What counter arguments have you encountered about your position on space exploration, and how do you address them?
One common counterargument is the apocalyptic idea that we need a “plan B planet” in case something catastrophic happens to Earth. My response is that we should prioritize preventative measures on Earth now, so we can avoid those issues to the best of our ability. I mean, sure, the sun will eventually explode our planet, and we could, in several billion years, plan for that event. But in the meantime, we should focus on creating a sustainable planet, managing climate change, and achieving a better living situation on Earth instead of striving for more or better elsewhere and leaving our home planet in the dust.
How has science communication become part of your role as an anthropologist?
Science communication kind of snuck up on me. I started writing for the public because I had all these thoughts in my head about space, space ethics, and futurism and I didn’t know where to put them. I started writing for science blogs and news outlets, and eventually realized I was someone the public could learn from about the social sciences and outer space. There aren’t many social scientists engaging with the public on these topics, so I thought, the morethe merrier. We should be telling the public about the work social scientists are doing in space, technology, and science.
How do you manage to balance the demands of being a Ph.D. student, a teacher, and a writer?
When I actually sat down to write my first book, I had already done about five years of research. I did most of my main body of research and reading during my first master’s degree in London, so I had a strong foundation. I also took a semester off to write the book, which I think is valid if you need to pursue projects like this.
Writing a second book while working on my dissertation is a lot harder because I’m doing fresh research on top of schoolwork. It’s all about balance. But it’s also about prioritization, making time for writing, and being persistent. It took me many years of writing, and trial and error before I got an agent. You have to keep at it and have faith in yourself.
Special thanks to Chris Savage and the rest of the staff of the Science Museum of Western Virginia for their help with this article and video. Learn more about the museum and the EYE Planetarium.