Bellwork 1/10 What does it mean to be “ethical”? How do ethics play a role in science?

What kinds of ethical conflicts are there in science, right now?

What kinds of ethical conflicts are there in astronomy?

Whether something is ethical or not is a personal decision.  Agree or Disagree  Whether something is ethical or not is a personal decision.

Ethics should not play a role in how science is conducted.  Agree or Disagree  Ethics should not play a role in how science is conducted.

 Agree or Disagree  If we exhaust all of Earth’s resources, it is ethical to colonize and use Mars as a back-up.

 Agree or Disagree  It is ethical to search for, study, and potentially bring back to Earth, samples of life from Mars.

 Agree or Disagree  “There are so many examples of human misuse of the Earth…if there is life on Mars, I believe we should do nothing with Mars. Mars then belongs to the Martians, even if the Martians are only microbes. The existence of an independent biology…is a treasure beyond assessing, and the preservation of that life must…supersede any other possible use of Mars.”

“The science of ethics and the ethics of science”

Science: The intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment

Ethics: Moral principles that govern a person’s behavior, or the conducting of an activity

But how do we decide if something is “ethical”?

3 schools of ethics in western philosophy: Aristotle Virtues are dispositions to act in ways that benefit both the person possessing them and society. Kant Humans are bound, from a knowledge of their duty as rational beings, to obey the categorical imperative to respect other rational beings Utilitarianism An action is right in so far as it promotes happiness, and the greatest happiness of the greatest numbershould be the guiding principle of conduct.

Science and Ethics have gone hand-in-hand since the beginning of scientific thought…

“A decision was wise, even though it led to disastrous consequences, if the evidence at hand indicated it was the best one to make; and a decision was foolish, even though it led to the happiest possible consequences, if it was unreasonable to expect those consequences” Herodotus, c.500 BC

Ethics Statement: “Every astronomer is a citizen of the community of science. Each of us shares responsibility for the welfare of this community…“Science is best advanced when there is mutual trust, based upon honest behavior, throughout the community.” Further outlines: Conduct toward one another Research Publication Peer Review

2 Perspectives on Space Colonization: Is space colonization ethical to HUMANS? Is space colonization ethical to SPACE/OTHER ORGANISMS?

Worktime today Continue writing paper and assembling your short presentation. Mission Paper Mission Presentation Individual! Detailed Covers all of the topics from the rubric Template is on my website (if you want to use it) With your partner! (or individual) Not as detailed Should be the “highlights” of your mission & your rationale…remember, you’re trying to get votes for funding based on merit  Plan on speaking for no more than 4 minutes

Working towards a Level 4 Working towards a Level 4? You need to make connections to previous content. For example… Example Mission What you could connect… Sending a mission to Mars? Or another planet? Traits of the Terrestrial/Jovian planets importance of understanding the structure of our solar system Kepler’s laws? Sending a mission to search for life? Or conditions for life? Astrobiology! Habitable zones! Sending a mission to an Exoplanet? Planet classification Habitable zones Stellar traits & stellar evolution Sending a mission to a Black Hole? Stellar remnants Gravity simulation/spacetime continuum