I just read this article about arctic microbes that could theoretically survive on Mars. And was thinking about this a bit…
Under normal circumstances transplanting Earth-bound microbes to other planets is considered a big no-no for a host of practical and moral reasons. But suppose we wake up tomorrow and notice an earth-destroying comet heading straight for us, does that change ? I mean not just something that will wipe us out, but is so big it will clearly wipe out all life on the planet. Do we have some moral obligation to keep life around ? Should we bottle some of this stuff up and send it to Mars ? Obviously there might be a few practical considerations with it actually surviving there, but if it was feasible, would it be the right thing to do ?
I see no difference between that and transplanting potatoes to Ireland.
Keeping Mars sterile for now makes sense out of scientific curiosity for discovering past Martian life, not any moral qualms about bringing it there eventually.
No the current guidelines are definitely there due a moral obligation to stop contamination, not just the practical problem of avoiding a “false positive” detection of ET life.
What do you mean “if” the Earth were doomed? We ARE doomed! The sun will eventually expand and kill all life on the planet. Never mind that it will take a few billion years - we should learn from the Pierson’s Puppeteers and take action promptly. Let’s get out of here!!!
I recall an old SF short story, I think it was by Arthur C. Clarke, about an Earth expedition to Venus. The astronauts discover a lifeform, a kind of big amoeba-thing, and are all excited about it. But then they casually jettison their ship’s trash, which the amoeba-thing eats, thereby absorbing deadly microorganisms to which it has no immunity, and then it goes on to contaminate the others of its kind. In one stroke, the astronauts have discovered and exterminated life on Venus.
I see no moral imperative either way. I would prefer that every possible resource first be employed to stop the threat. Now if you told me that God had made an appearance and said, “This is the end boys and don’t try any funny stuff”, I’d avoid sending DNA in a time capsule anywhere and take my personal DNA to Lourdes or something.
If you based every moral decision on a necessity for understanding all future ramifications ahead of time, nothing would ever get done. You’re asking for the impossible. You can’t really demand anything more than a best faith effort to know the state of the situation.
Good idea, but perhaps a better idea would be to send stuff out on a variety of very long orbits, such that at least one re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere once the Earth is again capable of supporting life. All you need is stuff like Stromatolites and algae
Add to that putting mankind’s knowledge on something on the Moon. Something that will last a few hundred million years. Make it hollow but easily opened and put all the knowledge inside. Hmm… something like a monolith, perhaps?
There’s a small chance the microbial life could evolve into more complicated lifeforms, possibly ones that are conscious. Why risk bringing more suffering and pain into the world if you can help it? Then again, I don’t see why you’d want to preserve microbes either, unless you want to really confuse some alien archaeologists.
