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Week 1. Introduction.

Topics for debates with some ideas (from www.debate.org)

(more topics are available in www. dropbox.com . See “Debate game” there).

1. Should Humankind Be Spending Money On Space Exploration?

We need to get the hell off this rock

The time when we have to abandon earth may be sooner than we all think. The Board of Atomic Scientists predict that with all things considered, the world could end as soon as 2100. Ignoring this problem and not worrying because we will all most likely be gone by then is why our grandchildren will have to suffer because we screwed them over. Considering the fact that coal and oil power plants are still in use as well as gasoline powered cars (big one) and other air pollutants, the time where humans simply cannot live under the conditions is coming up fast. It's time we stop looking into our pocketbooks and start looking at the gun nature has to our heads. We need to stop polluting or get the hell out, and at the moment it seems getting the hell out is a lot more practical.

Not until there is nothing else left to spend on

Space exploration has cost us billions and billions of dollars. NASA's Orion aims to facilitate deep space exploration by humans. But what good will all this information generate while there are still millions out there still hungry and diseased?
I believe that space odysseys' funding must be cut down and that extra funding can be channelized to other fields, that require immediate attention and that can alleviate the suffering of the under-privileged.
Especially for developing countries, fighting terrorism, combating chronic diseases, sustaining economic growth, generating employment are some other avenues that demand more attention than space exploration

2. Will the human race survive if a large asteroid does hit Earth?

The human race will survive if a large asteroid hits the Earth, but it won't be pretty. If it lands in the water, massive tsunamis will flood coastal areas and our atmosphere will be ionized with megatons of extra water. If the asteroid hits land, a nuclear winter will happen and dark clouds of ash will obscure the surface of the Earth for decades while much of the vegetation dies from lack of sunlight. Humans will survive but they will have to live differently from how they do now.

Yes, billions of people will still be killed, but there will be some that do survive the impact. I think that when this does hit that the planet will be changed a whole lot, but that the people that are left can come back and make it back the way it is.

3. Is human genetic engineering ethical?

Yes At Least To A Degree

If we don't use human genetic engineering then we foresake the opportunity to cure many diseases and end a great deal of human suffering. We can debate about whether using genetic engineering beyond that is appropriate, but it certainly should be used for curing disease. In fact once developed and safely tested no parent should be allowed to refuse such treatment for their child.


Date: 2016-03-03; view: 1002


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