Microbial ethics in an anti-colonial space faring future

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Empathy, entanglement, and contamination in relation to space


Prior to this semester my knowledge of fermentation was very limited, I never thought of the culture of bacteria and yeast as an ecosystem of multiple living beings. After having to spend time growing SCOBY in my tiny apartment my life has utterly changed. Every week I found myself looking forward to its development. The idea of contaminating the SCOBY environment seems barbaric. However, I am open to the idea of experimentation as I see the endless possibilities biofilm has to offer. Perhaps the openness to experimentation is because I see it as an antidote to contamination. Furthermore Scoby is an inexpensive material that is accessible and inclusive. 


According to the dictionary empathy is the ability to understand another person's feelings, experiences, etc. It is inevitable to ask if the understanding process comes from relatability. No matter how much we try to be objective, we all have our own experiences and wounds that make our empathy a sort of preexisting condition and relativity is a key component in this process.  As I mentioned, the idea of contaminating the scoby I am diligently feeding every week seems unfathomable, not only because I have developed a relationship with these living beings but because I am against attacking other life forms. Our communication is limited as the only language we are using are their visual cues (bubbles) or scent they are sending me, nonetheless I try to openly receive any information they are trying to communicate. A reading that definitely made a big impact on me was “Screaming Yeast”. Even though the word screaming is proper to humans and animals unders stress I felt compelled by the idea of this living being, suffering and unable to be heard. I wonder if this is my evidence that  as soon as we identify with something or someone our levels of empathy skyrocket.


 On the reading Seeing like a Rover we see how NASA scientist personified the Rover, a machine that lacks a humanoid shape yet various parts of the Rover are verbally related to human body parts and actions. For example, the Panoramic Cameras are regularly referred to as the Rovers’ ‘eyes’, the personification of an object makes it relatable to them. Throughout this class I have to ask myself questions about the future and our current connection to devices and machines, yet I found it hard to relate to an un-animated/man-made object like the rover, or a car. Perhaps that is my predicament. With technology progressing it is a given that we need to think about said technologies as they carry the potential of saving humanity once Earth is inhabitable. 


When we think of our man-made technologies going to outer space, we are also bringing the same pollutants that have damaged earth. It is important to consider that most of these plans are drawn by investors not humanists or people caring about the environment or other forms of life. Working with Scoby has expanded the way I perceive potential communication with extraterrestrial beings and advocate for a fair space for everyone.



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