Astronaut Bioethics
Presentation Topic, Selected research topic: Astronaut Bioethics
Presentation Issue/Question: Plans for long-term space missions to colonize other plants are already underway. Is it ethical to expose people to unknown levels of human isolation and physical danger (including exposure to radiation) for such a purpose?
You will be working on Phase 2, please review attachment.
The final presentation must follow this outline:
Title Slide – This first slide must include the presentation title, your full name, and the date.
Body Slide- The next slides will contain an explanation and summary of both sides of the issue. Use your research to objectively (your opinion will come later) present the facts and opinions of both sides fairly. In your slides, cite (current APA format) the research you use, including citations. Your explanation and summaries should be in-depth, thus taking up several slides (should be 3+ slides). Use the notes section of the slide if you feel the slides are becoming crowded with too much text. Relate any principles, concepts, or information from your textbook into your presentation.
Reference Slide – This next slide must list all sources in the current APA format.
Opinion Slide – This next slide is your opinion. Present your own opinion about the controversy. You must explain why you believe what you do. Also, tie your opinion to one or more of the ethical approaches discussed in the textbook. State this ethical approach on the slide and explain why the approach is right. Ex. “Utilitarian approach” focuses on the consequences of abortion, more infant deaths vs. reduced back-alley deaths; deontology approach, does a fetus have rights vs. rights of the mother; etc. Use the text or another professional source to support your stance. Be sure to properly cite your sources accordingly.
Conclusion and Discussion Questions Slide – Provide a summary of your presentation and close your presentation with three discussion questions about the topic. Think about these questions. Your questions must be ethically challenging and tough. You want your questions to really invoke a great deal of discussion.
Sample Solution
The ethical considerations of subjecting humans to long-term space missions are complex and multifaceted. On one hand, engaging in such activities provides a unique opportunity for scientific exploration as well as the potential to expand our knowledge of space while providing accessible resources and opportunities that may not be available on Earth (Bonardi & Cvetkovic, 2019). However, it is also important to consider how the isolation associated with deep space travel could impact astronauts psychologically or the physical dangers posed by cosmic radiation (Ceccanti et al., 2020). These risks should not be taken lightly and must be carefully weighed before embarking on any mission into deep space. Overall, while there is no straightforward answer to this question as ethical considerations remain largely subjective in nature, it is clear that due diligence needs to be taken when evaluating plans for long-term missions into uncharted territory. Appropriate measures need to be taken in order to ensure that astronauts participating in such endeavors can safely explore other planets without being exposed unknowingly or unnecessarily so some risk factors that have significant impacts on their health and well-being.
