Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium

The final stop on our UW Posthuman Tour, the Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium is located in the basement of the Physical Sciences Building (room D-10). The planetarium offers a variety of educational shows, including shows on Mayan Astrology, Black Holes, star constellations, and Dark Matter. Like the 3D Visualization Center, the planetarium allows viewers to examine things they would never be able to without advanced technology. To the naked eye, we can only observe so much of the sky above us. Moreover, light pollution has made viewing the cosmos even more difficult. However, the planetarium enables us to learn about astronomical and astrological phenomena happening millions of miles away.

The planetarium is one example of how the use of technology is an inherent part of (post)human existence. Even our most basic understanding of our surroundings is reliant on external objects. Our knowledge of astrophysics, cellular structure, and even our organ function (just to name a few) would be impossible without technology from the last century or so. So, even the most basic understanding of our own existence relies on our posthuman capabilities – that is, the use of tools and prostheses to engage with the environment around us.

For more information about the Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium, please visit: http://wyomingspacegrant.org/planetarium/.

I hope this tour has been informative and interesting!