Instigator / Pro
0
1500
rating
1
debates
50.0%
won
Topic
#2939
Humans should invest in technology to explore and colonize other planets.
Status
Finished
The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.
Winner & statistics
After not so many votes...
It's a tie!
Parameters
- Publication date
- Last updated date
- Type
- Standard
- Number of rounds
- 3
- Time for argument
- Two hours
- Max argument characters
- 10,000
- Voting period
- One week
- Point system
- Winner selection
- Voting system
- Open
Contender / Con
0
1500
rating
1
debates
50.0%
won
Description
Rules for the debate:
The order of speakers must not be changed.
Interrupting a speaker is forbidden.
The audience must not participate in the debate.
After the debate, the chairs and audience have five minutes to share their impressions and opinions.
Then the audience vote yes and no for each team on Slid-O.
The team with the majority votes wins.
Round 1 Opening statement:
GUIDELINES
You will present your arguments during the lesson.
Your dress code, language and content are all academically appropriate.
You have ± 1 minute to present the arguments you have prepared.
Listen to the opposition and make notes of their arguments on your shared team doc. Also suggest how your team can respond.
Round 2 Rebuttals:
GUIDELINES
Each team member will present only ONE counterargument, along with valid reasoning.
You may pose any reasonable question to the opposition that you felt was not addressed.
Add this to your argument on the debate website, so that your teacher and classmates can review your counter claims.
Round 3 closing statement:
GUIDELINES
Add any final points or rhetorical questions that you want the audience to consider further. DO NOT introduce any new ideas at this point.
Round 1
Fellow colleagues, ms. renu; this team as today’s affirmative side have structured our case as follows:
My team and I will be talking about the limitless reasons why we should colonize other planets.
Space colonization has captured the public imagination. Ever since the 1800s science fiction writers have been speculating about what it would take to reach other worlds. But so far poor mankind has only managed to send a few representatives to the moon, our nearest neighbor in the Solar System. But is all this effort worthwhile? Should we really try to colonize other worlds?
Reminding everyone that human culture is closely associated with the demise of many large species of animals. By transporting our ecosystem to other worlds we’ll increase the changes of survivability for many other species among plants and animals. We can recreate ancient environments where huge herds of now extinct or near extinct animals can thrive.
Another advantage is ensuring our own survival against stupidity and cosmic accidents. We don’t know when another massive asteroid will hit the Earth and we still don’t have the means of defending the Earth from such a threat. And many people also fear the prospect of nuclear global warfare. It’s unlikely anyone would survive such a war.
So what seems more practical today is the idea of creating space habitats that people, plants, and animals can share. These habitats will orbit the Earth, the Moon, Mars, Venus, and probably other planets. To build such habitats will require only minor advances in technology from where we are today. And although we have many good reasons to spread out from the Earth, we still don’t yet have the technology to do this. And there are some problems we may never be able to solve if we don’t indulge in improving technology so let's not forget that it is an essential tool that we cannot avoid or live without.
Thank you!
To start off on why Humans should not invest in technology to explore and colonize other planets: (Tasnim)
- Famine is a world wide crisis, with 690 million people starving and 9 million people dying each year. And yet NASA spends 199 million dollars on the space shuttle program and 20 billion dollars on cancelled projects. World hunger takes a minimum of 7 billion dollars and a maximum of 265 to end.
- Scientific benefits of Space programs are exaggerated. NASA spends over one third of its budgets keeping the ISS and Space Shuttle working. Neither Russia nor China have made any claims that there is a scientific benefit to their missions.
- It takes a great deal of time to build technology to send to space. The Hubble telescope took about 50 years to be researched,built ,and launched. The amount of time it took to finish this one project to be completed could have been utilized to end world hunger, global warming and many other catastrophes that exist in the world.
Team, G. (2020, October 19). How Much Would It Cost To End World Hunger? Get The Facts. Learn - GlobalGiving. https://www.globalgiving.org/learn/how-much-would-it-cost-to-end-world-hunger/
The World Counts. (2021, February 6). The World Counts. https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/people-and-poverty/hunger-and-obesity/how-many-people-die-from-hunger-each-year/story
Billings, Linda. (2017). Should Humans Colonize Other Planets? No. Theology and Science. 15. 1-12. 10.1080/14746700.2017.1335065.
Adhamy, A. (2018, August 13). Top 10: Wt are the top 10 most expensive space missions? BBC Science Focus Magazine. https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/top-10-what-are-the-top-10-most-expensive-space-missions/
NASA. (2020, April 24). About - Hubble History Timeline. https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/hubble-history-timeline/
The World Counts. (2021, February 6). The World Counts. https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/people-and-poverty/hunger-and-obesity/how-many-people-die-from-hunger-each-year/story
Billings, Linda. (2017). Should Humans Colonize Other Planets? No. Theology and Science. 15. 1-12. 10.1080/14746700.2017.1335065.
Adhamy, A. (2018, August 13). Top 10: Wt are the top 10 most expensive space missions? BBC Science Focus Magazine. https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/top-10-what-are-the-top-10-most-expensive-space-missions/
NASA. (2020, April 24). About - Hubble History Timeline. https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/hubble-history-timeline/
Humans should not invest in technology to explore and colonize other planets for many reasons including: (Layan)
- Earth is the most hospitable planet. Whether it’s nuclear war or massive global warming, post disaster earth would be way more habitable than Mars. For example, we worry that the oceans on earth will get too polluted or rise up too high, but on Mars the only surface water is frozen in the polar ice caps.
- We would be hard pressed to ruin the water on earth so badly that it’s worse than what’s available on Mars, another reason is space funding would be better spent helping people on earth rather than wasted on other planets.
- Rather than probing Mars for life, and with individuals constantly in the news for attempts to traverse the globe in rowing boats, hot air balloons and tied to gliders, there are clearly enough ‘boundaries’ on this planet to keep even our keenest explorers happy.
Ozimek, A. (2017, May 6). Sorry Nerds, But Colonizing Other Planets Is Not A Good Plan. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/modeledbehavior/2017/05/06/sorry-nerds-but-colonizing-other-planets-is-not-a-good-plan/?sh=3704dd5951e6
space exploration. (2019, December 10). Colonization. https://cpsx.uwo.ca/outreach/student_programs/pdf_and_presentations/single_period/SpaceExplorationDebate_Manual.pdf
Kennedy, F. (2019, December 19). To Colonize Space Or Not To Colonize: That Is The Question (For All Of Us). Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/fredkennedy/2019/12/18/to-colonize-or-not-to-colonize--that-is-the-question-for-all-of-us/?sh=734aae7d2367
Humans should not invest in technology to explore and colonize other planets for many reasons including: (Nardenia)
- Space launches can have a hefty carbon footprint due to the burning of solid rocket fuels. Rocket engines release trace gases into the upper atmosphere that contribute to ozone depletion, as well as particles of soot.
- Global warming is likely to be the greatest threat of the 21st century. The increase of temperatures and the climate disrupts the ecosystems, the melting of ice increasing sea level at a huge rate, and the scarcity of resources and climate change that are changing life habits and migratory cycles of animals. Are few of the many negative effects of Global warming.
- A microbiologist at The University of Tokyo conducted a study that suggested that microbial life could travel between planets unprotected by rock. Which means if any harmful bacteria were to come back with a rover then we may unleash the next deadly plague.
global warming. (n.d.). Nardenia Balubaid. Retrieved March 13, 2021, from https://solarimpulse.com/global-warming-solutions
Bacteria. (n.d.). Nardenia. Retrieved March 13, 2021, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/scientists-discover-exposed-bacteria-can-survive-space-years-180975660/
rocket fuels. (n.d.). Nardenia. Retrieved March 13, 2021, from https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/are-space-launches-bad-for-the-environment/#:~:text=Space%20launches%20can%20have%20a,can%20cause%20significant%20carbon%20emissions.
Bacteria. (n.d.). Nardenia. Retrieved March 13, 2021, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/scientists-discover-exposed-bacteria-can-survive-space-years-180975660/
rocket fuels. (n.d.). Nardenia. Retrieved March 13, 2021, from https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/are-space-launches-bad-for-the-environment/#:~:text=Space%20launches%20can%20have%20a,can%20cause%20significant%20carbon%20emissions.
Conclusion on why humans should not invest in technology to explore and colonize other planets for many reasons including: (Malak)
- Humans destroy earth to have a good reason to leave it and move to another planet. Humans have destroyed a tenth of Earth’s remaining wilderness in the last 25 years.
- There is sufficient room for exploration here on earth. Almost 95% of the oceans on our planet are not yet discovered. Some research showed that certain types of bacteria use volcanic vents on the ocean floor as sources of energy, a discovery that made many scientists looking for life on Mars reconsider.
- One of the biggest issues surrounding space exploration is ethical. Some of these issues show that by exploring and trying to colonize other planets, we are messing with yet undiscovered life. Another major ethical issue is how wealthy people can easily buy a ticket and leave our troubled planet behind, and how people who get put out of work here on earth will be left behind.
Space exploration debate. (2011, May 23). Https://Cpsx.Uwo.ca/Outreach/Student_programs/Pdf_and_presentations/Single_period/SpaceExplorationDebate_Manual.Pdf. https://cpsx.uwo.ca/outreach/student_programs/pdf_and_presentations/single_period/SpaceExplorationDebate_Manual.pdf
Billings, Linda. (2017). Should Humans Colonize Other Planets? No. Theology and Science. 15. 1-12. 10.1080/14746700.2017.1335065.
Round 2
welcome again, the other team has skillfully explained their points but a certain one struck me, they talked about global warming and how it is likely to be the greatest threat of the 21st century. but that just supports my teams argument. global warning is killing our earth slowly and has reached a point were we cant entirely fix it we should invest in technology and explore other planets for the betterment of human beings.
thank you
(Tasnim):
Since the 16th century, humans have driven at least 680 vertebrate species to extinction. Human activities that influence the extinction and endangerment of wild species fall into a number of categories, unsustainable hunting and harvesting that cause mortality at rates that exceed recruitment of new individuals, land use practices like deforestation, urban and suburban development, agricultural cultivation, and water management projects that encroach upon and/or destroy natural habitat, intentional or unintentional introduction of destructive diseases, parasites, and predators, ecological damage caused by water, air, and soil pollution. Those are many of the few reasons why animals and plants are going extinct. So why not restrict these activities to stop the extensions of animals. If we keep walking this very dangerous there may not be any plants or animals to move to mars.
(Malak):
We should invest in technology to protect our planet from the disastrous actions caused by us humans and other disasters that threaten our home planet. Spending billion on technology to colonize other planets while NASA has found a radiation belt around our planet which prevents us from leaving to other planets is illogical and a waste of money.
(Layan):
I want to oppose what the other team has said about over population . It's true that earth is over populated but this is because earth contains everything we need in order to survive and this makes earth the most habitable planet in the solar system.
(Nardenia):
I would like to rebuttal a point a fellow speaker from the opposing team stated. We can not pollute the Earth, moving to other planets has proven difficult and technology to achieve this goal has not been yet developed. We should protect our home planet and try to save it. Instead of throwing all the trash on it based on hopes and dreams that have proven impossible to yet achieve .
Round 3
Closing speech:
I want to thank everyone who participated in today's fruitful debate and re stress on the importance of improving our technology and colonizing other planets for the betterment of the human race. So today I will not address you as friends or opponents, today I will speak to you from one human living on this earth to another. I want you all to think about all the damage humans have done to this world, do you think it has the ability to survive more? The answer should be obvious, and for that i continue to emphasize on the importance of colonizing other planets, thank you!
I want to thank everyone who participated in today's fruitful debate and re stress on the importance of improving our technology and colonizing other planets for the betterment of the human race. So today I will not address you as friends or opponents, today I will speak to you from one human living on this earth to another. I want you all to think about all the damage humans have done to this world, do you think it has the ability to survive more? The answer should be obvious, and for that i continue to emphasize on the importance of colonizing other planets, thank you!
So esteemed chair, fellow speakers, and honored audience, what have I told you today? Firstly the large spread of famine around the world that could be ended if the money needed is not spent on projects to explore and colonize space. Secondly the limited scientific benefits of space exploration, and lastly the immense amount of time it takes to build the technology can be utilized to fix many of the greatest struggles faced today. Time is something that we can not take back. So are we willing to spend it paying for rockets instead of saving our people and planet? So this motion must fall.
samiyahs:
Welcome to this side of the debate ,I am delegate Samiyah.
Exploring planets became essential these days because several natural effects such as the greenhouse effect are gradually progressing on Earth therefore the risk of climate disaster is increasing every year. Currently scientists are using technology to develop the idea of exploring life on other possible planets .Spaceships and robots have been sent to Mars for the purpose of rescuing Earth people in case of critical disasters and to explore our mysterious solar system. But still scientists are trying to collect the right equipment, suggestions, and point of views to do so.
Colonizing planets could be a survival for human civilization ,the biosphere in the event of a planetary-scale disaster, and for the availability of resources that could enable human expansion which will make our world better. As a result of not having the proper technology there are no colonies built yet. Although we don't have the appropriate technology to colonize space ; we should start developing new techniques and scientists have to work harder because being involved in technology is like a small tiny fish in a huge ocean so study it carefully to not get lost.
Colonizing outer space is a splendid idea where humans can discover new areas to live, and maybe living an advanced life will make everything easier. Although space colonies are expensive, maybe countries can unite together to accomplish this project after studying every idea because it may be a massive success. There is no certain plans yet for building colonies,however, many proposals, speculations, and designs for space settlements have been made through the years and popular scientist such as Freeman Dyson, have come out in favor of space settlement.On the technological front, there is ongoing progress in making access to space cheaper and in creating automated manufacturing and construction techniques, by pioneers such as Elon Musk.
Thank you
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Will-man-manage-to-create-technologies-that-will-leave-the-planet-Earth-Solar-System-and-reach-other-planetary-systems
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_colonization
Good evening Everyone. My first argument is that we as humans have the potential of destroying our planets sufficiently to the point where we are required to leave, and we often use this as an excuse to bank and destroy our planet. I would also like to add that there is sufficient room for exploration on earth. In fact, almost 95% of the oceans on our planet are not yet discovered, so why leave such a big percentage of our planet undiscovered? According to research, some types of bacteria use volcanic vents on the ocean floor as sources of energy. This discovery made scientists looking for life on Mars totally change their view. Finally, space exploration involves some ethical issues. There are many examples of such issues including messing with yet undiscovered life, and how rich people can easily drag themselves out of the situation leaving our troubled planet and the people that put out of work here on earth. Under what circumstances is that an ethical thing to do?
I, as a second speaker, feel very strongly that the problem with colonizing mars is that nothing could happen to earth that would make it less hospitable than Mars. Whether it’s nuclear war or massive global warming, post disaster earth would be way more habitable than Mars. For example, we worry that the oceans on earth will get too polluted or rise up too high, but on Mars the only surface water is frozen in the polar ice caps. We would be hard pressed to ruin the water on earth so badly that it’s worse than what’s available on Mars, another reason is space funding would be better spent helping people on earth rather than wasted on other planets. There are already enough problems at home into which the money could be invested. As Patti Davis argued in 2004, the funding for the mission ---$750 billion--- would much better be used in alternative energy research and fighting climate change, and there is sufficient room for exploration on earth; space is excessive. Rather than probing Mars for life, and with individuals constantly in the news for attempts to traverse the globe in rowing boats, hot air balloons and tied to gliders, there are clearly enough ‘boundaries’ on this planet to keep even our keenest explorers happy.
Should Humans Invest in Technology to Explore and Colonize Other Planets? (luckscout.com)
Why Should We Colonize Other Planets? – Research Summary (benefitsof.org)