Assessment Task Two: Short Answer Questions (35 marks)
Assessment Task Two: Short Answer Questions (35 marks)
Overview
This task is scaffolded across workshops 1 4 and so it is important that you draft an initial response to each short answer question that you prepare for your workshops. We will discuss these dilemmas during the workshops. This will give you an opportunity to reflect on your initial responses whilst working through this with your peers during the workshop. This engagement may have solidified your response or inspired you to rethink your initial thoughts concerning the questions.
All of this work will ensure that you are in a good position to maximise your marks.
Your response should be your thoughts on the question and the key content based on what you have learned. It may also include relevant personal, professional, or academic perspectives and experiences
There are no right/wrong answers; it is the quality of your argument we are interested in: how it is stated, how it is explained, and how it is justified.
In class discussion should help you to think about how your response can be improved and/or refined.
DO NOT SUBMIT ANY DRAFT RESPONSES TO THE SAQ.
For Submission Via Turnitin
Students are NOT PERMITTED to use any AI in answering these questions.
Submit refined response to 4 of the short answer questions, utilising a variety of readings and resources.
Module Question
Module 1 SAQ1: Are all good deeds inherently selfish?
Module 1 SAQ2: In the context of a housing crisis, is Airbnb ethical?
Module 2 SAQ3: Should former Labour senator Fatima Payman have crossed the floor in the Senate to vote with The Australian Greens to formally recognise the state of Palestine?
Module 2 SAQ4: Should universities be politically neutral?
Module 3 SAQ5: Are museums ethical?
Module 3 SAQ6: Should Artificial Intelligence (AI) make ethical decisions for humans?
Module 4 SAQ7: Is it ethical to be a billionaire?
Module 4 SAQ8: Should humans explore outer space?
Submission
Turnitin Submission of one document with your final responses to four questions.
You need to refine responses to FOUR of the Short Answer Questions: ONE from each of modules 1, 2, 3 and 4. Only ONE question for each module will be marked.
Your response should reflect your engagement with both individual and group learning, showing considered philosophical reflection of theory and applied ethics settings. It is important that you link the question to (some of) the theory covered within the unit.
There are no right/ wrong answers; it is the quality of your argument we are interested in: how it is stated, how it is explained, and how it is justified.
Each response should be 250 words (word count for entire document is 1000 words).
There is a 10% leeway on the entire submission (i.e. minimum word count = 900 words, maximum word count = 1100 words).
Each question will be marked on its own merits, so you should not sacrifice the word count of 1 question, to allow a longer response on another question.
DO NOT provide an introduction nor conclusion to your submission.
You should clearly indicate which question you are responding to using appropriate sub-headings (not included counted in the word count).
You should respond to each question as succinctly as possible. You should use Formal Academic English. You are encouraged to make use of Studiosity and the Study Smart resources to ensure a well-written response
Rubric for each question
No Attempt Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Good Very Good Excellent
No attempt Shallow response to the question. Little evidence of engagement with learning module content or stimulus material. Little understanding of the issue being discussed, and the ethical theory at work. Satisfactory response to question. Evidence of engagement with learning module content and/or stimulus material. Weak Awareness of the issue being discussed, and attempts to link to theoretical material of the module. Good response to question. Clear evidence of engagement with provided learning module content and/or stimulus material. Evidence of growth and refinement of ideas following group learning. Good awareness of the issue being discussed, and demonstrates insightful links to theoretical material of the module. Very good response to question. Strong engagement with learning module content and/or stimulus material. May also utilise additional resources to develop and support angle of argument and philosophical perspective. Strong evidence of growth and refinement of ideas following group learning. Strong awareness of the issue being discussed, and demonstrates insightful links to theoretical material. Excellent response to question. Very strong Engagement with provided and additional resources to develop and support angle of argument and philosophical perspective. Strong evidence of growth and refinement of ideas following group learning. Outstanding awareness of the issue being discussed, and demonstrates insightful links to theoretical material, perhaps with a novel perspective.
Reference requirements for final submission (3 marks)
A minimum of 3 references utilised for each question.
A reference list should be provided at the end of each question (not included in the word count).
These must be cited at some point within your response to the question.
At least 2 of these should be scholarly references.
Acknowledge all sources and influences on your ideas.
Due to the small word counts for each question, you are encouraged to paraphrase in your own words, rather than to directly quote material from readings.
No attempt Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Excellent
No References Doesnt meet minimum number of references for each question (3 references) or scholarly reference requirements, or references are not cited within the text. Meets minimum number of references for each question (3), as well as having 2 scholarly references for each question. May have some issues with referencing or in-text citation style. Exceeds expectations with regards to reading. Referencing and in-text citation style is consistently correct (Harvard or APA).
DETAILED LIST OF SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
MODULE 1
SAQ1: Are all good deeds inherently selfish?
This question asks whether we can consider a good deed to be inherently selfish. That is, can a good deed be truly altruistic? Are we not always rewarded in some way for doing good? Your response should reflect your learning throughout the modules, as well as other personal, professional, or academic perspectives and experiences. Remember it is the quality of your argument: how it is stated, how it is explained, and how it is justified; that we are interested in.
STIMULUS
Read:
A (complicated) scenario to think with:
Earp, J (2021) What is the Kidney Friend Story that Everyone is Talking About?, Junkee, 6 October 2021, https://junkee.com/kidney-friend-new-york-times/310795.
Semrau, M (2021) There is No Such Thing as Bragging Too Much About a Kidney Donations, SLATE, 12 October 2021, https://slate.com/technology/2021/10/bad-art-friend-kidney-crisis-donation-altruism.html.
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A perspective worthy of considering if we are thinking about whether charity and philanthropy are in fact good deeds. This is done through the lens of clothes donations:
Poerner, B (n.d) Where does clothing end up? Modern colonialism disguised as donation, Fashion Revolution, https://www.fashionrevolution.org/where-does-clothing-end-up-modern-colonialism-disguised-as-donation/***
Berman, JZ and Silver, I (2022) Prosocial behavior and reputation: When does doing good lead to looking good, Current Opinion in Psychology, vol 43, pp. 102 107, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X21000932?casa_token=QbbL-cQAwzMAAAAA:HKV8ppEJfWooijQSDeLty9fgNgR4Zo1LWAHCSLe43tpN_Dx3ovcOyNl2rmTUss2LENR91fLHWd8Firestone, L (2014) Why doing Good is Selfish, Psychology Today, 13 June 2014, https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/compassion-matters/201406/why-doing-good-is-selfishStanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Entry: Altruism, 31 August 2020 (revised), https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/altruism/
SAQ2: In the context of a housing crisis, is Airbnb ethical?
This question asks whether Airbnb and similar short term rental companies are ethical in the context of a (global) housing crisis. Many long term residential rental properties have been converted to short term rentals (holiday/ temporary visit) rentals, meaning that there is less housing available for renters, contributing to increasing rental prices on the remaining rental stock. Some things you may wish to consider: If housing is a basic human right, should governments enforce greater regulation on short term rental practices? Do hosts have the right to do whatever they wish with their property? Who is ethically responsible for ensuring housing for all? Should holidaymakers still use Airbnb? Your response should reflect your learning throughout the modules, as well as other personal, professional, or academic perspectives and experiences. Remember it is the quality of your argument: how it is stated, how it is explained, and how it is justified; that we are interested in.
STIMULUS
Read:
Truu, M (2024) Are short-term rentals like Airbnb fueling the rental crisis? It depends on where you live, ABC News, 6 Feb 2024, access via https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-06/short-term-rentals-airbnb-housing-crisis/103400820Curran, N & Phibbs, P (2023) Australia has taken a light touch with Airbnb. Could stronger regulations ease the housingcrisis? The Conversation, 8 March 2023, access via https://theconversation.com/australia-has-taken-a-light-touch-with-airbnb-could-stronger-regulations-ease-the-housing-crisis-200347
Bearne, S (2023) Huge growth and ethical concerns make Airbnb users think again, The Guardian, 1 May 2023, access via https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/may/01/huge-growth-and-ethical-concerns-make-airbnb-users-think-againDaly, N (2023) How much are short-term rentals really impacting Australia's housing crisis and what are the proposed solutions?, ABC News, 7 Sep 2023, access via https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-07/airbnb-short-term-rentals-housing-crisis-regulations/102810804Grant, D (2022) To Airbnb or not to Airbnb: is it ethical to rent property to holidaymakers during a housing crisis?, The Guardian, 23 Oct 2022, access via https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/oct/23/to-airbnb-or-not-to-airbnb-is-it-ethical-to-rent-property-to-holidaymakers-during-a-housing-crisisBoztas, S (2019) Airbnb Is Accused Of Destroying Cities. This Company Says It's The Ethical Alternative., The Huffington Post, 6 Feb 2019, access via https://www.huffpost.com/entry/airbnb-affordable-housing-gentrification-tourism-fairbnb_n_5c5949c3e4b00187b554828dWatch (for further consideration):
This is Canada based show but speaks to similar key issues here in Australia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhFKKyc7wJkAirbnb hosts vs. renters: a tough conversation about the housing crisis
An overview of the Housing Crisis in Australia (through the lens of vacant houses)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQVVv3s-xRsWhy there are thousands of empty homes in Australia's prime locations | ABC News
MODULE 2
SAQ3: Should former Labour senator Fatima Payman have crossed the floor in the Senate to vote with The Australian Greens to formally recognise the state of Palestine?
This question asks whether (then Labour) senator for Western Australia, Fatima Payman should have crossed the floor in the Senate to vote with the Australian Greens party for Australia formally recognising the state of Palestine. This question is not concerned with whether Palestine should be recognised as a State. Rather, it asks whether Payman should have defied very strict party lines, breaking with decades of party tradition and expectations, to vote against her party but aligned with her conscience and ethical perspective. You may wish to consider some of these points: the atrocities taking place in Palestine are such, that such radical action is a necessity; that Paymen was voted in by constituents as a Labour senator and so is expected to represent them as a Labour senator, and thus following the Labour voting line; Paymen could be thought of as having been disloyal to a party to whom she has pledged loyalty and under which she became a senator; her personal morality was so strong she was compelled to act upon it, regardless of the consequences from the Labour Party. Your response should reflect your learning throughout the modules, as well as other personal, professional, or academic perspectives and experiences. Remember it is the quality of your argument: how it is stated, how it is explained, and how it is justified; that we are interested in.
STIMULUS
Read:
Msimang, S (2024) Fatima Payman walked a path familiar to many of us work within a system or disrupt it from the outside, The Guardian, 5 July 2024, access via https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/05/fatima-payman-walked-a-path-familiar-to-many-of-us-work-within-a-system-or-disrupt-it-from-the-outside?CMP=Share_iOSApp_OtherGrattan, M (2024). Fatima Payman quits Labor with heavy heart but a clearconscience, The Conversation, 4 July 2024, access via https://theconversation.com/fatima-payman-quits-labor-with-heavy-heart-but-a-clear-conscience-233981?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1m3J_C18V5ILWuHTrHxFbYRvd0Szz7Z8lfa3xbV6BRFkTPlGeFudGvEJg_aem_yL9k4lpqRAXls8n6PiYIqQ#Echobox=1720072121Dean, T (2024) Which takes ethical precedence: keeping a promise to remain loyal to your group or sticking to your principles? The Ethics Centre, 3 July 2024, access via https://ethics.org.au/the-ethical-price-of-political-solidarity/Foley, E (2024) Fatima Payman breached caucus solidarity. What does this mean and why is it sosignificant?, The Conversation, 2 July 2024, access via https://theconversation.com/fatima-payman-breached-caucus-solidarity-what-does-this-mean-and-why-is-it-so-significant-233660SAQ 4: Should universities be politically neutral?
Within the complexity and crises of contemporary life, this question asks whether universities should be taking political stands on political and social issues. Some things to ponder: Are universities ever really politically neutral? Is it ethical for universities to remain silent, or silence, discussions related to social justice matters? Is political neutrality, actually neutral in contexts of human rights? How are institutional decisions made about what issues are worthy of supporting? Is there hypocrisy in universities producing graduates as advocates for social justice, and them remaining silent/inactive on these matters? What does institutional political neutrality mean for academic freedom? Your response should reflect your learning throughout the modules, as well as other personal, professional, or academic perspectives and experiences. Remember it is the quality of your argument: how it is stated, how it is explained, and how it is justified; that we are interested in.
STIMULUS
Read:
Grant, J (2024) Universities should never be neutral on the social issues of the day, Wonkhe, 19 February 2024, access via https://wonkhe.com/blogs/universities-should-never-be-neutral-on-the-social-issues-of-the-day/Wyatt, K (2024) Beyond Political Neutrality in Higher Education: An Interview with Brian Rosenberg, Columbia Political Review, 22 Feb 2024, access via https://www.cpreview.org/articles/2024/2/beyond-political-neutrality-in-higher-education-an-interview-with-brian-rosenbergPowell, A (2024) Should universities be taking official stances on political, social issues of day?, The Harvard Gazette, 6 March 2024, access via https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/03/should-universities-be-taking-official-stances-on-political-social-issues-of-day/#:~:text=mission%2C%20panelists%20said.-,%E2%80%9CNeutrality%20goes%20hand%20in%20hand%20with%20the%20core%20mission%20of,scholars%20to%20engage%20in%20research.%E2%80%9D&text=%E2%80%9CWith%20respect%20to%20the%20educational,Edward%20Hall%2C%20Harvard's%20Norman%20E.
Dean, T (2024) The Limits of ethical protest on university campuses, The Ethics Centre, 14 May 2024, access via https://ethics.org.au/the-limits-of-ethical-protest-on-university-campuses/Heuser, B. L (2023) A Critique of Principled Neutrality, Inside Higher Ed, 2 May 2023, access via https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2023/05/02/critique-principled-neutralityDiermeier, D The Need For Institutional Neutrality At Universities Forbes, 20 December 2023, access via https://www.forbes.com/sites/danieldiermeier/2023/12/20/the-need-for-institutional-neutrality-at-universities/Wynn, J (2023) The Impossibility of University Neutrality in Times of Crisis, Everyday Sociology Blog, 22 Nov 2023, access via https://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2023/11/the-impossibility-of-university-neutrality-in-times-of-crisis.htmlReed, Matt (2017) When Neutrality Isnt an Option Some things are just wrong Inside Higher Ed, 13 August 2017, access via https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/confessions-community-college-dean/when-neutrality-isn%E2%80%99t-optionMODULE 3
SAQ5: Are museums ethical?
This question speaks to whether museums, spaces that began in service of colonisation, are ethical. Here we consider issues such as their role in public education, on maintaining delicate objects, of displaying human remains, powers of representation, and repatriation. Your response should reflect your learning throughout the modules, as well as other personal, professional, or academic perspectives and experiences. Remember it is the quality of your argument: how it is stated, how it is explained, and how it is justified; that we are interested in.
STIMULUS
Read:
Gazi, A. (2014) Exhibition Ethics - An Overview of Major IssuesJournal of Conservation and Museum Studies,12(1), Art. 4. DOI:http://doi.org/10.5334/jcms.1021213Smith, M (2021) Inspiring change for First Nations representations in museums, 9 July 2021, IndigenousX, https://indigenousx.com.au/inspiring-change-for-first-nations-representation-in-museums/Tharoor, K (2015) Museums and looted art: the ethical dilemma of preserving world cultures, 30 June 2015, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/jun/29/museums-looting-art-artefacts-world-cultureThomas, D. (2016) Museums: Ethics of exhibition.Nature531,302303, https://doi-org.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/10.1038/531302a
**Interesting Twitter Thread by Diane Ihirweis an African-Irish activist
https://twitter.com/diane_ihirwe/status/1487419202885627913?s=12and/or
Watch:
Some interesting examples of formally colonised peoples things being stolen and kept in Museums - ABC (iview) Stuff the British Stole with Marc Fennell, https://iview.abc.net.au/show/stuff-the-british-stole/series/1Foreign Affairs James Cuno on Museums: The Case Against Repatriating Artifacts 12 May 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5dRJ1LjryIVice Should Museums Return Their Stolen Objects? | Empires of Dirt 27 November 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zmmqL0RIdkVox The British Museum is full of Stolen Artifacts 5 August 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoTxiRWrvp8
and/or
Listen:
ABC Audio
"You have to do good to be good" Nathan Sentance on reimagining libraries and museums
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/awaye/decolonisation-and-the-lie-of-neutrality-in-glam/13143978ABC Audio
Australia Museum's Unsettled
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/awaye/australia-museums-unsettled/12555898Podcast: SAPIENS
Repatriation Is OurFuture
https://www.sapiens.org/archaeology/repatriation-african-american-remains/?utm_source=SAPIENS.org+Subscribers&utm_campaign=b5f4555b89-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_7_21_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_18b7e41cd8-b5f4555b89-227359776&ct=t()**You may find this podcast interesting if you wish to learn more about museums as a product of colonisation.
Podcast: ABC, Stuff The British Stole with Marc Fennel (from ABC Series)
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/stuff-the-british-stole/SAQ6: Should Artificial Intelligence (AI) make ethical decisions for humans?
This question addresses the rapid rise in the use of Artificial Intelligence across various aspects of our lives, and whether AI should be used to make ethical decisions for humans. Can ethical dilemmas be decided using AI algorithms? Can AI be useful in making ethical decisions in our places of work or in our personal lives? Can ethical decisions be made without human emotions? What are the implications for AI on how we understand ethical behaviour? Your response should reflect your learning throughout the modules, as well as other personal, professional, or academic perspectives and experiences. Remember it is the quality of your argument: how it is stated, how it is explained, and how it is justified; that we are interested in.
STIMULUS
Read:
De Cremer, D & Narayanan, D (2023) How AI tools can and cannot help organizations become more ethical, Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, access via https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10324517/Abu-Khalaf, J (2021) Theself-drivingtrolley problem: how will future AI systems make the most ethical choices for all ofus? The Conversation, 24 Nov 2021,
https://theconversation.com/the-self-driving-trolley-problem-how-will-future-ai-systems-make-the-most-ethical-choices-for-all-of-us-170961The Ethics Centre (2023) A framework for Ethical AI, The Ethics Centre, 12 April 2023, https://ethics.org.au/a-framework-for-ethical-ai/
Hicks, M.T., Humphries, J. & Slater, J. (2024) ChatGPT is bullshit.Ethics and Information Technology26(38), https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10676-024-09775-5#citeas.
Zhang, Z., Chen, Z., Xu, L (2022) Artificial intelligence and moral dilemmas: Perception of ethical decision-making in AI, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 101, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022103122000464Has an array of materials:
Tolmeijer, S., Christen, M., Kandul, S., Kneer, M., and Bernstein, A., (2022) Capable but Amoral? Comparing AI and Human Expert Collaboration in Ethical Decision Making. In Proceedings of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '22). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 160, 117. https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3491102.3517732Watch:
Hayes, B (2019) Can we trust artificial intelligence to make decisions for us? YouTube, 19 July 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54Bkh80vk-M
MODULE 4
SAQ7: Is it ethical to be a billionaire?
This question asks if possessing such enormous wealth is ethical. Can someone be this rich through means that do not exploit others? Should such disparities in wealth exist in society? Are billionaires rewarded as somehow virtuous in contemporary capitalism? Your response should reflect your learning throughout the modules, as well as other personal, professional, or academic perspectives and experiences. Remember it is the quality of your argument: how it is stated, how it is explained, and how it is justified; that we are interested in.
STIMULUS
Read:
[Please no hate from Swifties]
Jackson, A (2024) Does Taylor Swift deserve to be a billionaire? Scholars debate the thorny ethics of extreme wealth, 3 June 2024, Fast Company, available via < https://www.fastcompany.com/91048698/does-taylor-swift-deserve-to-be-a-billionaire-scholars-debate-the-thorny-question-of-extreme-wealth>.
Elias, M (2023) Taylor Swift is on the world tour thats tipped to make her a billionaire. Fans are torn, 23 March 2024, SBS News, access via < https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/article/taylor-swift-is-on-the-cusp-of-becoming-a-billionaire-now-some-fans-are-debating-if-thats-a-good-thing/w7nci74ab>
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Baumann, A (2021) We are the 1%: the wealth of many Australians puts them in an elite club wrecking theplanet, 27 January 2021, The Conversation, available via < https://theconversation.com/we-are-the-1-the-wealth-of-many-australians-puts-them-in-an-elite-club-wrecking-the-planet-151208>.
Carlson, E (2019) Is Being a Billionaire Ethical? An Inquiry, 10 Jan 2019, Modern City, accessible via < https://medium.com/modern-city/is-being-a-billionaire-ethical-an-inquiry-55c3d4197b15>
Smith, AQ (2017) Its basically just immoral to be rich 14 June 2017, Current Affairs,
Accessible via < https://www.currentaffairs.org/2017/06/its-basically-just-immoral-to-be-rich>.
Wagner, N (2012) Are Rich People More Ethical?:, 24 March 2012, The Atlantic, accessible via < https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/03/are-rich-people-more-ethical/254689/>.
and/or
Listen
ABC Listen, 20 April 2023, Is it ethical to be a billionaire? access via < https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/nightlife/is-it-ethical-to-be-a-billionaire/102249938>
SAQ8: Should humans explore outer space?
With a focus on space as the new frontier, this question asks not can, but should we explore space. What are the implications for this exploration on humans and beyond humans? Your response should reflect your learning throughout the modules, as well as other personal, professional, or academic perspectives and experiences. Remember it is the quality of your argument: how it is stated, how it is explained, and how it is justified; that we are interested in.
STIMULUS
Watch:
What is Space Ethics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW_CVKprHIoand/or
Listen
Space junkhow did orbital debris become such a huge headache?
ABC Rear Vision
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rearvision/space-junk%E2%80%94how-did-orbital-debris-become-such-a-huge-headache/13330486
Can we solve our space junk problem?
BBC World Service
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-inquiry/id932499233?i=1000546465871Are we heading for space wars?
BBC World Service
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-inquiry/id932499233?i=1000547739655and/or
Read:
Beard, M (20200 Space: the final ethical frontier, 24 September 2020, The Ethics Centre, accessible via < https://ethics.org.au/space-the-final-ethical-frontier/>.
Chao, S (2021) Elon Musks SpaceX project could put Papuan lands and futures at risk, 14 May 2021, TRT World, accessible via <https://www.trtworld.com/opinion/elon-musk-s-spacex-project-could-put-papuan-lands-and-futures-at-risk-46702?fbclid=IwAR2aOSioFP-xa3paxrQST_CcyEnsB-1ABhQRU1fZSxhIOJhoB9ffjBUwM88>.
Reardon, A (2022) SpaceX rocket debris lands in sheep paddock, Australian Space Agency confirms 3 Aug 2022, ABC News, accessible via https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-03/space-x-debris-sheep-paddock-australian-space-agency/101295488Sachs, Benjamin (2018) Eight ethical questions about exploring outer space that needanswers 27 June 2018, The Conversation, accessible via < https://theconversation.com/eight-ethical-questions-about-exploring-outer-space-that-need-answers-98878>
***
