Rick Stroud on his passion and obsession: the moon

Rick Stroud explains his obsession with the moon. From a representation of the sequences of the moon carved on the bone from an Eagle's wing 40,000 years ago, to the first moon landing in 1969, the moon has always captivated humans. This is well illustrated by the centrality of the moon to many cultures' mythologies, and the way that the cycles of the moon have been used by humans as a system of measurement.

Stroud explains that the moon might also be responsible for the formation of life: one theory holds that the tides of the oceans, caused by the gravitational influence of the moon, brought about the first self-replicating polymer chains, which would eventually evolve into intelligent life. He also praises the pioneering spirit and courage of the men responsible for the conquest of the moon, especially the crews of the missions following Apollo 1, which tragically exploded on the launch pad.