The most striking aspect of Ms Showalter's survey is that it is not a history of inevitable progress.

ECONOMIST: Women's literature in America

When we look at history we tend to see the progress of events as inevitable, but it was rarely so at the time.

CNN: The Earth is full

With any endeavor that pushes innovation and technological progress, planning an interstellar journey will generate some inevitable spin-offs that may help us solve some of the most pressing issues of our time.

MSN: Uniting the planet for a journey to another star