Writing Assignment 3

Background
We're currently talking about the issue of sending radioactive materials into space. I hope that the lectures make it reasonably clear what the risks are, and what the benefits are. But they leave unanswered the most important question: Is it really okay to launch such materials, and to fly them past Earth?

Forget for a moment the fact that it happens anyway. The question is still a profound one. Do the benefits outweigh the risks? If so, for whom? Or do the risks outweigh the benefits? And what bearing does the Mars Climate Orbiter accident have on the debate?

Some other things to think about: This is an issue that each person can weigh and decide for himself or herself. But in the end, the decision gets made for us by a "higher" authority. Is this appropriate? The President is, after all, an elected official, and this is a representative democracy. But the President wasn't elected by the whole population of the world. Might there be some better way of making such decisions? Would it be wise, or even appropriate, to have responsibility for complex technical decisions rest in the hands of individuals who are personally affected by the decisions, but who do not understand the issues? If an individual has strong feelings on this issue one way or the other, what ethical responsibility does s/he have to do something about it? What, if anything, should an individual do?

Also: Recognize that missions like Cassini and Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) are far from unique. Every day, decisions are made by a technically-informed few that affect the safety and security of vast numbers of people. Disposal of nuclear waste is an example of a similar issue that will affect as-yet unborn generations, for centuries to come. Does Cassini have any lessons in it for other technical risk/benefit decisions... or vice versa?

I realize this isn't going to be an easy paper to write. It won't be easy to grade, either. But it's an important issue, and one that, for good or ill, affects all of us.

Topic
Write a thoughtful essay on some fundamental aspect of the plutonium-in-space controversy (note that you don't have to, and shouldn't, address everything about the issue of sending radioactive materials into space -- focus on some fundamental aspect of it). There's no "right" answer on any of these questions, but whatever you have to say, make sure that you support it with facts.

Length
Your paper should be 3-5 pages (plus the bibliography), typed using a 12 or 14 point font, with reasonable margins (3/4 to 1 inch), and 1.5 line spacing. Double-sided printing is strongly encouraged but not required.

References
References must be cited in-text (e.g., [Tariq (2007), p.72]) and complete in a bibliography. Be sure to give your sources credit for facts and ideas, not just for direct quotes. All websites used must be referenced, including the name of the person who wrote the content you have cited from the site (i.e., the author, who is not necessarily the person who maintains the site), the date the site was updated, and the date that you accessed the site. Appropriate reference styles can be seen here. Note that we additionally require the date that a website was updated.

Important: You must use at least two non-website resources when researching your paper. The best sources are often newspapers, magazines, and professional journals (e.g., Aviation Week & Space Technology). See Shoshe during her office hours if you have questions about how to look up information in hardcopy or microfiche periodicals.

Wikipedia is not an acceptable source of information for writing assignments in this class!

Grading
Keep the grader's comments on your previous essays, as well as the feedback from Writing Assignment 1, the essay guide (new!), and the punctuation sheets, in mind when writing this paper. Stick to official and reputable sources when doing your research. If you have any questions about sources or your topic, come see the TA during her office hours.
The grading criteria for this assignment, in order of priority, will be:

• How clearly and concisely state the points that you are trying to make. (Make sure that your thesis is clear. Do not say, "In this essay, I will show that...")
• How effectively you support your case with factual material and clear, relevant examples
• How well organized your paper is
• How effectively you use materials other than just what was presented in class and provided as readings on the course web site
• How well you get the technical level of your paper right. It should be neither more nor less technical than, say, a Scientific American article. Don't oversimplify, don't get too technical, and don't use technical terms you don't understand well enough to explain them clearly.
• The quality of your writing (including proper use of grammar, punctuation, etc.)