Download or read book Astrobiology and Humanism written by Julian Chela-Flores and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2019-06-13 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reviews the horizons and frontiers of humanism as they interact with the science of life in the universe, now generally known as “astrobiology”. As one of the most important conversations of our time, the existence of life itself raises deep questions that are meaningful to both astrobiology and humanism. The text discusses current disagreements in this intercultural dialogue, which are shown to be solely due to the widespread delusion that the horizons and frontiers of science can be ignored.
Download or read book Social and Conceptual Issues in Astrobiology written by Kelly C. Smith and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2020-04-10 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How universal are our moral obligations? Should we attempt to communicate with life beyond our planet? What is "life"? Social and Conceptual Issues in Astrobiology explores the most important questions related to the field of astrobiology, and the resulting book is the most comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach focused on the humanistic issues of the multidisciplinary science of astrobiology to date. Questions surrounding life on other planets have troubled humankind for centuries; this volume outlines the questions for the next decade of research in the field of astrobiology. Kelly C. Smith and Carlos Mariscal have assembled the top scholars from fields spanning history, communication, philosophy, law, and theology to consider the implications of life elsewhere. The perspectives supplied by this expansive group of contributors have never before been collected in book a book focused on astrobiology. This book sets a benchmark for future work in astrobiology, giving readers the groundwork from which to base the continuous scholarship coming from this ever-growing scientific field.
Download or read book The Science of Astrobiology written by Julian Chela-Flores and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-07-28 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the publication of The New Science of Astrobiology in the year 2001—the first edition of the present book—two significant events have taken place raising the subject from the beginning of the present century to its present maturity. Firstly, in 2001 the Galileo Mission still had two years to complete its task, which turned out to be an outstanding survey of the Jovian system, especially of its intriguing satellite Europa. Secondly, the Cassini Huygens Mission was still on its way to Saturn. Its present success has surpassed all expectations of ESA and NASA. Astrobiologists still did not know that Titan was the fifth body in the Solar System that possibly contained a water ocean (including the Earth and the three Galilean satellites other than Io). For these reasons the book includes overviews of the evolutionary and molecular biology that are necessary. There is a discussion of other sectors of culture that are the natural frontiers of astrobiology, especially the humanities.
Download or read book The History and Philosophy of Astrobiology written by David Dunér and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2013-09-26 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human beings have wondered about the stars since the dawn of the species. Does life exist out there – intelligent life, even – or are we alone? The quest for life in the universe touches on fundamental hopes and fears. It touches on the essence of what it means to formulate a theory, grasp a concept, and have an imagination. This book traces the history of the science of this area and the development of new schools in philosophy. Its essays seek to establish the history and philosophy of astrobiology as research fields in their own right by addressing cognitive, linguistic, epistemological, ethical, cultural, societal, and historical perspectives on astrobiology. The book is divided into three sections. The first (Cognition) focuses on the human mind and what it contributes to the search for life. It explores the emergence and evolution of terrestrial life and cognition and the challenges humans face as they reach to the stars. The essays raise philosophical questions, pose ethical dilemmas, and offer a variety of approaches, including one from cognitive zoology, in formulating a theory of the universal principles of intelligence, the limits of human conceptual abilities, and the human mind’s encounter with the unknown. The second section (Communication) examines the linguistic and semiotic requirements for interstellar communication. What is needed for successful communication? Are there universal rules for success? What are the possible features – and limitations – of exolanguages? What is required for recognizing a message as a message? The third section (Culture) considers cultural and societal issues. It explores astrobiology’s organization as a scientific discipline, its responsibilities to the public sphere, and its theological implications. It reviews the historically important panspermia hypothesis, along with the popularization of astrobiology and its ongoing institutionalisation. Through addressing these questions, we take our first steps in exploring the immense terra incognita of extraterrestrial life and the human mind.
Download or read book The New Science of Astrobiology written by Julian Chela-Flores and published by . This book was released on 2004-03-31 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The History and Philosophy of Astrobiology written by and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human beings have wondered about the stars since the dawn of the species. Does life exist out there - intelligent life, even - or are we alone? The quest for life in the universe touches on fundamental hopes and fears. It touches on the essence of what it means to formulate a theory, grasp a concept, and have an imagination. This book traces the history of the science of this area and the development of new schools in philosophy. Its essays seek to establish the history and philosophy of astrobiology as research fields in their own right by addressing cognitive, linguistic, epistemological, et.
Download or read book Astrobiology History and Society written by Douglas A. Vakoch and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-05-23 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses important current and historical topics in astrobiology and the search for life beyond Earth, including the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). The first section covers the plurality of worlds debate from antiquity through the nineteenth century, while section two covers the extraterrestrial life debate from the twentieth century to the present. The final section examines the societal impact of discovering life beyond Earth, including both cultural and religious dimensions. Throughout the book, authors draw links between their own chapters and those of other contributors, emphasizing the interconnections between the various strands of the history and societal impact of the search for extraterrestrial life. The chapters are all written by internationally recognized experts and are carefully edited by Douglas Vakoch, professor of clinical psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies and Director of Interstellar Message Composition at the SETI Institute. This interdisciplinary book will benefit everybody trying to understand the meaning of astrobiology and SETI for our human society.
Download or read book Issues in Science and Theology Are We Special written by Michael Fuller and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-10-23 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers a penetrating analysis of issues raised by the perennial question, ‘Are We Special?’ It brings together scholars from a variety of disciplines, from astronomy and palaeontology to philosophy and theology, to explore this question. Contributors cover a wide variety of issues, including what makes humans distinct from other animals, the possibilities of artificial life and artificial intelligence, the likelihood of life on other planets, and the role of religious behavior. A variety of religious and scientific perspectives are brought to bear on these matters. As a whole, the book addresses whether the issue of human uniqueness is one to which sciences and religions necessarily offer differing responses.
Download or read book Expanding Worldviews Astrobiology Big History and Cosmic Perspectives written by Ian Crawford and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-06-07 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book collates papers presented at two international conferences (held at the Australian National University in 2018 and Birkbeck College London in 2019) exploring the relationships between big history and astrobiology and their wider implications for society. These two relatively new academic disciplines aim to integrate human history with the wider history of the universe and the search for life elsewhere. The book will show that, despite differences in emphasis, big history and astrobiology share much in common, especially their interdisciplinary approaches and the cosmic and evolutionary perspectives that they both engender. Specifically, the book addresses the unified, all-embracing, nature of knowledge, the impact of big history on humanity and the world at large, the possible impact of SETI on astrobiology and big history, the cultural signature of Earth’s inhabitants beyond our own planet, and the political implications of a planetary worldview. The principal readership is envisaged to comprise scholars working in the fields of astrobiology, big history and space exploration interested in forging interdisciplinary links between these diverse topics, together with educators, and a wider public, interested in the societal implications of the cosmic and evolutionary perspectives engendered by research in these fields.
Download or read book Astrobiology written by Octavio A. Chon Torres and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-09-22 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ASTROBIOLOGY This unique book advances the frontier discussion of a wide spectrum of astrobiological issues on scientific advances, space ethics, social impact, religious meaning, and public policy formulation. Astrobiology is an exploding discipline in which not only the natural sciences, but also the social sciences and humanities converge. Astrobiology: Science, Ethics, and Public Policy is a multidisciplinary book that presents different perspectives and points of view by its contributing specialists. Epistemological, moral and political issues arising from astrobiology, convey the complexity of challenges posed by the search for life elsewhere in the universe. We ask: if a convoy of colonists from Earth make the trip to Mars, should their genomes be edited to adapt to the Red Planet’s environment? If scientists discover a biosphere with microbial life within our solar system, will it possess intrinsic value or merely utilitarian value? If astronomers discover an intelligent civilization on an exoplanet elsewhere in the Milky Way, what would be humanity’s moral responsibility: to protect Earth from an existential threat? To treat other intelligences with dignity? To exploit through interstellar commerce? To conquer? Audience The book will attract readers from a wide range of interests including astronomers, astrobiologists, chemists, biologists, space engineers, ethicists, theologians and philosophers.
Download or read book Encountering Life in the Universe written by Chris Impey and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2013-10-17 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Encountering Life in the Universe examines the intersection of scientific research and society to determine the philosophy and ethics of relating to the Earth and beyond.
Download or read book Astrobiology written by Octavio A. Chon Torres and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-10-12 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ASTROBIOLOGY This unique book advances the frontier discussion of a wide spectrum of astrobiological issues on scientific advances, space ethics, social impact, religious meaning, and public policy formulation. Astrobiology is an exploding discipline in which not only the natural sciences, but also the social sciences and humanities converge. Astrobiology: Science, Ethics, and Public Policy is a multidisciplinary book that presents different perspectives and points of view by its contributing specialists. Epistemological, moral and political issues arising from astrobiology, convey the complexity of challenges posed by the search for life elsewhere in the universe. We ask: if a convoy of colonists from Earth make the trip to Mars, should their genomes be edited to adapt to the Red Planet’s environment? If scientists discover a biosphere with microbial life within our solar system, will it possess intrinsic value or merely utilitarian value? If astronomers discover an intelligent civilization on an exoplanet elsewhere in the Milky Way, what would be humanity’s moral responsibility: to protect Earth from an existential threat? To treat other intelligences with dignity? To exploit through interstellar commerce? To conquer? Audience The book will attract readers from a wide range of interests including astronomers, astrobiologists, chemists, biologists, space engineers, ethicists, theologians and philosophers.
Download or read book Astrobiology Discovery and Societal Impact written by Steven J. Dick and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018-05-03 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The search for life in the universe, once the stuff of science fiction, is now a robust worldwide research program with a well-defined roadmap probing both scientific and societal issues. This volume examines the humanistic aspects of astrobiology, systematically discussing the approaches, critical issues, and implications of discovering life beyond Earth. What do the concepts of life and intelligence, culture and civilization, technology and communication mean in a cosmic context? What are the theological and philosophical implications if we find life - and if we do not? Steven J. Dick argues that given recent scientific findings, the discovery of life in some form beyond Earth is likely and so we need to study the possible impacts of such a discovery and formulate policies to deal with them. The remarkable and often surprising results are presented here in a form accessible to disciplines across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
Download or read book Introduction to Astrobiology written by C. Sivaram and published by Universities Press. This book was released on 2004-03 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Astrobiology Is The Science That Seeks To Unravel The Mysteries Of The Origin Of Life And The Conditions That Would Support The Birth And Evolution Of Life Forms. It Involves Several Disciplines Of Science Which Are Essential For Understanding The Several Biological Mechanisms Which Can Culminate In Life. This Book Attempts A Broad Definition Of Astrobiology, Life And The Conditions For The Existence Of Life.The Book Addresses A Whole Lot Of Interesting Issues That Have Puzzled Man From Time Immemorial Is There Life Elsewhere In The Universe? Can We Communicate With Extraterrestrial Beings? What Are The Dangers Of Interstellar Flight?
Download or read book The Voice of Public Theology written by Ted Peters and published by ATF Press. This book was released on 2022-11-07 with total page 1150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Public theologians are already thundering like prophets at climate change and racial injustice. But the gale force winds of natural science blow through society as well. The public theologian should be on storm watch.
Download or read book The New Science of Astrobiology written by Julian Chela-Flores and published by Springer. This book was released on 2001-10-31 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Astrobiology is a very broad interdisciplinary field covering the origin, evolution, distribution, and destiny of life in the universe, as well as the design and implementation of missions for solar system exploration. A review covering its complete spectrum has been missing at a level accessible even to the non-specialist. The last section of the book consists of a supplement, including a glossary, notes, and tables, which represent highly condensed `windows' into research ranging from basic sciences to earth and life sciences, as well as the humanities. These additions should make The New Science of Astrobiology accessible to a wide readership: scientists, humanists, and the general reader will have an opportunity to participate in one of the most rewarding activities of contemporary culture.
Download or read book We Are the Children of the Stars written by Otto O. Binder and published by Hampton Roads Publishing. This book was released on 2013-08-01 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This groundbreaking book from the early 1970s presents scientific evidence to prove that mankind could not have possibly evolved naturally. Binder and Flindt explore the very real possibility that we are direct descendants of ancient starmen who came from other planets to Earth millions of years ago. We Are the Children of the Stars reveals: Earth has been visited more than 5,000 times by creatures from other planets!Evidence that starmen deliberately hid any "Missing Link" human fossils in order to keep mankind from knowing it was a colony!Evidence that the starmen were the "Angels" of the Bible, carrying on a "Divine" mission to bring human life to Earth! Space researcher Max H. Flindt was the first to scientifically document, from biological evidence, the possibility that mankind may be a hybrid from a prehistoric union of terrestrial humanoids and starmen.
