Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Aug 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006iauss...6e...3k&link_type=abstract
Astronomical Data Management, 26th meeting of the IAU, Special Session 6, 22 August, 2006 in Prague, Czech Republic, SPS6, #3
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Vast quantities of astronomical data in the form of images, spectra and catalogues are now freely available over the internet, and tools for producing science from these resources are also becoming available, particularly through the emerging Virtual Observatories. In addition to this, most astronomical literature from research journals is available at no cost through the ADS and preprint service. This situation, in principle, provides equal opportunity to astronomers located anywhere in the world to participate in the process of discovery. The only requirement is that the astronomers have access to the internet, and a fertile imagination. But in the real world, astronomers in many countries have very limited bandwidth and computing power, and are therefore excluded from meaningful participation in astronomical research, even though they may have the ideas and experience to contribute substantially to the effort. The lack of connectivity and computing hardware also makes it difficult for astronomers in many countries from exposing adequately any data resources that they may have produced locally. This situation prevents many aspiring and experienced astronomers from reaching their creative potential, and from attracting young persons to the charms of modern astronomy; it also leads to opportunity loss to astronomy, as it loses out on the the human resources and fresh ideas and talents which astronomers from developing countries could bring to the subject. I will discuss in my talk the nature and extent of this digital divide, the ways in which it could be mitigated, and the benefits which would arise from the unification. I will base some of my discussion on my experiences in setting up a major programme to take the advantages of the internet revolution to hundreds of universities in India.
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