March 29, 2022
GEN ST 297 | Future-ish | Winter 2022
The Winter 2022 GEN ST 297 Future-ish seminar group was the largest yet since the seminar was restarted. Robotic fish seemed to be a frequent topic, along with COVID, plastics, 3D printing, and new horizons for space travel.
Seminar Scenarios
The Winter 2022 seminar students chose to look at the nexus of space travel and biodiversity (plant and animal). The four scenarios of future states for this synthesis are shared below.
Scenario 1 | Growing Without Gravity. Efforts will begin to research and grow plants and animals in low gravity situations. Plants will be naturally hybridized or genetically engineered with low gravity in mind. Solar farms, particularly vertical solar farms, will be conceptualized and piloted. Research begins on human nutrition absorption in space and efforts to understand how children in low gravity situations are able to absorb nutrition will be important for future travel and colonies. Astrobiologists will start to have more information with which to imagine biodiversity on other planets.
Scenario 2. Interplanetary Ark. Work will begin to breed and/or genetically engineer animals for life on the moon or other planets. Research progresses on converting elements found in space to support plant and animal growth. Intentional efforts will be made to breed and/or genetically engineer animals for low oxygen environments (low carbon dioxide environments for plants).
Scenario 3. Interplanetary Economy. A multi-planetary economy begins to take shape with crops focused on specific planets on which they grow best. Inter-species breeding between earth animals with other-planet animals begins. Multiple ways to create and purifying water in space, on the moon, and on other planets become common. Space ships that are self sufficient in space travel with animals and plants.
Scenario 4. Far Out Features. Plants are intentionally grown to ‘control’ systems, ships, stations, etc. New and novel plants and animals are engineered from existing DNA. Scientists are able to create full ecosystems on another planets. Modifications can be created to optimize a plant or animals ability to thrive on another planet, a dog from Mars that lives on Saturn, for example.