Let’s Not Talk About Science: The Normalization of Big Science and the Moral Economy of Modern Astronomy

Abstract

In the 1990s, the Dutch astronomical community had to choose its next big telescope project. The starting point of their discussions was not a plan in search of support, but a scientific community in search of a plan. Their discussion demonstrates how big science projects are an integral part of the moral and institutional economy of modern astronomy. Large telescopes are unique but not exceptional: big science has become part of “normal science,” both scientifically and institutionally. In retrospect, the discussions anaylized in this paper discussions concern the earliest phase of three major astronomical instruments: the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), and the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR). Interestingly, the Dutch astronomers focused on what they called “strategic” arguments, explicitly excluding arguments regarding scientific merit. I demonstrate how this should be understood in the context of the moral economy of the community. This analysis, based on rich archive material and background interviews with key actors, adds to our understanding of big science or “megascience” in the post–Cold War era.