The following story was published by The State Journal-Register on Sept. 6, 2023.
"Who hasn't looked up at the night sky and pondered a thought or two?
'One of the few things we have in common (as human beings) is an experience with the night sky,' said John Martin, an associate professor of astronomy/physics at the University of Illinois Springfield. 'We experience it differently today than people did 20,000 years ago.
'What are the stages for kids growing up? It's dinosaurs first, then outer space. It's something that captures our imagination, that way."