Back in the 1950s, NASA set lofty and noble ambitions for humanity: to “explore the unknown in air and space, to innovate for the benefit of humanity, and to inspire the world through discovery.” And for the past 75 years, it is true that NASA has made the seemingly impossible, possible. However, the agency’s agenda has shifted dramatically over the ensuing years with the advent of Star Wars and the creation of commercial enterprises that carried research payloads into space on board the shuttle, for profit.

This Forum will provide a reality check on our current role in space, to consider what is really motivating our actions, driving our expensive excursions to Mars, and shaping our international satellite placement industry. Have we really considered our role, responsibility, and stewardship in space alongside the potential profits to be made? We are joined by two astrophysicists: Nathalie Cabrol, Director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute and author of The Secret Life of the Universe; and Erika Nesvold, former researcher at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and author of Off-Earth: Ethical Questions and Quandaries for Living in Outer Space.

Cambridge Forum is excited to announce guest moderator Curt Jaimungal, a Toronto-based scientist who hosts Theories of Everything, one of the most popular science podcasts which explores physics, consciousness, and AI. The show attracts 500,000 subscribers and its guests have included Noam Chomsky and Roger Penrose. Jaimungal prides himself on making complex ideas accessible without dumbing them down – a skill recognized by O’Shaughnessy Ventures, which awarded him a 2024 Fellowship for “creators who bridge depth and reach”. A University of Toronto graduate, Curt balances his days parsing quantum mechanics with channeling Kurt Cobain in his free time. He believes that the best conversations happen when wonder meets rigor.

Join the conversation.

Speakers

Nathalie Cabrol

Nathalie Cabrol is a French American explorer and astrobiologist, and director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute. She researches habitability and life beyond Earth, develops science exploration strategies at NASA for Mars and Titan, designs robotic field tests, and leads projects in planetary science and astrobiology. Cabrol documents life’s adaptation to extreme environments and the effects of rapid climate change. She has authored over 600 peer- reviewed publications and conference proceedings and has published four books on planetary science. Her latest book, The Secret Life of the Universe, explores humanity’s most profound questions: are we alone in the universe and how did life on Earth begin?

Erika Nesvold

Erika Nesvold has a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Maryland and has performed computational astrophysics research at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the Carnegie Institution for Science, NASA Ames, and SETI. She now works as an astrophysics engineer on Universe Sandbox, a physics-based astronomy video game. Erika is the co-founder of the JustSpace Alliance, a nonprofit advocating for a more inclusive and ethical future in space. She is the author of Off-Earth: Ethical Questions and Quandaries for Living in Outer Space and the co-editor of Reclaiming Space: Progressive and Multicultural Visions of Space Exploration.