★ Edited by George Miller, internationally renowned and bestselling editor of the “Very Short Introductions” series—a flagship general‑interest library published worldwide—former Editorial Director of Popular Books at Oxford University Press, and a distinguished translator and writer, this series has been meticulously researched and carefully crafted.

★ Highly recommended by leading scholars such as Sir David Cannadine, Professor at Princeton University and Series Editor of “The Penguin History of Europe”; Christopher Coker, Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics; and Ron Deibert, Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto and Co‑Chair of the Information Security Committee.

★ Written by preeminent international experts in their fields, these volumes explore new pathways for our times and society, actively engaging with readers around the globe so that they can truly grasp and appreciate the possibilities for a better future. Among the expert authors are:
◎ Dr. Shinderpal Singh Bhui, Visiting Professor of Law at the Oxford Centre for Criminology and Head of the Inspection Team at Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (OBE);
◎ Dr. Jake MacDonald, Senior Lecturer in War Studies at King’s College London and an expert on ethics, law, technology, and warfare;
◎ Rhodri Davies, Pears Research Fellow at the Kent Centre for Philanthropy and Founding Director of the think tank “Charity Affairs”;
◎ Tim Stevens, a scholar of international security in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London and editor of the “Key Issues in Digital Security and Society” series, among others.

★ Engaging yet authoritative, these indispensable guides to the contemporary world once again uphold the principle of “highly accessible presentation,” offering readers concise, compelling, and thought‑provoking books that examine crucial facets of today’s global landscape and its trajectories. Each volume not only elucidates the historical roots and mechanisms behind its subject but also clarifies its purpose within our societies—and, above all, how it can serve more effectively.

★ Focusing on the most pressing challenges in the social, political, economic, and cultural realms of our era, this series goes beyond mere introductions, distinguished by its probing into the aims and implications of these issues while proposing solutions and charting paths forward. Its topics transcend disciplinary boundaries, extending from the social sciences to cutting‑edge fields such as artificial intelligence and biomedicine. At a pivotal juncture in humanity’s development, we must reflect deeply on the directions we take across all domains. This series extends a sincere invitation to readers, helping them think more thoroughly, efficiently, and with greater clarity about the road ahead.

★ The status quo is being disrupted. Today, humanity faces multiple, interconnected challenges, some of which may determine our very survival. If we believe the world can be different—if we aspire to make it better—then scrutinizing both what we do and what is done in our name has never been more urgent. This series examines the directions and destinations shaping several of the most vital spheres of the contemporary world, illuminating their nature through close observation, contemplating our future, and exploring how to purposefully forge a better one—thereby offering fresh perspectives on current debates, controversies, and challenges.

The series currently comprises 26 titles:
“What is Cybersecurity for?” (Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese licensed)
“What is Philanthropy for?” (Simplified Chinese licensed)
“What is War for?” (Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese licensed)
“What are Animal Rights for?” (Simplified Chinese licensed)
“What are Prisons for?” (Simplified Chinese licensed)
“What are the Olympics for?” (Traditional Chinese licensed)
“What is History for?” (Simplified Chinese licensed)
“What is Vegetarianism for?” (June 2024)
“What are Museums for?” (Simplified Chinese licensed)
“What are Zoos for?” (Simplified Chinese licensed)
“What is Counterterrorism for?” (November 2024)
“What is Journalism for?” (Traditional Chinese licensed)
“What is Monarchy for?” (April 2025)
“What is Humanism for?” (June 2025)
“What is the Welfare State for?” (June 2025)
“What is Drug Policy for?” (September 2025)
“What is Truth for?” (September 2025)
“What are Nuclear Weapons for?” (November 2025)
“What is FIFA for?” (March 2026)
“What is Immigration Policy for?” (March 2026)
“What is the Market for?” (June 2026)
“What is Space Exploration for?” (November 2026)
“What is Free Speech for?” (November 2026)
“What Are The Police for?” (March, 2027)
“What is Music for?” (March, 2027)
“What is Anthropology for?” (October, 2027)

Space exploration offers numerous benefits to scientific understanding, including in the realm of climate change, and expanding beyond Earth may confer other long-term advantages for civilization.
In an era when climate challenges are more severe than ever, should we continue to explore space, or should we focus all our scientific efforts on Earth? And if space were to become a playground for billionaires, would that exacerbate tensions among superpowers and potentially lead to catastrophic consequences?
This book argues that space exploration provides indispensable benefits to scientific knowledge, particularly in addressing climate change. While the direct benefits of space exploration may be evident on scientific and economic levels, the author emphasizes that venturing into the cosmos beyond Earth could also bring other long-term advantages to human civilization, such as deepening our understanding of our own existence.

Tony Milligan is a Teaching Assistant at the School of History, Philosophy and Digital Sciences at the University of Sheffield. He is also the Associate Editor of Springer’s “Space and Society” book series and Chair of the Examination Board for the International Theology Programme at the University of London. From 2018 to 2021, Tony delivered an annual lecture on space ethics within the Master’s programme in Space Studies at the International Space University in Strasbourg, and has published extensively in the fields of space and society. He has been interviewed by numerous leading national newspapers and magazines—including The Guardian and Scientific American—on issues related to space. His previous works include “The Moon Is No One’s: The Ethics of Space Development” (McFarland, 2014).

Koji Tachibana is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Chiba University in Japan, a Director of the Institute for Space Humanities and Social Sciences at the Japanese Society for Aeronautics and Astronautics, and an International Research Fellow at Georgetown University Medical Center in the United States. He has published two edited volumes: “Alternative Virtues” (Routledge, 2024) and “The Philosophy and Education of Virtue” (Toyo Kan Shuppan, 2023), as well as a co-edited work, “Aristotle in Japan” (Routledge, 2025). In addition, he has authored numerous articles and book chapters, including “The Ethics of Space Security,” which appears in the Oxford Handbook of Space Security (2024). His new book, “The Philosophy of Space Exploration” (Kobunsha, 2026), is forthcoming.