Summary:
Humans, as a species, may soon – if not yet done- create, disturb, or interact with entire biospheres. Inside and even beyond the solar system. Given the range of existing technologies, and of the ones in development, our moral scope is expanding to scales of space and time, unheard of in History. Along with the size of the playground, comes the magnitude of the possible outcomes, good and bad, and the one of our responsibilities as a species. We may not want to seed, destroy or interact with a biosphere “by mistake”. Nor to “inadvertently” spread Life as we know it, or eventually connect with intelligence out there.
Now is be the moment to develop a formal global and ethical discussion regarding the footprint we can accept, as a species, beyond us, beyond Earth and possibly the Solar System, onto the local cosmos.
Now is be the moment to develop a formal global and ethical discussion regarding the footprint we can accept, as a species, beyond us, beyond Earth and possibly the Solar System, onto the local cosmos.
Purpose of the Forum:
Discuss the scientific evaluation of the question of our cosmic footprint. Initiate a fruitful interdisciplinary approach and establish guidelines for future work. If pertinent, seize the governance.
Forum hosted by ISSI, by the Research group on large scale space ethics : https://www.spaceethics.org