Predicting a consensus model for reacting to extraterrestrial life using Lego Serious Play

Paper number

IAC-18,E1,9,10,x45791

Author

Ms. Ruth McAvinia, Ireland, ATG Europe B.V.

Coauthor

Dr. Ed Chester, United Kingdom, Catena Space

Coauthor

Dr. Niamh Shaw, Ireland

Year

2018

Abstract

Lego Serious Play (LSP) is a formal suite of methods developed and owned by Lego Group, provided as a corporate product via a network of Certified Facilitators. The methods are used together to address a wide range of philosophical, process, identity and design questions such as innovation management, problem solving, and for delivering step-change transformation in team performance. They are typically deployed to address business decisions around values, strategy, and service design but many diverse use cases are continually emerging and being reported.

A distinctive characteristic of an LSP process is that it ensures each participant view is shared in a setting that allows all views equal validity and weight. It can mute cultural, language, education or faith differences (or exacerbate them, depending upon the objectives). This makes LSP a potentially powerful tool to explore cross-cultural questions of values and identity without recourse to a shared technical framework. Arguably there is nothing more profoundly cross-cultural than the issue of humanity's perceived isolation in the universe.

In a workshop organised by the Humanities Department at the International Space University's Space Studies Program, hosted at Delft in August 2018, participants were challenged to explore the impact of confirmed detection of extraterrestrial life upon everyday lives and on the space industry on Earth. This was structured as a careful series of questions, initially answered by each individual participant, and then shared understandings negotiated towards a consensus view. A 'connected system' of consensus views was developed, and the emergent result comprised a prediction of a multicultural and global response to the new circumstances that will result from knowing that life is not confined to Earth.

This paper describes the methods, the workshop process and question sequence, the intermediate responses, and the predicted societal response model. It also captures any opportunities for further exploration, and any shortcomings or issues arising from the workshop.

Abstract document

IAC-18,E1,9,10,x45791.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-18,E1,9,10,x45791.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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