Book 2 post 2

As my Introduction to Astronomy class has started its discussion about the solar system and the objects of the Kuiper Belt, I figured it is about time for me to pick up How I Killed Pluto. I was quite excited to read about a topic that is so relevant to what I am currently learning. From my astronomy class, I learned that Pluto was removed from the list of planets because of “accidental” discoveries of other like-kind objects. I was surprised when I learned this in class since the idea of “accidentally” discovering something so tinny in the sky filled with thousands of shiny stars that look almost identical to each other just doesn’t make much sense. While the excitement to know more about the details of the discovery is real, I am also quite worried that the jargons and science behind the discovery are difficult to understand (even some of the basic concepts in my introductory astronomy class confuse me). 

As I have anticipated, the book provides an insider view of the details on the discoveries of objects as well as the reasons leading to Pluto being stripped off from the nine planets. What had stroke me most about the discovery process is the data stolen incident. It is difficult to imagine that discovery could just be scooped away, as Brown described, by data leakage. It is especially frustrating after reading through chapters about Brown’s restless effort in searching for a new planet and knowing that all these efforts would have gone to waste if he didn’t end up fighting for himself. As Brown has pointed in the book, this incident also shows the flaws in the present system that makes sacrifice between scientific disclosure and the completeness of information a price that scientists must take. But this is not to say that only the system is at fault, the public is also liable for their lacking awareness toward the process as it also contributes to the pressure on and misconception toward the scientists. 

Finally, on top of the ins and outs of the discovery, Brows’s positive attitude toward unfavorable situations is what I believed to be the moral of the book. When he realized that the computer falsely identified 37,000 objects, rather than gave up on the project, he thought out of the box and ended up finding a meaningful pattern in the data. When he found out that other scientists announced the discovery before he did, he viewed this as an opportunity to add credibility to his future announcement. By viewing things from a different perspective, he attaches new meaning to the situation and turns the negativity into positive energy. With this professionalism and emotional intelligence, his success is no longer defined by the objects and planets he discovered in the vast universe but by the positive role model he is on one’s behavior.