Fellow 2022-2023DUANE HAMACHER
Term: 10/2022 – 07/2023
I am Associate Professor of Cultural Astronomy in the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne, Australia. My research focuses on the intersection of science and culture, specifically Indigenous astronomical and geological knowledges in Australia and around the world. I study how humans understand the celestial realm, how they develop knowledge and applications from this, and examine how it can be safeguarded through cultural heritage and dark sky programs, with a focus on the history and philosophy of science and environmental anthropology. A particular area of interest examines the role of meteorite impacts in human history and their influence on society and cultural traditions.
I earned degrees in physics, astronomy, and Indigenous studies from the USA and Australia and work as a consultant and curator for theatre and musical productions, art and museum exhibitions, commemorative coins, tourism and public education programs, national curricula, urban design, and films. I presented at TEDx, appeared in the Warwick Thornton film “We Don’t Need a Map”, the National Geographic documentary “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman” and consulted on the Werner Herzog film “Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds.”
My first book, “The First Astronomers: How Indigenous Elders Read the Stars” (Allen & Unwin) was published in 2022 and my second book “Crux Australis: How a Constellation Shaped a Nation” is due for publication in 2024. My CAPAS Fellowship will focus on my third book about meteorite impacts and the apocalypse.
INTERVIEW WITH CAPAS FELLOW DUANE HAMACHER
When Stars Fall: understanding apocalyptic experiences of meteorite impact events
Humans have experienced destructive events throughout history that have caused widespread death and destruction, which have influenced cultural traditions, directed social and political systems, and driven scientific research. Among these, the impact of meteorites with the Earth stands as one of the most potentially destructive, but least researched, areas of natural hazards. These cataclysmic events serve as the foundation of ideas about the apocalypse, from Aboriginal traditions of meteorite impacts to the Biblical end of the world, to widely publicised modern events that were recorded on camera and viewed across news outlets around the world. The destructive experience and aftermath of meteoritic events, as well as lessons about causation, meaning, and survival, can teach us about the human condition, adaptation to cataclysmic events, and inform us about preventative practices that could circumvent an impending apocalypse. This highly interdisciplinary project will utilise approaches from the physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities to examine our experiences with meteorite impact events, how we can understand them, prevent them, recover from them, and derive meaning from them to secure our survival.