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Erika Nesvold

@erikanesvold.com.bsky.social

Space & ethics: Cofounder of JustSpace Alliance, Astrophysics Engineer at Universe Sandbox, Author of Off-Earth: Ethical Questions and Quandaries for Living in Outer Space

412 Followers  |  108 Following  |  15 Posts  |  Joined: 04.08.2023  |  1.4725

Latest posts by erikanesvold.com on Bluesky

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Space Ethics Documentaries and AI Art A disappointed anti-advertisement

There's a middle ground between using tech with no regard to ethics and outright rejecting that technology. Those are the cheap, easy options. The hard work is in the middle, but we can do hard things. Don't take the easy way out.

And don't steal from artists.
open.substack.com/pub/makingne...

15.04.2025 18:35 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I reject this argument, and the broader attitude that technology advancement is inevitable and thus any ethical concerns must simply be sadly shrugged away. This is not true in AI ethics nor in space ethics. "Use new technology unethically or get left behind" is a false dichotomy.

15.04.2025 18:35 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

In his op-ed, the filmmaker lists the ethical and practical issues with AI art, acknowledging that it "outright steals" the intellectual property of his "colleagues in the visual effects and graphics arts businesses." Then he shrugs and tells those same colleagues that they need to "adapt or die."

15.04.2025 18:35 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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New documentary 'Children of the Sky' asks the bold question: Can we raise kids in space? (op-ed) A new 28-minute film explores the medical, social, political and ethical challenges of parenthood and child-rearing that truly permanent communities in space will need to solve.

After the documentary premiered, the filmmaker even published an op-ed defending his decision to use AI art rather than commission or create other footage: Maybe it was a "Faustian bargain," he suggests, but it was the only way to afford his "much preferred workflow." www.space.com/entertainmen...

15.04.2025 18:35 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

The filmmaker-- who I very much enjoyed working with-- chose to use AI-generated art as B-roll for much of the runtime. When I asked him about this after seeing an early clip, he framed this not as a choice but as an unfortunate consequence of budget limitations.

15.04.2025 18:35 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Space Ethics Documentaries and AI Art A disappointed anti-advertisement

I was interviewed some time ago for a documentary exploring how humans will raise children in space. It was a great experience and a fascinating topic. But I cannot in good conscience recommend the final film.
open.substack.com/pub/makingne...

15.04.2025 18:35 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

If somehow you've not yet read this excellent book do so ASAP

03.10.2024 20:21 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Check out the Outer Space Treaty if 1967! It’s very readable even for non-lawyers (like me), and explains how space travelers are subject to international law and must be supervised and authorized by their national governments (which is why SpaceX has to get FAA launch licenses).

03.10.2024 22:38 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Ooh, my book is now available in paperback! (Also in hardcover, audio, and… Mandarin Chinese!)

03.10.2024 15:29 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 2
Poster for the Moon (2009) showing and Space Ethics Workshop on Sunday, April 21 at 6-9pm, hosted by Alissa Haddaji and Erika Nesvold. The event is titled β€œLunar Dilemmas: Exploring Space Ethics Through Cinema”.

Poster for the Moon (2009) showing and Space Ethics Workshop on Sunday, April 21 at 6-9pm, hosted by Alissa Haddaji and Erika Nesvold. The event is titled β€œLunar Dilemmas: Exploring Space Ethics Through Cinema”.

I’ll be at Massachusetts Space Week on April 21, watching the excellent Moon (2009) and then leading a follow-up discussion on space ethics. If you’ll be in the neighborhood, consider registering and joining us! brattlefilm.org/film-series/...

12.04.2024 16:05 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Environmental Justice in Space Workshop hosted on Whova June 20 – 21, 2024

The abstract deadline for JustSpace's Environmental Justice in Space Workshop is Jan 31! We're looking for 10-minute, prerecorded talks about your concerns for the future of the space environment, and/or what we can learn from environmental activists on Earth: bit.ly/ejis-workshop

05.01.2024 19:06 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
A photo of an iPhone, displaying the audiobook version of Off-Earth, leaning against a stack of books with only their edge showing. A pair of blue over-ear headphones sits beneath the phone.

A photo of an iPhone, displaying the audiobook version of Off-Earth, leaning against a stack of books with only their edge showing. A pair of blue over-ear headphones sits beneath the phone.

My book, Off-Earth: Ethical Questions and Quandaries for Living in Outer Space, is now available as an audiobook! Narrated by April Doty, Off-Earth is available everywhere audiobooks are sold.

08.12.2023 20:56 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Worker Safety in the Private Space Race Who takes the risk and who gets the reward?

My latest newsletter post digs into the recent Reuters piece on workplace injuries at SpaceX to ask: What extra risks do space industry workers face due to the pervasive belief that companies pursuing space colonization are "saving humanity"? makingnewworlds.substack.com/p/worker-saf...

05.12.2023 22:00 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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β€ŽChatter: Governing Space Settlements Ethically with Erika Nesvold on Apple Podcasts β€ŽShow Chatter, Ep Governing Space Settlements Ethically with Erika Nesvold - Sep 28, 2023

My new podcast conversation with the extraordinary @erikanesvold.bsky.social about the ethics of governing space settlements, and how these issues have been explored across generations of science fiction, is peak Chatter.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did:

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...

28.09.2023 11:34 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

What?! I had no idea that was happening. Glad there was someone in the audience who could recognize it!

27.09.2023 21:42 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Space Agencies Around the World And a hearty congrats to the Chandrayaan-3 team!

Hi new followers! I have a newsletter where I write about building a better future in space and on Earth.

Today, the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission inspired me to explore exciting upcoming missions from non-NASA space agencies around the world: makingnewworlds.substack.com/p/space-agen...

05.09.2023 17:14 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
A photo of one wall of a living room. Trees and a wood porch are visible through the windows. A large chunk of the drywall in the ceiling is missing in a jagged patch, the insulation torn out. The wood floor and hastily moved table and bookshelf are covered in drywall dust.

A photo of one wall of a living room. Trees and a wood porch are visible through the windows. A large chunk of the drywall in the ceiling is missing in a jagged patch, the insulation torn out. The wood floor and hastily moved table and bookshelf are covered in drywall dust.

A different angle of the previous photo, showing the wall of the living room and the scattered furniture. Besides the hole in the ceiling, a large section of the drywall on one wall has been torn out and the insulation removed. A pile of pink insulation is visible through the windows, sitting outside on the porch.

A different angle of the previous photo, showing the wall of the living room and the scattered furniture. Besides the hole in the ceiling, a large section of the drywall on one wall has been torn out and the insulation removed. A pile of pink insulation is visible through the windows, sitting outside on the porch.

Finally made a Bluesky account last night, and an hour later, lightning struck the building I was in and the ceiling exploded.

Not sure exactly how to interpret that…

04.08.2023 23:16 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

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