Activate Series: #26 – What In Outer Space Is NASA Doing?!

Our weekly #Activate vlog series uses clips from Educe™ online courses to illuminate the truth behind the cultural battles of today (and tomorrow) and move Christians from education to action in their communities, churches, and circles of influence. Sign up to get #Activate delivered to your Inbox, and visit our archives for more posts.

The United States government is experimenting with the effects of weightlessness on human sperm, in a move that signals its increasing interest in exploring long-term space travel and human colonization of other planets. Although the current study, the Micro-11 mission, stops short of actually creating human life in zero gravity, astronauts aboard the International Space Station are investigating how the environment might affect a sperm’s motility and the natural process it goes through in fusing with an egg to create a new human being. Results of the study will help predict whether or how humans could reproduce beyond Earth.

According to NASA, “Studying reproductive biology in space is useful because the unique environment of microgravity can reveal processes and connections not visible in gravity on Earth.” Micro-11 could uncover problems that prevent fertilization from occurring naturally in space and determine whether artificial means are necessary to achieve it. Once the samples are returned to Earth, scientists will conduct further experiments to show how space travel affects sperm behavior back at home.

Although this study may sound more like the start of a science fiction screenplay than a real taxpayer-funded venture, it is indicative of the pace and direction that science and technology are moving to mold our future. Futurism, and in particular, transhumanism, is no longer just an Asimov novel or a Star Trek episode. From artificial intelligences that can think, feel, and learn on their own to human augmentation and genetic enhancements, we’re entering a whirlwind of high-speed, high-tech advancements. Most of the tech for these advancements is either already here or in development right now. And the ethical dilemmas these advancements present are real, particularly when it comes to the right to life.

This week’s online course clip presents the mind-boggling, but serious questions that are already rising to the surface. But these questions are no longer just for authors and directors. They’re for us. If we do not prepare ourselves to answer them, we will not be able to adequately defend human life and human dignity in the 21^st century. Unfortunately, we know that, given our current cultural climate, attempts to silence the biblical worldview will only grow stronger as the days go by. So the next time a study seems a little disconnected or far-fetched, pause for a moment and remember the bigger picture. Remember that the abortion industry is not the only threat to human life and human dignity, even at present. And remember that the future is now.

This course excerpt is from Session 6: Awakening, which covers the 2000s and 2010s. It’s the final course in our Foundations online curriculum.

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