Culture, Ethics, and Space Exploration

Nice article that appeared in Discover Magazine that focuses on the problems related to SETI and quotes me being grumpy about SETI.   Also, some interesting comments from physicist Stephen Webb on why he thinks there may not be anyone else out there–at least no-one nearby.  It is not unreasonable to think that we may be alone in our galactic neighborhood or perhaps even beyond that.

I have taken on the role of host for the Science, Technology, and Society channel of the New Books Network.  The first interview, with UC Irvine anthropology professor Valerie Olson, about her book Into the Extreme, was published on 20 October 2020.  And there are some interesting titles that will be discussed in the near future, such as Daniel Deudney’s Dark Skies: Space Expansionism, Planetary Geopolitics, and the Ends of Humanity and Eric Schwitzgebel’s A Theory of Jerks and Other Philosophical Misadventures.

 

I just published an article on Centauri Dreams called “What Can SETI Scholars Learn from the Covid-19 Pandemic?”  If it’s of interest, please check it out.

This post is to do nothing more than satisfy the odd requirement of the IT department in my university that I do something to my website annually–even if there is nothing to do–so that they don’t archive the entire website.  So here it is folks–I’m doing something to the website!

Thanks for visiting my research website.  The content is an ongoing process and should expand over time as I think more about what to add and also as I continue my research.