Cosmic Biology: How Life Could Evolve on Other Worlds (Springer Praxis Books Popular Astronomy)

Cover......Page 1
Cosmic Biology......Page 4
ISBN 9781441916464......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Preface......Page 16
Illustrations......Page 20
1 Rare Earths and Life Unseen......Page 24
1.1.1 Genesis: A scientific story of creation......Page 26
1.1.2 How solar systems and planets form......Page 28
1.1.3 Exoplanets......Page 30
1.2 The Rare Earth model......Page 32
1.3. The Life Unseen model......Page 33
1.4. Strategy for the study of cosmic biology......Page 34
1.5 Chapter summary......Page 36
1.6 References and further reading......Page 37
2.1 The challenge of defining "life"......Page 38
2.1.1 Life as a duality of process and entity......Page 39
2.1.2 Defining a living organism......Page 40
2.2 Matter gone wild: the special chemistry of life......Page 44
2.2.1 The elemental composition of living things......Page 45
2.2.2 Biomolecules......Page 48
2.2.3 Macromolecules......Page 52
2.3.1 General properties of liquids......Page 55
2.3.2 The special properties of water......Page 57
2.4.1 Oxidation-reduction chemistry......Page 59
2.4.2 Thermal energy......Page 61
2.4.4 Ionic diffusion......Page 62
2.4.5 Osmosis......Page 63
2.4.6 Other sources of energy......Page 64
2.5 Chapter summary......Page 65
2.6 References and further reading......Page 66
3.1.1 A nine-step program for the origin of life on Earth......Page 68
3.1.2 Qualifications and limitations......Page 74
3.1.3.1 A lukewarm water origin for life......Page 75
3.1.3.2 A cold water origin for life......Page 76
3.2 Organic evolution: the process of biological change through time......Page 77
3.2.1 Selection......Page 78
Mutation......Page 81
Genetic Bottlenecks......Page 82
3.2.3 Heredity......Page 83
3.3.2 Trophic structures......Page 84
3.4 Chapter summary......Page 87
3.5 References and further reading......Page 89
4.1 Nature of Earth......Page 92
4.1.4 Temperature......Page 93
4.1.5 Topography......Page 94
4.1.7 Conditions for life on Earth......Page 95
4.1.8 Facts consistent with the existence of life on Earth......Page 96
4.2.1 Origin of life on Earth......Page 97
4.2.2 Early stages of life on Earth......Page 98
4.2.4 Transition to multicellularity......Page 99
4.2.5 A brief descriptive history of life on Earth......Page 102
4.2.5.2 Transition from water to air......Page 104
4.2.5.3 Flight, Fur, and Flowers......Page 108
4.2.5.4. Transition to the Modem World......Page 109
4.3 A deduced biosphere for Earth......Page 112
4.3.1 Trophic levels of life on Earth......Page 113
Secondary Consumers......Page 115
Decomposers......Page 116
4.3.2.3 Fresh Water Ecosystems......Page 117
4.3.3.3 Marine temperate zones......Page 118
4.4.1 Metabolism......Page 119
4.4.2 Reproduction......Page 120
4.4.4 Sensory systems......Page 121
4.4.5 Cognition......Page 122
4.4.6 Technology......Page 123
4.5 What alien observers could get wrong about life on Earth......Page 124
4.6 Chapter summary......Page 125
4.7 References and further reading......Page 126
5.1 Peeling through layers of Martian mystery......Page 128
5.2 Overview of Martian planetary history......Page 134
5.3 Reconstructing a plausible evolutionary history for putative life on Mars......Page 138
5.3.2 Phototrophic diversification......Page 139
5.3.4 Colonial heterotrophs ensue......Page 141
5.3.6 A succession of subterranean retreats......Page 142
5.3.7 The sanctuary of caves......Page 143
5.3.10 Fossil remnants and life unseen......Page 144
5.4 A putative Martian biosphere......Page 145
5.5 Ecosystems on Mars......Page 147
5.6 Biotic communities on Mars......Page 148
5.7 Earth analogues of Martian habitats......Page 149
5.8.2 Reproduction......Page 151
5.8.3 Motility......Page 152
5.9 What could be wrong with this picture?......Page 153
5.10 Life may have been discovered on Mars already......Page 154
5.11 Chapter summary......Page 156
5.12 References and further reading......Page 157
6.1 Nature of Venus......Page 160
6.1.1 Atmosphere......Page 161
6.1.2 Topography......Page 162
6.1.3 Volcanism......Page 163
6.1.4 Tectonic features......Page 165
6.2 Planetary history of Venus......Page 166
6.3.1 Life in the age of water on Venus......Page 168
6.3.2 Life as Venus became hotter and the water evaporated......Page 170
6.3.3.2 Silicon-based life......Page 171
6.5 Ecosystem possibilities for life on Venus......Page 172
6.7 Possibilities for life on exoplanets like Venus......Page 173
6.8 Chapter summary......Page 174
6.8 References and further reading......Page 175
7.1 Prospects for Life in the Clouds of Venus......Page 176
7.1.1 Composition and characteristics of Venusian clouds......Page 177
7.1.2.2 Water, acidity, and organic chemistry......Page 178
7.1.2.4 Habitat stability......Page 179
7.1.4 Possible trajectories for the evolution of life in the clouds of Venus......Page 180
7.2 Prospects for life in the atmospheres of gas giant planets......Page 183
7.2.1 Composition of the gas giants......Page 184
7.2.1.2 Saturn......Page 185
7.2.2 Conceivable habitats for life on the gas giants......Page 187
7.2.3 Assessing the plausibility of life in the atmosphere of the gas giants......Page 189
7.2.3.2 What about "life" outside conventional definitions?......Page 190
7.2.3.3 What about the immigration of life from another world?......Page 191
7.3 Prospects for life in the atmospheres of exoplanets......Page 192
7.4 Chapter summary......Page 193
7.5 References and further reading......Page 195
8.1 Nature of Europa......Page 196
8.2. Planetary history of the Jovian satellites......Page 199
8.4.1 Light......Page 201
8.4.4 Fluid in motion......Page 202
8.4.6 Heat......Page 203
8.5.1 Producers......Page 206
8.5.2 Consumers......Page 208
8.6 Possible evolutionary history for putative life on Europa......Page 209
8.7 Ecosystems on Europa......Page 212
8.8.3 The benthic community......Page 216
8.9.2 Reproductive systems......Page 217
8.9.5 Cognition......Page 218
8.11 Enceladus: variations on a theme......Page 219
8.12 Significance of the potential for life on Europa or Enceladus......Page 221
8.14 References and further reading......Page 222
9.1 Nature of lo......Page 224
9.1.1 Geology......Page 225
9.1.1.2 Volcanism......Page 226
9.1.1.4 Topology......Page 228
9.1.2 Thermal environment......Page 230
9.1.3 Radiation environment......Page 232
9.3 Conditions for life on Io......Page 233
9.3.1 Solvents for life on Io......Page 235
9.3.2 Chemical building blocks for life on Io......Page 236
9.4 Origin of life on lo......Page 237
9.5 Habitats for life on Io......Page 238
9.6 A possible evolutionary history for life on Io......Page 239
9.7 Ecosystem possibilities for life on Io......Page 241
9.8.1 Radiation resistance......Page 242
9.8.5 Sensory Systems......Page 243
9.9 Chapter summary......Page 244
9.10 References and further reading......Page 245
10 Petrolakes......Page 248
10.1.1 Atmosphere and climate......Page 249
10.1.2 Topography......Page 251
10.1.3 Interior......Page 254
10.2 Planetary history of Titan......Page 255
10.3.1.1 Chemistry for building blocks......Page 257
10.3.1.2 Chemistry for energy......Page 258
10.3.3 Habitats......Page 260
10.4 A possible evolutionary history for putative life on Titan......Page 262
10.4.1 An aqueous origin and evolution for life on Titan......Page 263
10.4.2 A hydrocarbon habitat for the origin and evolution of life on Titan......Page 264
10.6.1 Metabolism......Page 268
10.6.2 Growth and reproduction......Page 269
10.6.4 Sensory Systems......Page 270
10.7 Note of caution......Page 271
10.8 Chapter summary......Page 272
10.9 References and further reading......Page 273
11 Exotic Cocktails......Page 276
11.1 Nature of dwarf planets......Page 277
11.2 Outline of the history of dwarf planets like Pluto and Triton......Page 278
11.3 Nature of Pluto and Charon......Page 279
11.4.1 Composition and chemistry......Page 281
11.4.3 Topography......Page 282
11.5.1 Energy for life on Triton......Page 285
11.5.2 Building blocks for life on Triton......Page 287
11.5.3 Solvents for life on Triton......Page 288
11.6 Scenarios for the possible evolution of life on Triton......Page 289
11.7 Chapter summary......Page 292
11.8 References and further reading......Page 293
12.1 Evolution of size, complexity, and biodiversity......Page 296
12.1.2 Temperature......Page 297
12.1.4 Time......Page 298
12.1.6 Planetary history......Page 299
12.2 Evolution of intelligence......Page 300
12.2.1 What is intelligence?......Page 301
12.2.2 Under what circumstances does intelligence arise?......Page 304
12.2.4 Why has intelligence arisen so rarely on Earth?......Page 306
12.3.1 Under what conditions does technology arise?......Page 308
12.3.2 Why has technology arisen more rarely than intelligence on Earth?......Page 310
12.4.1 The improbability of discovery......Page 312
12.4.2 The disincentive for contact......Page 313
12.4.4 The possibility that technology is self-limiting......Page 314
12.4.5 Argument by analogy: the discovery and fate of the Hawaiian Islands......Page 315
12.6 References and further reading......Page 316
13.1.1 Plateau......Page 318
13.1.3 Transition......Page 320
1 3.2.1 Biodiversity in the Solar System under the familiar scenario......Page 322
1 3.2.3 Biodiversity in the cosmos under the familiar scenario......Page 323
13.2.5 Revisiting the Rare Earth Hypothesis......Page 324
13.3 The fate and future of life on Earth......Page 325
13.3.1 Fate of human life......Page 326
13.3.1.2 As mechanical forms......Page 327
13.3.2 Fate of insects......Page 328
1 3.3.3 Fate of everything else......Page 329
13.5 Chapter summary......Page 330
13.6 References and further reading......Page 332
Glossary......Page 334
Index......Page 350