Humanity is actively working towards a mission to Mars. When astronauts like Bernard Harris leave Earth, they accept risk as part of the mission. But a journey to Mars would push that risk into entirely new territory—where help is unreachable, uncertainty is unavoidable, and coming home may not be an option. This episode explores how space agencies, astronauts, and all of us need to grapple with how much risk is ethically acceptable for individuals to take on in pursuit of societal benefit, and who gets to decide. 

This episode features:

Bernard A. Harris Jr., MD: former NASA astronaut.

James D. Polk, DO: Chief Health and Medical Officer of NASA.

Jeffrey Kahn, PhD, MPH: Andreas C. Dracopoulos Director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics.

“playing god?” is a podcast by the iDeas Lab at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. 

To read a transcript of this episode, visit the iDeas Lab website at https://bioethics.jhu.edu/pgs2e2.

The Johns Hopkins University Sesquicentennial is proud to support this podcast. JHU celebrates 150 years of pioneering education and research—advancing knowledge to meet the challenges of every generation. Learn more at 150.jhu.edu.