Category: Unit 2

Topic: Terraforming Planets/Moons

Know:

Terraforming another planet, although it never has been done yet, is theoretically possible. A planet has to pass a specific criterion in order to support life. I think some of these conditions are liquid water, oxygen, and a specific atmosphere. I can’t remember exactly and I may be missing some conditions. As more time passes, overpopulation becomes a more talked about issue. Astronomers present the idea of terraforming a planet in order to make it inhabitable for humans. This way we have more living space for our species in case Earth cannot hold us.

Want:

Do we currently have the resources to terraform a planet or moon?

Do our space researchers have plans in the near future to terraform a planet or moon?

What planet would be the easiest to terraform?

What are the specific conditions needed to host life?

Learn:

We may have the necessary resources to begin terraforming, however, the resources that are required to do so are more than what any government would allow to be used. Currently, there are no executable plans to terraform a planet or moon, however, SpaceX plans the send the first-ever commercial space flight to Mars. Due to its proximity to Earth, Mars seems to be the easiest planet to terraform. Also if we can restore its atmosphere, it may start to terraform itself. Some requirements to host life are a stable star, the right mass, the ability to hold an atmosphere, and the presence of liquid water.

Still want to know:

Is this absolutely necessary for us as a civilization?

What’s the next step after terraforming?

Is our generation estimated to see the result of terraforming in our lifetime?

   When James Baldwin says “the world is larger,” he attempts to emphasize that there’s a lot more to discover in this world than what the government has presented to us. In fact, the overall message that James was trying to convey is that nobody should feel detained by the mental chains of the government, despite the economic or political strength of an administration or authority. He says “I would teach him [the student] that he doesn’t have to be bound by the expediencies of any given administration, any given policy, any given morality; that he has the right and the necessity to examine everything,” because he wants people to understand people they have more power in their life than what the government tells them. He emphasizes this message especially for African Americans, a group of people that have been getting oppressed nearly since the beginning of time.

   I agree with James’ point mentioned in the article because I too believe that I have the obligation to uncover the “not-so-hidden” truths that society decides to keep away from us. I would also be fascinated to know more about the history related to the people that overthrew our country (aka white people). Before reading this article, I was never aware that white people had segments of their history they were hiding from the public as well. I thought all of their history (somewhat similar to black people) was fully uncovered. However, I was mistaken, with this new information discovered in my mind, I would hope schools across the globe shed more light on this topic, so there aren’t any more children oblivious to certain segments of history, like myself.