades. Better presentation of historical and social science techniques, including built-in skepticism, can narrow the gap between promise and reality.
Dr. Jonathan Coopersmith is a Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science,
and a retired Professor of History at Texas A&M University.
Stephen Garber
(he/him)
NASA History Division
Office of Communications
NASA Headquarters
Mary W. Jackson Building, Room 5P25
Washington, DC 20546
202-358-0385
