Artificial Environments and Artificial Life: From Space to Earth
- Paper number
IAC-06-E2.3.06
- Author
Dr. Simon Worden, University of Arizona, United States
- Coauthor
Ms. Participants International Space University Summer Session program 2006, International Space University (ISU), France
- Year
2006
- Abstract
The growing interest in permanent human habitation off earth means that we must learn to create an artificial environment in which to live. The development of independent life-bearing and more important life-evolving off-world environments may have its most profound implications back on earth. Experiments that are difficult, if not impossible on earth -- either due to time scales, danger or political and ethical issues, could be done off world. An off world terrarium may be a good way to achieve and understand the true initial state of life on earth before humans. The results of these activities could provide clues on how to safely correct damage done to our terrestrial environment and guide its future development. Even more profoundly we might learn from experiments including artificial life and intelligence some directions for evolution of life on earth that we want to avoid or conversely encourage. The students of the International Space University Summer Student Program 2006 are investigating these issues and designing a closed lunar habitat as a test bed for these studies. They will recommend how the results from such a facility might be introduced on earth and explore the full range of possible discoveries that might emerge. In addition they are assessing the legal, ethical, and policy issues associated with these developments and recommending an international legal framework for managing these possibilities.
- Abstract document