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June 26, 2007

Guest Column

New Questions

Student concerned with moral issues of finding life on planet Gliese 581d

Story by: Justin Adkins

Guest Columnist

With the recent discovery that another planet, Gliese 581d, may be habitable, many questions are raised that impact all humanity.

Life has not been confirmed on the planet’s surface, and any information we have regarding possible life is mere speculation.

However, let’s indulge ourselves and take a minute to speculate.

Assuming life does exist on this planet, it would surely not be in the form of Homo sapiens, yet we must inevitably ask ourselves many important questions.

First of all, there are many moral issues that arise in this situation. For instance, what are our intentions regarding any development on the planet, or even exploring it for that matter? Corporations stand to make money from the space industry by sending adventurous tourists into space for millions of dollars. The money being made is likely to be used for a multitude of activities, and it is only right to inquire into those activities.

In addition, suppose we did discover an alien life form on the planet. What would our moral obligations be toward that life and the resources we may discover?

This discovery is exciting for many reasons. Gliese 581d is about eight times the size of Earth, the closest in mass to any planet discovered outside our solar system, barring its neighboring planet Gliese 581c. Scientists may be able to use this opportunity to investigate climate effects on other planets and the possibility of establishing a base on an extrasolar planet.

The most important effect this discovery may have is the cultivation of a sense of awe and wonder at the universe around us and the infinite possibilities it contains. It is this wonder that drives us to discover and chart new phenomena and explore horizons we have never encountered before.

While the data we possess on the planet is not conclusive, we may all turn a watchful and curious eye to those scientists who pave the way toward further advances.

Scientists don’t perform all of the work in discoveries such as these, however, and it will take a combined effort by all people to continue to work toward new discoveries.

Philosophers, scientists, engineers, mathematicians and every other type of worker are important in making discoveries like this. What’s most important is the development of childlike awe and the knowledge that through hard work, humanity can transcend not only its local boundaries but interplanetary boundaries as well.

— Justin Adkins is a philosophy junior and Philosophy Club vice president