Team:Brown-Stanford/SynEthics/Videos/JimHead

Dr. Jim Head is Louis and Elizabeth Scherck Distinguished Professor of Geological Sciences at Brown University. He is a prominent planetary scientist who has worked on NASA mission planning since the Apollo program. He currently studies processes that form and modify the surfaces, crusts and lithospheres of planets.

(0:06) Why is it important to settle in space?
Dr. Head alludes to the inevitability of existential threats as an argument for settling space.

(0:32) Keeping in mind the impact of settlement
Dr. Head urges caution in the environmental impact of settlement, given our own history. However, synthetic biology may be a way of minimizing environmental impact.

(1:40) What is the risk of contamination to the Martian environment?
Dr. Head believes that we will likely resolve the question of risk before arriving on Mars. Contamination must not be introduced because a pristine planet represents an ideal laboratory for scientists. He acknowledges the limitation of even the best sterilization efforts.

(3:09) On the topic of terraforming
Dr. Head proposes we instead think in terms of coexisting with the Martian environment. He believes that altering fundamental macro processes in nature, on Mars and on Earth, is a risky endeavor.

(4:50) Do you think synthetic biology will change how space exploration is done?
Dr. Head believes that synthetic biology has immense potential beyond our conception, even within the next ten years.

(6:07) What would you say to the next generation of scientists and synthetic biologists?
Dr. Head recalls his own experiences during the Space Race and the leap of progress within decades. Looking at synthetic biology, we can only rely on our imaginations to chart the course for the future.