Can we do better in space than we’ve done here on Earth?

We’ve pinpointed the destination, refined the technology, designed the habitat, outfitted our space residents. Are we forgetting something? A timely reminder that it’s not just rocket science, this thought-provoking book explores the all-too-human issues raised by the prospect of settling in outer spaceIt’s worth remembering, Erika Nesvold suggests, that in making new worlds, we don’t necessarily leave our earthly problems behind. Accordingly, her work highlights the complex ethical challenges that accompany any other-worldly venture—questions about the environment, labor rights, and medical ethics, among others.
 
Any such venture, Nesvold contends, must be made on behalf of all humanity, with global input and collaborationOff-Earth thus includes historical and contemporary examples from outside the dominant Western/US, abled, and privileged narrative of the space industry. Nesvold calls on experts in ethics, sociology, history, social justice, and law to launch a hopeful conversation about the potential ethical pitfalls of becoming a multi-planet species—and, ideally, to shed light on similar problems we presently face here on Earth.
 
Space settlement is rapidly becoming ever more likelyWill it look like the utopian vision of Star Trek? Or the dark future of Star Wars? Nesvold challenges us to decide.


Format Inbunden Omfång 296 sidor Språk Engelska Förlag MIT Press Ltd Utgivningsdatum 2023-03-07 ISBN 9780262047548