A lecture held by the Boston Network for Philosophy of Physics, organized by Professor Rachell Powell and Professor Miguel Ohnesorge. The speaker for this talk is Anncy Thresher.
Abstract: Telescopes exist within a broader social context, and the choice of site needs to be responsive to ethical, cultural and environmental specifications just as much as technical ones. We need look no further than the ongoing conflict surrounding the Thirty-Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea to see the importance of this lesson. This talk presents an overview of the normative challenges of telescope siting, and discusses the work being done by the responsible siting group at the next generation Event Horizon Telescope. I then delve into how work in environmental ethics can help solve some of the environmental aspects of siting, including the importance of community consultation, and the need to foster positive relationships between telescopes and local ecosystems by moving away from a fortress conservation mindset.