Search for ET Life: Social Justifications

Brittany Zhang, John Fernandez, Alicia White, Michelle Lee

How do we differentiate ourselves from other species?ExplorationWonderThinking outside the self

Whether or not it's true, we think we are different from dolphins because dolphins are not self-aware or trying to communicate with other species.

Exploration is Fundamental to Human Identity

Intellectual Movement away from Anthropocentrism

Intellectual progress fromEarth as center of solar system...

...to...

...Earth as one of infinite planets in galaxy

To stop searching for life would be to halt the progress

of intellectual thought that began with Copernicus!

Search for Beyond is Fundamental

In addition to technology, searching for life beyond earth requires a belief in something beyond us.

It is an art--we can't possibly search every solar system. So we have to believe that it's out there, which is fundamental to our existence as humans.

Investing in America

International RankingMath- 25Science- 17Reading- 14

Scientists immigrating to other countriesPoor legislation to support R&D

USA losing its title as world leader

Foster the Human Spirit

Benefit for American industry

Education:Motivation to study STEM

ScienceTechnologyEngineeringMathematics

A Positive Feedback System

Education Economy

Innovation turns to growthAffect development on all levels

Economic strengthSocial integration

An Example

Compounding economic growth25 52 181

Growth of local economy

Improved education and enrollment

A return to international prominence http://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/economics.html

Perspective: Allocation of Resources

The Problem: Limited Funding

Reallocation from military

• Fiscal Year 2010 budget:• Total Spending $683.7 billion• Military Personnel $154.2 billion• Research, Development, Testing & Evaluation

$79.1 billion

Less Destructive Spending

Potential Benefits: Energy

If successful, we could potentially be introduced to a vast collection of resources for energy

Potential Benefits: Medicine

• Chronic disease in America alarmingly higho ~10% children have asthmao 1/3 Americans will develop diabeteso 26.6 million have heart disease

• New organisms and/or chemical compositions may be useful in expanding our knowledge on how to treat disease on Earth

Potential Benefits: Natural Resources

• Some metals have already been found in spaceo Gallium, Germanium, Krypton, Arsenic, Thallium,

Tin, Leado More exploration can possibly lead to more

abundance and variety of metals that can be useful on Earth