Is It Ethical to Colonize Mars?
To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with
@KQEDEdspace
 and end itwith
#DoNowMars
For more info on how to use Twitter, click here (http://ww2.kqed.org/education/how-to-use-twitter-in-your-teaching-practice/).
Do Now
Is it ethical to colonize Mars or other planets? Why or why not?
Introduction
Is going to Mars a reality? In a mission where the lines between reality and fantasy seem to be blurred, the Mars One (http://www.mars-one.com/) team is planning to launch an expedition to establish a human settlement on the red planet. In 2024, four individuals willleave Earth on an one-way trip to Mars, with a new crew of four departing every two years afterward. From an original pool of 202,586people (http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2014/04/10/300601241/why-do-202-586-people-want-to-leave-our-planet), the final groups willsoon be selected for eight years of intense training. The goal of this mission (http://www.mars-one.com/mission) is to increase humanknowledge about the origins of the solar system, human life and the universe. This is the first time humans will settle on anotherplanet, so no matter what the outcome may be, the science world will change exponentially. However, there are many questions thatarise concerning the ethics of this mission. Should we really be sending people to another planet? Is it our place to leave our planet andimpose ourselves on an entirely new one?The Mars One Mission is a one-way trip to Mars. Humans have never stepped foot on another planet, and Mars provides anenvironment that allows us to make a first attempt. With soil that people could theoretically extract water from, a daylength similar toEarth and temperatures that range from about 70 to -225 degrees Fahrenheit , Mars is the most similar planet (http://www.mars-one.com/faq/mission-to-mars/why-mars-and-not-another-planet) to Earth in our Solar System. This mission will, of course, be costly.The cost of bringing the first four selected people to Mars will be approximately $6 billion and each subsequent mission is estimated tocost around $4 billion. However, not just anyone can make it to Mars; the physical, mental and emotional requirements lessen the poolof qualified candidates. A Mars One candidate must be 18 years of age or older, between five feet two inches and six feet two inches tall,free of illnesses and have the emotional capability to coexist with others in a completely alien environment. As this is the first timehumans will land on this planet, there are many uncertainties. For example, explorers will be advised not to have children becausethere is no current knowledge of how human conception and human fetus development will function on Mars. However, the explorers will be supported by agrarian technology designed for Mars, as well as periodic missions from Earth to aid the explorers. If all goes asplanned, the Mars One Mission may result in humans having another planet to live on long-term.There are benefits and downsides to this project. Sending people to Mars would provide an unprecedented way to study the planet. And, Earth is rapidly becoming overpopulated; there is a carrying capacity that may soon be reached. This mission could potentially open up an entirely new planet to civilize. However, those who go will never come back, devoting their life to a risky mission that could very well fail, despite the immense amount of money being dedicated to the project. There are also ethical concerns for moving onto aplanet that is not ours to begin with.So, what do you think? What is the future of Mars exploration and will humans be able to adapt to the new environment? Is it ethical tocolonize Mars as a way of dealing with Earth’s overpopulation? What kind of relationship will we have with Mars?
Resource
DO NOW (HTTP://WW2.KQED.ORG/EDUCATION/COLLECTIONS/DO-NOW/)
By
California Academy of Sciences (http://ww2.kqed.org/education/author/calacademy/)
DECEMBER 9, 2014
SHARE
 
EXPLORE: COMMUNITY (HTTP://WW2.KQED.ORG/EDUCATION/CATEGORY/COMMUNITY-CREATED-CONTENT/), SCIENCE(HTTP://WW2.KQED.ORG/EDUCATION/CATEGORY/SCIENCE/), COLONY (HTTP://WW2.KQED.ORG/EDUCATION/TAG/COLONY/), DO NOW(HTTP://WW2.KQED.ORG/EDUCATION/TAG/DO-NOW/), GRADES 6-12 (HTTP://WW2.KQED.ORG/EDUCATION/TAG/GRADES-6-12/), MARS(HTTP://WW2.KQED.ORG/EDUCATION/TAG/MARS/), MARS ONE (HTTP://WW2.KQED.ORG/EDUCATION/TAG/MARS-ONE/), PLANET 
A One Way Ticket to Mars: Behind the Mars One Project
 VIDEO: A One Way Ticket to Mars: Behind the Mars One Project(http://content.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,2424118205001_2144787,00.html) (TIME)
 Bas Lansdorp, CEO of Mars One, introduces, describes and addresses several concerns of this highly-anticipated space venture.
To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with
@KQEDedspace
 and end itwith
#DoNowMars
For more info on how to use Twitter, click here (http://ww2.kqed.org/education/how-to-use-twitter-in-your-teaching-practice/).
 We encourage students to reply to other people’s tweets to foster more of a conversation. Also, if students tweet their personalopinions, ask them to support their ideas with links to interesting/credible articles online (adding a nice research component)or retweet other people’s ideas that they agree/disagree/find amusing. We also value student-produced media linked to theirtweets. You can visit our video tutorials (http://ww2.kqed.org/education/category/tools/video-tutorials/) that showcase how touse several web-based production tools. Of course, do as you can… and any contribution is most welcomed.
More Resources
 VIDEO: Mars One Introduction Film (http://youtu.be/n4tgkyUBkbY) (Mars One)
 See how Mars One plans to establish a human settlement on Mars.
 VIDEO: Can We Make It to Mars? (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/can-we-make-it-to-mars.html) (NOVA)
 This hour-long program explores the challenges that would be faced by humans attempting a trip to Mars.
 WEBSITE: 28 Months on Mars (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/12/09/science/space/curiosity-rover-28-months-on-mars.html) (The New York Times)
  View images and maps of the Mars exploration by NASA’s Curiosity rover.
KQED Do Now Science is a monthly activity in collaboration with California Academy of Sciences. The Science Do Now is posted every secondTuesday of the month.This post was written by the following youth from the Science News Team within the California Academy of Sciences’ TechTeens program: Alexander B., Darrah B., Jonathan H., Nora H., Janelle L., Oliver L., Otto L., and Samuel P. The TechTeens are youth leaders who use digitalmedia to develop and communicate science stories for the public.
 
 
 (HTTP://WW2.KQED.ORG/EDUCATION/TAG/PLANET/), SPACE (HTTP://WW2.KQED.ORG/EDUCATION/TAG/SPACE/)
AUTHOR
(http://ww2.kqed.org/education/2014/12/09/is-it-ethical-to-colonize-mars/?share=facebook&nb=1)
(http://ww2.kqed.org/education/2014/12/09/is-it-ethical-to-colonize-mars/?share=twitter&nb=1)
(http://ww2.kqed.org/education/2014/12/09/is-it-ethical-to-colonize-mars/?share=pinterest&nb=1)
(http://ww2.kqed.org/education/2014/12/09/is-it-ethical-to-colonize-mars/?share=linkedin&nb=1)
(http://ww2.kqed.org/education/2014/12/09/is-it-ethical-to-colonize-mars/?share=google-plus-1&nb=1)
(http://ww2.kqed.org/education/2014/12/09/is-it-ethical-to-colonize-mars/?share=email&nb=1)
69 Comments (http://ww2.kqed.org/education/2014/12/09/is-it-ethical-to-colonize-mars/#disqus_thread)
Watch San Francisco Fall:A Collection of the MostDestructive Movie Scenes
(http://ww2.kqed.org/pop/2014/05/08/watch-san-francisco-fall-a-collection-of-the-most-destructive-movie-scenes/)
The Scariest MomentsYou Won't Find in aHorror Movie
(http://ww2.kqed.org/pop/2014/10/30/the-scariest-moments-you-wont-find-in-a-horror-movie/)
How to Get That FallFeeling, With or Withoutthe Golden Falling Leaves
(http://ww2.kqed.org/pop/2013/10/10/how-to-get-that-fall-feeling-with-or-without-the-golden-falling-leaves/)
Should We Kill OneSpecies to Save Another?
(http://ww2.kqed.org/education/2014/02/04/invasive-species-predator-kill/)
June Swoon: 5 to Watch
(http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2014/06/03/june-swoon-5-to-watch/)
Jarman RetrospectiveEnds in Poignant 'Blue' atBAM/PFA
(http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2retrospective-ends-in-poig bampfa/)
Powered by(https://contextly.com)
RELATED