Lili Galilean
13 April 2026
Greetings, fellow Group 14 travelers!
This week, we follow one thread through the cosmic tapestry: Silicon (Si). From the ‘ghost sand’ clogging our local turbines to the ‘primal grit’ forged in the first galaxies, Silicon is a paradox of materials science. The way we manage it determines whether it remains a hurdle to clear or becomes the backbone of the telescopes that let us see forever.
The Earthly Nuisance: Siloxanes and the “Glass” in the Gears
In Silicon Valley, we usually treat silicon as the hero—the “brain” in our semiconductors. But in our landfills and wastewater plants, it plays a villainous role in the form of Siloxanes. These are silicon-oxygen molecules (found in everything from shampoos to chip-manufacturing layers) that give products a silky feel.
When organic waste breaks down, these volatile siloxanes hitch a ride in the resulting biogas. When we try to burn that gas for renewable energy, the heat converts them into silicon dioxide (SiO2)—literally glass.
Imagine running a high-performance engine while a “ghost” slowly pours fine sand into the pistons. This “glassification” creates a hard white crust that destroys turbines and engines.
Locally, projects like the San Francisco’s Southeast Biogas Utilization Project are breaking ground to better refine these gases, showing that in the Bay Area, there are ongoing efforts to engineering our way from silicon waste to clean, sustainable power.
The Lunar Foundation: Building with “Moon Dust”
As we look toward Artemis, our focus shifts from silicon as a pollutant to silicon as a resource—though not without complexity. The Moon is essentially a giant silicon-rich ball of rock and glass.
- The “Genesis” Rock: During the Apollo 15 mission, astronauts Irwin and Scott brought back the famous “Genesis Rock” (Sample 15415). It is composed almost entirely of Anorthosite, a silicate-rich rock that formed the Moon’s Highlands billions of years ago.
- ISRU Engineering: To address the extreme cost of mass transport, researchers are investigating In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). Lunar regolith is roughly 45% Oxygen and 21% Silicon by mass, making it a tempting reservoir. While laser-sintering aims to 3D-print structures from this dust, the physical reality of manipulating raw lunar silicon—characterized by its jagged, unweathered edges—remains a severe engineering risk to both equipment and environment.
The Ethics of ISRU: Efficient Science or “De Facto” Colonization?
The ethics of ISRU is one of the most debated topics in contemporary “soft law.” As we transition to a “settlement” era—marked by the 2026 expansion of the Artemis Accords to 61 signatory nations (with Oman joining this past January)—the question isn’t just if we can use lunar resources, but who has the right to them.
1. The Utilitarian Argument: Efficiency as a Virtue
From an engineering standpoint, ISRU is often framed as a necessary path for deep-space flight. Proponents argue it reduces the environmental tax of Earth-side launches and provides a “Lifeboat” safety margin by sourcing oxygen and propellant locally. In this view, the expansion of human presence takes precedence over the preservation of abiotic (non-living) rock.
2. The Legal & Equitable Dilemma: CHM vs. “First in Time”
The primary conflict lies in the tension between two historical doctrines:
- Common Heritage of Mankind (CHM): Codified in the 1979 Moon Agreement, this principle argues that space resources belong to everyone. It builds on the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which declared space the “province of all mankind.”
- Operational Deconfliction: The Artemis Accords (2020) take a different tack. They rely on the 1967 Treaty to argue that while you cannot own the Moon, extraction is legal and does not constitute “national appropriation.”
The Ethical Risk: Critics, highlighted in the March 2026 Open Lunar report, worry that “Safety Zones” could lead to “de facto” land grabs. If a nation monopolizes a rare patch of water ice in a Permanently Shadowed Region (PSR), they haven’t technically “appropriated” the territory, but they have effectively monopolized a vital resource, potentially marginalizing nations that are not yet spacefaring.
The Cosmic Recipe: Sextans A and the JWST Discovery
Finally, we look beyond our solar system to the “primitive kitchen” of the early universe. In a massive recent find, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) looked at Sextans A, a tiny, metal-poor galaxy 4 million light-years away.
Standard models suggested these primitive galaxies couldn’t “bake” much dust. But JWST spotted the tell-tale signature of Silicon Carbide (SiC) being forged in the atmospheres of aging stars.
- The Technical Handshake: The irony is sublime. While the JWST’s famous mirrors are gold-coated beryllium, they rely on a massive, ultra-rigid backbone—the Instrument Support Structure (ISS)—made of high-tech Silicon Carbide. We are using SiC technology in space to look back in time and discover where the first grains of SiC were born.
Community Spotlight: Seeing the Big Picture in the East Bay
If you want to see these “Silicon-born” discoveries in high-definition, you won’t want to miss the legendary Alex Filippenko on Wednesday, April 29. He will be in the East Bay at the Orinda Theater to discuss the most exciting, late-breaking results from the JWST.
It is a fitting venue for a talk about our collective future; while we look at the universe through JWST, the Orinda ONE project is doing the “In-Situ” work here on Earth—uniting the community to enhance and preserve the heart of Orinda. Just as Artemis seeks to build a sustainable home on the Moon, Orinda ONE is a reminder that the best science happens when the community is aligned.
See you somewhere in the Si-Valley (or at the Orinda Theater!),
Lili
Lili’s Top 3 Bay Area Science Events (April 13 – 29)
- Chemical Engineering Colloquium: Delivering on the Promise of Genome Editing (Monday, April 13, Stanford)
- Speaker: Nobel Laureate Dr. Jennifer Doudna. A premier event at the Shriram Center for the Stanford engineering community to discuss the molecular mechanisms of targeted cellular delivery.
- Time/Location: 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Shriram Center, Room 104
- Event Details & Abstract
- After Dark: Altered States at the Exploratorium (Thursday, April 16, San Francisco)
- Explore the science of perception, featuring research on psychedelics and unusual sensory experiences. Includes a performance by Sarah Davachi as part of the Resonance series—a perfect intersection of physics and perception.
- Event Details & Tickets
- Alex Filippenko: Exciting Results from JWST (Wednesday, April 29, Orinda)
- A must-attend event at the Orinda Theater in the East Bay. Come for the astrophysics, stay for the community spirit and learn about the Orinda ONE project.
- Tickets & Event Details: One Community Speaker Series
Upcoming Events:
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