The Skeptics Guide #682 - August 4, 2018 (Ad Free)
Added 2018-08-04 13:42:43 +0000 UTCInterview with Robert Kurson, author of Rocket Men
What's the Word: Stylometry
News Items: Terraforming Mars, Shifty Eyes, Scutoid
Who's That Noisy
Science or Fiction
Comments
This is interesting. I don't necessarily disagree with you; however, let's take another look. Are you a complex organism? Compared to what? And who gets to decide? If some even more ancient and advanced culture stopped by and liked earth, but needed to make a "few" changes would we be ok with that? Would it matter? I would like our terraforming work to be asking these questions. Maybe the answer really is a simple as you suggest.
Sam Geckler
2018-08-06 21:24:00 +0000 UTCWe can and should do both.
Aaron Labertew
2018-08-06 14:40:56 +0000 UTCIf it's between a bunch of microbes and expanding humanity's presence in the solar system, I choose us /shrug. We can get as many samples as we can to study, but ultimately to me it's just not worth it to quarantine an entire planet for the sake of keeping a few microscopic life forms in their natural habitat. Now, if there are legit complex organisms there, that would be a different story.
Aaron Labertew
2018-08-06 14:40:19 +0000 UTCAlso, I like the idea of getting our Earth environment in a good place as a priority. I suppose we may be able "test" some of the things on Mars before applying it to Earth... But I'd like to have all the environmental research going into ensuring this planet is habitable.
Derek
2018-08-05 15:06:07 +0000 UTCI think we can all agree that there is one really important thing that must be done before we consider any kind of terraforming of Mars. Convince ourselves without a doubt that there is no life there. Because if there is, in my view that, means terraforming is probably out.
Sam Geckler
2018-08-05 00:59:00 +0000 UTC
