In a move that has drawn considerable criticism from the scientific community, a recent Virgin Galactic mission transported two ancient human fossils to the edge of space.
VSS launched from Spaceport America in New Mexico on Friday, May 8th. unity Spaceplane carried debris from Australopithecus sediba and homo naledi, a species of hominid that is fundamental to understanding human evolution. Scientists believe that transporting the remains of human ancestors in such a manner is of particular concern, as it is not only considered wasteful and crude, but also lacks a scientific basis. It is argued that this poses various ethical problems.that unity It didn’t actually make it to space, and it never actually made it to space, which adds some insult to this injury.
Galactic 03, the company’s fourth suborbital flight in recent months, began at 10:34 a.m. ET and reached a maximum altitude of 55 miles (88.5 kilometers) and a top speed of Mach 2.95, reaching a speed of 11:34 a.m. It landed again in minutes. It’s ET. However, it is noteworthy that this mission, while flying so high, did not cross the Kármán Line, the internationally recognized boundary of space.
Johannesburg’s University of the Witwatersrand (also known as Wits University), which participated in the planning of the exercise, said in an eye-opening statement. press release This fossil is now said to be the “oldest astronaut to travel to space.” Timothy Nash is a South African billionaire and conservationist. unity During his journey, he carried his precious cargo himself.
Professor Lee Berger, director of the Center for Deep Human Journeys Exploration at Wits University and National Geographic explorer, is a well-respected but controversial figure in paleoanthropology. he and his team A. sediba Fossils discovered at the Malapa Fossil Site in South Africa in 2008, and H. Naledi Research was conducted in 2013 at the Rising Star Cave System, also in South Africa, and released to the world in 2015.
Related article: controversy over homo naledi It’s actually a good thing
For the voyage of Galaxy 03, Berger selected a collarbone, or a fragment of a collarbone. A. sediba A specimen estimated to be 2 million years old, H. Naledi Fossil from about 250,000 years ago. These fossils were safely stored in carbon fiber tubes. Berger personally transported the fossil to Spaceport America, where it was presented to Nash in a ceremony just before his flight.
“The journey of these fossils into space expresses humanity’s gratitude for the contributions of all of our ancestors and ancient relatives,” Berger said in a Wits press release. “Without their invention of technologies such as fire and tools, and their contribution to the evolution of the modern human spirit, extraordinary endeavors such as space flight would not have been possible.” Bernhard Ziffel, Collections Curator at Wits He added that these fossils are among the best documented and are now available worldwide thanks to scientific and open access efforts.
Needless to say, the Galactic-03 mission is not without its detractors, and various scientists have weighed in on the objectives behind such an effort, as well as the scientific, cultural, and ethical considerations that make it so. I am questioning whether it is appropriate.
When Chris Stringer saw Berger’s tweet on September 1st (above), he thought the fossil material was heading to some place like a synchrotron or DNA lab, and wrote, Like! But then someone else said these fossils were launched to the edge of space. “My first reaction was disbelief that anyone could pull such a stupid and arrogant stunt,” Stringer, a paleoanthropologist at London’s Natural History Museum, told Gizmodo in an email. He found that Berger “actually did this and, inexplicably, had institutional permission to do it.”
Stringer now worries that Berger “very likely has lost what little scientific credibility he has left” in relation to recent events. e-life and the Netflix documentary controversy (more details here) here and herebut to summarize Berger’s argument in a nutshell: H. Naledi The burial ritual performed based on the discovery at Rising Star Cave sparked great debate and media attention earlier this year). “We don’t know where he is, and very importantly, naledi The site is free after this,” Stringer added.
The mission was celebrated by multiple stakeholders including Wits University Vice-Chancellor Zebulon Vilakazi, Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson, National Geographic Society’s Ian Miller and the South African Heritage Resources Authority (SAHRA). Ta.Purpose of trip stated in SAHRA Application It aimed to “promote science and bring global recognition to scientific research of human origins in South Africa.”
Gizmodo reached out to Wits University for comment and relayed an emailed statement from Ben Mwasinga, SAHRA’s senior manager of heritage conservation, detailing the university’s position and stating that the permit application is being processed in collaboration with SAHRA in South Africa. The aim is to highlight recent paleoscience discoveries in the world. We are satisfied that the promotional benefits obtained are appropriately weighted against the risks inherent in this type of travel. ” Mwasinga added:
All applications submitted to SAHRA are public and anyone can comment on them. Furthermore, anyone can appeal our decision within 14 days. No objections were received to this application.
Eleanor Schelli, head of the Human Paleosystems Group at the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology in Germany, believes that the concerns raised by this case touch on issues of access and control of heritage sites.
“It is clear that fame, wealth, and power should not take precedence over scientific integrity, rigor, and ethics when gaining access,” she wrote in an email. “Would such a request be approved from someone who is not blessed with wealth or fame? It is a resounding slap in the face to those who strive to leave humanity’s legacy to future generations, It feels like it hits differently.”
Shelli said the episode has unsettling echoes of a time when African paleoanthropology was treated by colonialists and adventurers as a novelty rather than a treasured world heritage site. Ta. “This is why it is difficult to see the spirit of human endeavor and the promotion of African science here,” she added.
On X (formerly Twitter), several scientists, including biological anthropologist Alessio Veneziano, caused concern The motivations and scientific validity of suborbital flight, the ethics of transporting ancestral remains, Berger’s unique access to fossils, and the potential perversion of paleoanthropology. Sonia Zakrzewski, a bioarchaeologist at the University of Southampton, said: expressed As for X, he said he was “appalled that permission was granted” and that he intended to use this as an example of unethical behavior, noting that “this is not science.”
Associate Professor Victoria Gibbon, a biological anthropologist in the Department of Human Biology at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and curator of the UCT Human Bone Repository, wrote in an email:
I’m in shock. The management and management of human ancestry is aimed at protection and care. Therefore, unnecessary body movement and handling is usually avoided. There is no scientific merit or management policy to support this. ”Mission. “ IUnfortunately, the permit was issued by the South African government for the following reasons: Promotional benefits.Who is the promotional offer for? This is a very unusual and unfortunate moment for the field.
Alan Morris, a biological anthropologist and professor emeritus at the University of Cape Town’s School of Human Biology, said Berger had a history of “expanding evidence to get maximum publicity”, citing scientists’ claims. I explained this via email.of Preservation of brain tissue A. sediba, Ancient dwarfs of Palauand the aforementioned burial and art claims. H. Naledi.
“Mr. Berger is running a crazy idea without the necessary scientific rigor to back it up, but what he gets is not the science, but the fame and, in this day and age of social media, It’s a good thing for the world,” Morris said, adding that he thinks there are major problems with the idea. He sends fossils to the edge of space and questions how and why such an act was given permission.
“I have served on SAHRA committees in the past that have considered access to human fossil and subfossil specimens, and science has always been at the heart of decisions,” Morris explained. He asked some pertinent questions, including how this research aims to benefit from sending fossils to the edge of space, and how this will benefit descendant communities. I threw it.
In response to his own questions, Morris concluded: “In reality, there is no scientific value. This is just propaganda.”
Gizmodo reached out to Lee Berger for comment, but he did not immediately respond.
This post has been modified to include quote from Victoria Gibbon.
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