Ethics and philosophy of science

Question 1

What is a paradigm?

Answer 1

a paradigm is a typical example or pattern which can describe something

Question 2

What is the Kuhn cycle?

Answer 2

The Kuhn cycle is process of new paradigms being formed:

• normal science
• model drift
• model crisis
• model revolution
• paradigm change

Question 3

Give an example of paradigm shift

Answer 3

There are many:

• Natural selection
• relations in fields such as chemistry, physics and other science
• new understandings in the fields of social sciences and psychology

Question 4

What is Occam’s Razor?

Answer 4

It is a problem solving principle in which for two solutions which explain a problem, the simplest one tends to be the correct one

Question 5

What are some of the danger of human exploration?

Answer 5

• Exposure to radiation
• The effect of weightlessness on the body
• The lethality of the Vacuum of space
• psychological effects of long term space travel

Question 6

what are some of the ethical issues of space exploration?

Answer 6

• Potential loss of human life

- Forward and/or backwards contamination of bacteria or viruses from earth/other planets

Question 7

what is meant by “Instrumental Value”?

Answer 7

means of a valuable, required end

Food, water, shelter etc…

Question 8

What is meant by “Intrinsic Value”?

Answer 8

valued by aesthetic/ pleasure/ happiness

non- necessary

Question 9

What are the three types of philosophical views reffed to in Astrobiology?

Answer 9

• Anthropocentric view (human focused)
• Biocentric view (life focused)
• Cosmocentric view (natural environment focused)

Question 10

What philosophical view takes into account only the interests of human beings and their presence in the future?

Answer 10

Anthropocentric

Question 11

What philosophical view takes into account the intrinsic living value of all life, not just humans?

Answer 11

Biocentric

Question 12

What philosophical view takes into account the instrumental and intrinsic value of everything?

Answer 12

Cosmocentric

Question 13

What are the challenges of the Anthropocentric view?

Answer 13

Human interests may differ about how we do things in space such as:

• Generating new technology
• creating opportunities to live off-earth
• how to protect humanity along the way

Question 14

What are the challenges of the Biocentric view?

Answer 14

• Is it feasible to take into account all living life for its own sake?
• If intelligence is a focus, how do we define what life is and isn’t intelligent ?

Question 15

What are the challenges of Cosmocentric view?

Answer 15

• If not only all living things have intrinsic value, then why not take into account rocks, weather systems and entire lifeless planets?
• Takes more effect off-earth

Question 16

What are some of the reasons we might not meet other life in the universe?

Answer 16

• Planetary destruction via short lived stars via supernovae
• Race extinction
• Life developed too late
• The universe is too big to find them

Question 17

What are the benefits of ISRU?

Answer 17

• reduced weight and cost of mission
• reduced risk and makes missions more flexible
• expanding human presence in the solar system
• makes mission more likely to be successful and hence less risk to human life

Question 18

What philosophical term refers to astrobiology?

Answer 18

Cosmic pluralism

Question 19

Give three examples of how confirmation bias can become an issue

Answer 19

• Social media
• Health and alternative medicine compared to scientifically proven
• Pre-established scientific fact to revelation

Question 20

Explain how environmental ethics is applicable to astrobiology

Answer 20

• Depending on the philosophical view in question, there will be some value to the natural environment
• That could instrumental or intrinsic value
• This would lay the basis for an ethical framework for future missions
• Would reduce the risk of harm or injury to both earth and the astronomical object in question

Question 21

What is cosmic pluralism?

Answer 21

The belief or view that other astronomical bodies in the universe must harbour life

Question 22

What does SETI stand for ?

Answer 22

Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence

Question 23

What is anthropromorphism ?

Answer 23

describing alien life to be similar in fashion to humans

• Bipedal mammals
• air breathing

This is popular in sci-fi pop culture

Question 24

What is a dominant paradigm?

Answer 24

values or understandings in society that are widely held at a given time

Question 25

what is the Darwinian definition of life?

Answer 25

A self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution