Since the final project is quite open ended, I have been experiencing some difficulty coming up with a good topic. The idea that I am exploring right now, though not necessarily the idea I will end up going with, is a more in-depth look at space exploration vs Earth preservation. I want to look into the pros and cons of space exploration, hopefully discovering why certain scientists and scholars believe that this area of science is an important one, and I want to simultaneously do the same thing concerning Earth preservation.
By Earth preservation, I mean the research and development of tactics to reverse our negative environmental impact, or adapt to the state of the planet as it is, ideally in order to prolong our successful habitation of Earth as our home.
By space exploration, I'm referring specifically to the desire to colonize other planets (so as to find a new home now that we have basically ruined this one), and developing the technology that would allow us to get to that point.
I intend to look at both of those subjects, find the benefits and detriments of each of those scientific pursuits. Then, to tie them both together, I want to research and look into ways to combine those two pursuits, so that the technological development of the coming years can benefit both paths. I also hope to determine for myself which of those pursuits might be best to focus on, weighing the pros and cons of each.
Currently, I love space exploration and its related subjects, but primarily because they are simply interesting to me, not necessarily because they deserve my attention. I believe the subject does indeed deserve attention, but I want to objectively show why (or why not). However, since the argument was brought up in class about the need to "focus on our own planet first," I have wondered if that is the "correct" way of thinking. Should we focus on fixing the Earth? Or should we focus on what lies outside of our planet? If we try to focus on both at once (as we essentially are right now), which one deserves more attention? My personal opinion is not quite solidified - as much as I love space exploration, it does seem logical to focus on the Earth while we're still here. I'm hoping this project allows me to discover things about both subjects and form a more educated opinion for myself.
I'm also planning on enlisting the help of Haley from our class (hi Haley, if you're reading this), to try to push my boundaries a bit. My end goal is some sort of video or documentary about this topic, but I'm hoping Haley can push it in a more artistic, experimental, and conceptual direction, instead of sticking purely with data and facts.
I have a few people in mind for interviews. I happen to have a friend who used to work at JPL, so I'm planning on reaching out to him and attempting to get an interview with someone currently at the company. I would love to get the opinion of someone directly in that field concerning the question of Earth vs space. Additionally, I hope to find someone on the other side, a scientist involved with fixing and protecting our own environment, to weigh in on the issue as well.
Since my Freshman year, I wanted my capstone project to be a documentary about space exploration - specifically following one specific project from NASA or Space X and seeing it through to the end. I think this final can be a great stepping stone to that capstone idea, providing me with some contacts and information that might help me on that future documentary.
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