Where did we come from? Are we alone? Where are we going? These are the questions that define the field of astrobiology. New discoveries about life on Earth, the increasing numbers of extrasolar planets being identified, and the technologies being developed to locate and characterize Earth-like planets around other stars are continually challenging our views of nature and our connection to the rest of the universe. In this book, philosophers, historians, ethicists, and theologians provide the perspectives of their fields on the research and discoveries of astrobiology. A valuable resource for graduate students and researchers, the book provides an introduction to astrobiology, and explores subjects such as the implications of current origin of life research, the possible discovery of extraterrestrial microbial life, and the possibility of altering the environment of Mars.
Author(s): Constance M. Bertka
Edition: 1
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 336
Tags: Биологические дисциплины;Астробиология;
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 4
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 9
Contributors......Page 11
Acknowledgements......Page 13
1.1 Introduction......Page 15
1.2 Astrobiology and public engagement......Page 16
1.2.1 Who is it that feels we are not listening and what can we do to reach them?......Page 23
1.3 Origin of life......Page 24
1.4 Extent of life......Page 26
1.5 Future of life......Page 28
References......Page 31
Part I Origin of life......Page 33
2.1 Emergence as a unifying concept in origins research......Page 35
2.2 The emergence of biomolecules......Page 38
2.2.1 The Miller–Urey experiment......Page 39
2.2.2 Deep origins......Page 41
2.3.1 Life's idiosyncrasies......Page 43
2.3.2 Molecular selection......Page 44
2.3.3 Right and left......Page 45
2.4.1 Metabolism versus genetic mechanisms......Page 46
2.4.2 Self-replicating molecular systems......Page 47
2.4.3 The iron-sulfur world......Page 48
2.4.4 The RNA world......Page 50
2.5 The emergence of natural selection......Page 51
2.6 Three scenarios for the origin of life......Page 53
References......Page 55
3.1 Introduction......Page 61
3.2 Changing concepts of life......Page 67
References......Page 73
4.1 Introduction......Page 75
4.2 The arch and the scaffolding......Page 77
4.3 On the role of selection mechanisms in the emergence of life......Page 80
4.3.1 The metabolic and genetic traditions......Page 81
4.3.2 Genetic scaffolding......Page 82
4.3.3 Metabolic scaffolding......Page 83
4.4 The arch-and-scaffolding image: the philosophical angle......Page 84
4.5 The emergence of life and the nature of science......Page 86
References......Page 91
5.1 A Christian perspective?......Page 94
5.2 Two sources......Page 96
5.3 Augustine on creation......Page 98
5.4 Augustine's seedlike principles......Page 100
5.5 Genesis and On the Origin of Species......Page 103
5.6 The origin of terrestrial life......Page 107
References......Page 108
6 The alpha and the omega: reflections on the origin and future of life from the perspective of Christian theology and ethics......Page 110
6.2 Chance and necessity in the origin of life......Page 111
6.3 Is God a designer?......Page 113
6.4 Ethical issues in the origin and future of life......Page 116
6.5 Astrobiology and the search for wisdom......Page 120
6.6 Conclusions......Page 125
References......Page 126
Part II Extent of life......Page 127
7.1 Introduction......Page 129
7.2 Extent of known life – extremophiles......Page 130
7.3 Temperature......Page 131
7.4 pH......Page 136
7.5 Salinity and ionic strength......Page 137
7.7 Pressure......Page 140
7.8 Radiation......Page 141
7.9 Oxygen......Page 142
7.10 How to look for life – biosignatures......Page 143
7.11 Possibilities for life – past or present......Page 144
7.12 Venus......Page 145
7.14 Mars......Page 146
7.15 Europa......Page 148
7.17 Enceladus......Page 150
References......Page 151
8 The quest for habitable worlds and life beyond the solar system......Page 157
8.1 Finding worlds around other stars......Page 158
8.1.1 Radial velocity detections......Page 159
8.1.2 Transits......Page 161
8.1.3 Astrometry......Page 165
8.2.1 Habitability and the diversity of life on Earth......Page 167
8.2.2 Characterizing extrasolar terrestrial planets......Page 169
8.2.3 Biosignatures......Page 171
8.2.4 Weird life?......Page 173
8.2.5 "Complex" life......Page 175
8.2.6 The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)......Page 176
8.2.7 The Drake Equation......Page 177
Acknowledgements......Page 178
References......Page 179
9 A historical perspective on the extent and search for life......Page 181
9.1 The cosmological connection......Page 182
9.2.1 Christianity......Page 189
9.2.2 Anthropocentrism......Page 191
9.2.3 Chance and necessity......Page 192
9.3 Scientific foundations: evolution and astrophysics......Page 193
9.4 Formation of a discipline......Page 196
9.5 Societal impact: biological universe as worldview......Page 198
References......Page 199
10.1 Epistemology......Page 200
10.1.1 The "one data point" problem......Page 201
10.1.3 Biological assessment criteria......Page 202
10.2 Ethical considerations for primitive extraterrestrial life......Page 203
10.2.1 Interplanetary transport vs. independent origin......Page 204
10.2.3 Non-human rights and non-interference......Page 205
10.2.5 Cosmological value and ethics......Page 206
10.2.6 Values, ethics, and policy: a "prime directive"?......Page 208
10.3.1 The accidental universe......Page 212
10.3.3 A bootstrapped universe: "the cultural cosmos"......Page 213
10.4 Summary......Page 215
References......Page 216
11.1 Introduction......Page 219
11.2.1 Searches for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)......Page 221
11.2.2 Searches for extrasolar and habitable planets......Page 222
11.2.3 Exobiology and searches within the solar system......Page 224
11.3 The broad implications of discovery......Page 226
11.4 Communicating about exploration and discovery......Page 229
References......Page 232
12 God, evolution, and astrobiology......Page 234
12.1 Chance versus determinism......Page 235
12.2 Divine action in an emergent universe......Page 238
12.2.2 God as determiner of indeterminacies......Page 242
12.2.3 God as communicator of information......Page 243
12.2.4 Process theism......Page 244
12.3 Emergent probability......Page 245
12.4 God, astrobiology, and the future of life......Page 252
References......Page 254
Part III Future of life......Page 257
13.1 Introduction......Page 259
13.2 Conditions needed for habitability......Page 261
13.3 What went wrong with Mars?......Page 262
13.5 Atmospheric erosion......Page 264
13.6 Energy and time requirements......Page 265
13.7 Warming Mars......Page 267
13.8 Ethics......Page 268
13.9 Utilitarian motivations for planetary ecosynthesis on Mars......Page 270
References......Page 273
14.2.1 Ethics, science, and reason......Page 275
14.2.2 Got facts?......Page 277
14.2.3 It's all relative?......Page 278
14.3.1 On valuing......Page 279
14.3.2 Inclusive intrinsic value......Page 280
14.4.1 The account outlined......Page 285
14.4.2 Anthropocentrism......Page 287
14.4.4 Abuse......Page 288
14.5.1 The insights of astrobiology......Page 289
14.5.2 On terraforming Mars......Page 290
References......Page 294
15.1 Why should we care about Christian ethical perspectives on astrobiology?......Page 295
15.2 What makes Christian ethics distinctive?......Page 297
15.3 God's preferential option for life......Page 298
15.4 Ethical obligations for the protection of Earth and its ecological communities......Page 304
15.5 Do we have ethical obligations to extraterrestrial life?......Page 307
15.6 Do humans have an ethical duty to promote life?......Page 310
15.7 Conclusion......Page 314
References......Page 315
16.1 Paradigms of cosmic meaning......Page 317
16.2 Indian stories about the world......Page 321
16.3 The logic of origins......Page 324
16.4 The comparative application......Page 330
References......Page 333
Index......Page 335
