Tony Milligan

As an ethicist, specialising in what is known as virtue theory, I work along two axes. The first concerns astrobiology and space exploration. This involves a good deal of crossover with colleagues from the space sciences and the geosciences. I want to know what character traits lead to good and innovative science. The second axis involves time, and is informed by work on love's temporality. This is more in the humanities. While these scientific and humanities concerns may seem to involve very different things, there are surprising crossovers - for example, when it comes to planetary environmental protection the experience of caring for places is best understood in the light of our deepest ways of caring, i.e., love. Care of this sort is deeply rooted in the human condition and we extend it in all directions.