Executive Summary
Findings
- Research on the societal implications of astrobiology is an important corollary of core research in the physical and biological sciences. This type of research is crucial for understanding public support for astrobiology and for gauging public reaction to astrobiological discoveries. Preparing for future developments in space exploration of all types requires establishing clear ways to address issues in philosophy and religion while inspiring society’s appreciation of the cosmos as a possibly infinite sea of living worlds. Research on the societal implications of astrobiology can inform policy decisions.
- Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary work is imperative. There must be close coordination between the scientists who conduct the research and those who can shed light on the social implications. A satisfactory overall research program would be broad, multidisciplinary, and structured in such a way as to permit meaningful quantitative comparisons, and enable cogent explanations of the findings. Thoughtful and effective collaboration may break down the barriers that separate different intellectual fields and move us in the direction of consilience, or the unification of knowledge.
- Large segments of the public are already interested in astrobiology. There are long-standing and strong interests in the possibility of life elsewhere and in human activity beyond our planet’s surface. Each of these twin pillars of astrobiology has religious, moral, and ethical dimensions. Astrobiology is a great opportunity to raise the level of public discourse by involving people in discussions of the major issues of the cosmos. Ultimately, astrobiology’s success or failure will depend on public support. Not everyone is interested in astrobiology, and there may be strong resistance from people whose religious beliefs or worldviews are challenged by the assumptions or findings of astrobiology.
- To engage the public will require a true interactive dialogue. To achieve this, we must foster mutual respect and learn as well as teach. We must ac-knowledge that for many people science does not have all of the answers.
- During the last 50 years science has given us an increasingly convincing story of cosmic evolution, and placed theories of simple, complex, and even intelligent extraterrestrial life on a firm footing. Changing ideas about the abundance of life in the universe have affected people’s worldviews, and the actual discovery of extraterrestrial life could have a phenomenal impact.
- The discovery of cosmically local, independent life or "second genesis" will suggest that the universe is teeming with life. Eventually, we might conclude that the universe tends towards creating life forms that are complex, intelligent, and conscious and that we ourselves are but one example among a multitude. This could lead to shifting our frame of reference from Earth to the cosmos, and a conviction that life everywhere is highly valuable. Policy measures should be taken to ensure the integrity of extraterrestrial life.
- Despite preconceptions, we have no real knowledge about extraterrestrial life forms and civilizations, if such exist. Whether the first confirmed detection is fossilized or alive, microbial or intelligent, it is extremely important for us to be highly knowledgeable about the likely reactions of different constituencies (the press, various religious groups, political leaders, and the general public). We would be foolish and negligent if we did not study such reactions well ahead of time and make state-of-the art preparations for major discoveries. Carefully prepared plans should be in place very soon, because evidence of extraterrestrial life could be found at any time.
- Advanced planning should encompass a range of detection scenarios, with more emphasis on the kinds of discoveries that might be made through astrobiological research. Some scenarios have received closer scrutiny than have others; for example, a fair amount of work has been done on the consequences of detecting, by means of radio telescope, an extraterrestrial civilization elsewhere in the galaxy. But very little work has been done on the consequences of detecting a single-celled life form elsewhere in the solar system. Confirmed discoveries of single-celled fossils on Mars or simple life forms on Europa could have profound effects on world-views and religious beliefs, and will raise many ethical and practical issues. We need formal post-detection protocols for single celled organisms as well as for advanced technological civilizations.
- For many people religion is a useful adaptive tool and discovery of extraterrestrial life may stimulate a worldwide resurgence in religious activity. In the actual event of encountering extraterrestrial life, some of the needs of humanity as a whole may require the kind of non-scientific solutions provided by religion.
- Human migration into space is likely to yield five major benefits.
Tomorrow’s spacefarers are likely to enjoy:
- Mining, low-gravity manufacturing, tourism, and other material benefits.
- A new frontier, a destination for pioneers and adventurers.
- Greatly reduced chances of human extinction from a worldwide war,
meteor impact, or other catastrophe.
- The evolution and flourishing of a diversity of cultures.
- A suitable off-Earth meeting ground if needed for interaction with intelligent extraterrestrial beings or robots.
- The immediate benefits of space exploration are very important. In our efforts to understand our neighbors, the Moon and Mars provide opportunities for students to become involved in learning about science. Recent exploration has stimulated an interest in math, science, and engineering, but history shows that there must be significant, ongoing events to maintain that interest.
- For decades, international treaties have guided space-exploring nations and policies aimed at avoiding harmful cross contamination, but there has been little attention paid to the ethical dimensions of exploration itself. In light of our advancing capabilities, it is prudent to consider not only how we undertake space exploration but also the implications of invasive activities on planets where life is encountered.
- Ethical issues surround not only interference with a flourishing ecology
but also initiating ecopoiesis, terraforming, and other activities that
could bring a "dead" planet to life. Normative principles
of environmental ethics are based on some combination of three fundamental
positions:
- Anti-humanism, the notion that human action is inevitably
harmful.
- Stewardship, a requirement that humans use nature wisely
for their own benefit.
- Intrinsic worth, the supposition that planetary resources, including indigenous life, have value regardless of their utility to humans.
- If we continue to refer back to past human experience to think ahead about the coming human expansion into space, we should do so by critically examining the human record over the entire globe. Such an exercise should also be coordinated with a serious consideration of what key technologies lie over the horizon. We should then mix these together to simulate not one rigid path to the future, but a number of possible scenarios for expansion beyond Earth. There is no single future to predict, only alternative futures to model.
- Policy implications of establishing a permanent presence in space
include:
- Allocating sufficient resources to enable increasingly larger groups
of people to live far from Earth.
- Moving beyond the traditional view of astronauts and cosmonauts
and encouraging diversity among spacefarers.
- Exploring genetic engineering and bioengineering as tools for helping
spacefarers adapt to their extraterrestrial niches.
- Giving spacefarers as much freedom as possible to evolve their own adaptive sociopolitical forms and cultures.
- Given the immeasurable value of life, intelligence, and consciousness, and given that we are aware of the possibility of extinction and can consciously and proactively seek to ensure our long term survival, we should explore long-term survival issues such as genetic engineering, extraterrestrial migration, directed panspermia, and willingness to collaborate with extraterrestrial civilizations if such are found.
- The crucial turning point for humanity will come when we view our home as the cosmos, not just as the earth. At that time we will not be one species, we will be many, and given the varied ecological niches in space, our diversity will be a virtue.
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