Inspired by Artemis II? Adler Planetarium can give you the moon

In 1969, humanity achieved one of its greatest milestones when astronauts first set foot on the moon. More than half a century later, we’re preparing to return.

NASA’s Artemis program, which followed the successful uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022, is advancing towards Artemis II, the first crewed deep space lunar flyby of this new era. Soon, astronauts will once again travel beyond Earth’s orbit and around the moon.

This is an extraordinary moment in space exploration. But it is also a reminder of something deeply human: our enduring fascination with the moon and our desire to understand our place in the universe.

More than 50 years after Apollo, there is still much left to uncover. Humans returning to the moon is not about nostalgia. It is about discovery. It is about science. Studying the moon can help us better understand Earth, the solar system and what it will take for humans to venture further into space.

Chicago has a special role to play in this moment.

Space missions may launch far from Chicago, but the sense of discovery they inspire belongs to all of us. Institutions like the Adler Planetarium, the oldest planetarium in the western hemisphere, connect the public to that story, translating complex space science into experiences that spark curiosity and understanding.

At a time when science is often misunderstood or dismissed, places like the Adler help people understand how scientific discovery works. Visitors can look through telescopes, experience immersive dome shows and meet the astronomers and educators working to interpret new discoveries about our cosmic neighborhood. When guests ask questions about Artemis or about what comes next in space exploration, they can hear directly from experts who study the universe every day.

That connection matters.

Space has a unique ability to inspire curiosity across generations. When a child asks why the Moon changes from night to night, or when a family gathers around a telescope to observe the sky together, they are participating in the same sense of discovery and connection that has driven human exploration since millennia.

As Artemis prepares to carry humanity back to the Moon, Chicagoans have an opportunity to reconnect with that exploration — and a front-row seat to the discoveries ahead.

Elizabeth C. Babcock, president and CEO, Adler Planetarium

Pass on gas

Should we allow ourselves to be led around by the nose by daily reports of the ups and downs of prices at the pump, as though that is the one best gauge for the success or failure of the party in power?

What a trap — prices are up so we can gloat that a man most of us detest and the party that has elevated this monster for its own gain are failing in their promise to lower the cost of living. What happens when the price goes down? You want to laud Republicans then?

What hypocrisy for progressives (as I count myself) to shout ourselves hoarse about the real dangers of our warming planet, then complain about gasoline costing $4, or $5, or even $6 a gallon. To achieve the pressing goal of weaning ourselves from fossil fuels, gas should be $20 a gallon! Don't scoff at this.

The Republicans and their monster salesman have removed our great nation from the international climate agreement, rolled back federal initiatives to phase out coal and accepted hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes from oil producers to put their extraction back on the fast track while tearing down popular programs to promote renewable energy.

The sooner we, as citizens of a powerful and influential nation, join much of the rest of the world in grasping control of fossil fuel use, the better off the whole world will be.

If oil and natural gas were taxed to increase their price, intelligent Americans would drive less, stop sitting in idling cars, learn to use public transportation (which would then become better), use less heating and air conditioning and use fewer disposable goods.

If we put one-tenth of our military budget into achieving the goal of drawing down fossil fuel use, the future would look brighter for our children.

It starts in our everyday life, and that includes the gas pump. Don't get suckered into the short-sighted narrative of gas prices.

Kenneth Stein, Lombard

Loyalty replaces thought

George Orwell’s deepest warning in "1984" was not simply that those in power lie. Governments have always lied. His more unsettling point was that power can train people to accept each new lie as truth, even when it contradicts the lie that came before it. The goal is not merely deception. It is submission.

That is what made Ingsoc, the book's antagonists, so disturbing. The party did not just demand obedience in action — it demanded obedience of mind. It wanted people to accept each new version of events without insisting on consistency, memory or proof. The point was not honest persuasion. The point was to sever loyalty to reality and attach it instead to authority.

That part of Orwell’s vision feels painfully current. We live in a moment when many people no longer seem troubled by contradiction. An explanation is offered for some act of power, and days later the explanation changes. Yet those most committed absorb the new line and move on as if nothing happened.

This is not ordinary persuasion. It is the replacement of judgment by allegiance. What matters is not whether the explanation is true, but whether it came from the approved authority. That is why exposing a lie has become so difficult. When belief is rooted not in evidence but in devotion, facts lose much of their force. It was never accepted because it was proven — it was accepted because it came from the right source and served the right side.

I say that without innocence. I have seen good in political traditions that later disappointed me. The temptation to surrender judgment exists across political life. Belonging becomes dangerous when it asks us to stop thinking. That is why the problem is moral before it is partisan.

The real danger is not simply that falsehood spreads, but the habit of resisting falsehood disappears. Once people stop demanding consistency, proof and seriousness from those who seek power, they begin helping power erase reality itself.

Jodi Alain Weinstein, Naperville

Baffled by city’s hotel tax hike

Am I the only Chicagoan confused after reading reporter Fran Spielman's story last week headlined "To pay for tourism boost, Chicago ramps up hotel tax, making it nation's highest"?

The city of Chicago, prompted by the marketing group Choose Chicago, seeks to increase tourism by raising the city’s hotel tax to 19% — the highest in the nation. Simple logic and basic arithmetic together confirm that raising prices, and reducing any competitive advantages, reduces sales or tourist attraction to Chicago hotel rooms in 14 wards. This does not make sense.

Do they seek to make Chicago "the first city," rather than "the second city" in the wrong direction?

Last year, Choose Chicago adopted a new marketing slogan, "Never Done. Never Outdone." They unknowingly evoked arch-rival New York City, "the city that never sleeps."

I am confused. Can anyone help me?

Harvey J. Graff, Lincoln Park

Mayor was right to veto wage hike freeze

Mayor Brandon Johnson did the right thing by vetoing the bill that would freeze the minimum wage for tipped workers. Everyone knows tipping is customary, but it’s certainly not mandatory. A tip, whether it materializes or not, and its size, are completely at the whim of customers. Workers' livelihoods shouldn't be contingent on the whim of customers. And restaurateurs must figure out a way not to run their businesses on the backs of their hardest-working employees.

Joanne G. Murphy, West Ridge

Basking in strangers’ warmth while dining alone

Just recently, a long-time friend and I made plans to meet at a restaurant for lunch. Unfortunately, my friend never showed up. She was OK and just needed to reschedule.

Early bird that I am, I had waited for some time for my friend in a comfortable enclosed area where diners entered and exited at a steady pace. It was the perfect place for observing people of all ages and backgrounds.

Three uniformed police officers were just leaving after enjoying their tasty breakfast. They held the door for four older adults, who all patted the officers on their forearms and told them, "God keep you safe" and "thank you for your service." The officers told the seniors that they truly appreciate their prayers and thoughts.

Eating alone, I witnessed many more acts of kindness, from a waiter carefully wiping up a rambunctious child's spill to a young woman helping her grandmother butter her toast. I heard the phrases, "Thank you," "God bless you," "have a wonderful day," "let's keep in touch," "so wonderful to see you" and "let's do this again sometime."

Did I feel left out? Not a bit, because I knew my friend and I would meet another day. Americans spend quite a bit of money at restaurants and maybe we sometimes regret that. But I dare say it is worth it, especially if we go back home satisfied, both physically and spiritually.

Kathleen Melia, Niles

Unfortunate word choice

I feel that it was extremely irresponsible journalism for the Sun-Times to echo the Donald Trump/Republican racist and jingoistic verbiage as it did with Monday’s large print screaming headline, "Venezuelan Migrant Charged With Murder Of Loyola Student." Neither the nationality, ethnicity or immigration status of the man who allgedly perpetrated this horrible murder is of any relevance, except to those for whom these categories determine the significance of events long before they occur.

In short, any crazed person might have done this, and deep down, most of us adults know this. Those at the Sun-Times taxed with creating the headlines, and even more so, those higher up in the newsroom who do the editing and revising, should take a long look at themselves in the mirror.

Steve Livingston, North Park

Anti-immigrant rhetoric harmful and divisive

Any time anyone in Chicago picks up and fires a gun at another person, it is a tragedy. As we mourn the death of Sheridan Gorman and try to make sense of a seemingly senseless act of violence, MAGA politicians from Donald Trump to Darren Bailey to 45th Ward Ald. Jim Gardiner are politicizing her death to score points against their rivals and demonize immigrants. It’s the same tune they’ve sung for years: stoke fear against the most powerless groups to keep us divided and distracted. Shame on these men, and my condolences to the Gorman family, who must now grieve privately while politicians turn their sadness into a public spectacle.

S. Gronkiewicz-Doran, Jefferson Park

Paydays for ICE — not TSA

I fail to comprehend why U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel receive government compensation while Transportation Security Administration employees do not during the partial government shutdown.

Diane Blaszczyk, Norwood Park

Expensing Trump’s trips

Prior to the last election, Donald Trump wanted very much to get into the White House. Now that he is the president, instead of staying in the White House, he makes numerous trips to Mar-a-Lago at the nation’s expense. It's not only the cost of the flight but also the cost for the Secret Service, his entourage and other officials. Considering the nation's financial status, Trump should be made to reimburse the Treasury Department for these expenses. America cannot afford this extravagance.

Larry E. Nazimek, Logan Square

Robotic moves

The delivery robots that shattered the glass at CTA bus shelters have been the object of misplaced derision. They deserve our praise for locating the most pristine, graffiti-free pane of glass in all of Chicago's CTA bus shelters. Perhaps a historical marker in their honor?

Judy Humphrys, Roscoe Village