For almost twenty thousand years, human beings have shared their lives with their animal companions. Cats and dogs have accompanied explorers and settlers wherever they have ventured, across deserts, through deepest jungles, to the frozen extremes of the poles and across (and even below) the world’s oceans. Cats and dogs have provided valuable service by joining humans in hunting game, guarding and herding livestock and controlling domestic vermin. But more than that, they have become an important part of families and communities, loved and valued simply for their company and companionship.
Speaker: Alan Marlow 
So, as we begin to master the challenges of travelling across space and creating communities away from the Earth, will we take our pets with us, or will we live our lives without our animal companions?
If we choose to take our animal companions with us, will there be advantages for our mental wellbeing and what would be the disadvantages and the issues that we would need to consider. And do we have the right to take our animal companions to a totally alien environment and deny them the “natural” life that they would enjoy on Earth?
Alan Marlow has had a lifelong interest in space exploration, perhaps partly fostered by hearing rocket engines being tested at nearby RPE Westcott from his father’s farm in Buckinghamshire. After a series of jobs, in 1990 he began working for the BBC at its Open University Production Centre in Milton Keynes producing audio-visual material for students, and television and radio programmes. In 2006, he began working for the Open University’s Disabled Student Services producing audio packages for blind and visually impaired students.
He joined the British Interplanetary Society in the 1980’s and for many years now has created AV packages of lectures, seminars, conferences, and interviews which are hosted on the BIS’ YouTube channel.
For decades, he has shared his house with a stream of dogs (mostly Border Collies), cats, rabbits, and even tropical fish.
Meeting Timetable
- 13:55 – The meeting is available to join
- 14:00 – Welcome
- 14:05 – Pets in Space by Alan Marlow
- 14:45 ish – Questions and Answers (we enable everyone’s microphone to allow an interactive Q&A session)
So, here’s the Plan/Joining Instructions!
- Register for the Talk using the link below
- https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScDNOwYqJcRtGNTgzIQR67VYlJMc9cvt0W9pBzeSKtvcuTUTA/viewform
- Before the event, we will send you an email with the joining link for the meeting.
- On the day, click meeting link (and follow the on-screen instructions to install Zoom if prompted)
Please Note
The Conference Call and Q & A sessions will be recorded (which may capture your name, picture, voice or video) and made available via the West Midlands Facebook group and possibly via the BIS HQ website. You consent to this by registering for the Conference Call/Q & A sessions.
