Search for ET Life: Social Justifications
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Transcript of Search for ET Life: Social Justifications
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