Exploring the Origin, Extent, and Future of Life: Philosophical, Ethical and Theological Perspectives (Cambridge Astrobiology, Series Number 4)

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. - An Introduction To Astrobiology Exploring The Origin Of Life, The Extent Of Life, And The Possibility Of Life On Mars - Provides Philosophical, Historical, Ethical And Theological Perspectives On Astrobiology - No Prior Knowledge Of The Subject Is Needed As Each Chapter Has Been Written To Be Understood By Readers New To The Field--provided By Publisher. Astrobiology In A Societal Context / Constance M. Bertka -- Emergence And The Experimental Pursuit Of The Origin Of Life / Robert M. Hazen -- From Aristotle To Darwin, To Freeman Dyson : Changing Definitions Of Life Viewed In A Historical Context / James E. Strick -- Philosophical Aspects Of The Origin-of-life Problem : The Emergence Of Life And The Nature Of Science / Iris Fry -- The Origin Of Terrestrial Life : A Christian Perspective / Ernan Mcmullin -- The Alpha And The Omega : Reflections On The Origin And Future Of Life From The Perspective Of Christian Theology And Ethics / Celia Deane-drummond -- A Biologist's Guide To The Solar System / Lynn J. Rothschild -- The Quest For Habitable Worlds And Life Beyond The Solar System / Carl B. Pilcher And Jack J. Lissauer -- A Historical Perspective On The Extent And Search For Life / Steven J. Dick -- The Search For Extraterrestrial Life : Epistemology, Ethics, And Worldviews / Mark Lupisella -- The Implications Of Discovering Extraterrestrial Life : Different Searches, Differnet Issues / Margaret S. Race -- God, Evolution, And Astrobiology / Cynthia S. W. Crysdale -- Planetary Ecosynthesis On Mars : Restoration Ecology And Environmental Ethics / Christopher P. Mckay -- The Trouble With Intrinsic Value : An Ethical Primer For Astrobiology / Kelly C. Smith -- God's Preferential Option For Life : A Christian Perspective On Astrobiology / Richard O. Randolph -- Comparing Stories About The Origin, Extent, And Future Of Life : An Asian Religious Perspective / Francisca Cho. Edited By Constance M. Bertka. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. 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 Machine generated contents note: 1. Astrobiology in societal context Constance Bertka; Part I. Origin of Life: 2. Emergence and the experimental pursuit of the origin of life Robert Hazen; 3. From Aristotle to Darwin, to Freeman Dyson: changing definitions of life viewed in historical context James Strick; 4. Philosophical aspects of the origin-of-life problem: the emergence of life and the nature of science Iris Fry; 5. The origin of terrestrial life: a Christian perspective Ernan McMullin; 6. The alpha and the omega: reflections on the origin and future of life from the perspective of Christian theology and ethics Celia Deane-Drummond; Part II. Extent of Life: 7. A biologist's guide to the Solar System Lynn Rothschild; 8. The quest for habitable worlds and life beyond the Solar System Carl Pilcher; 9. A historical perspective on the extent and search for life Steven J. Dick; 10. The search for extraterrestrial life: epistemology, ethics, and worldviews Mark Lupisella; 11. The implications of discovering extraterrestrial life: different searches, different issues Margaret S. Race; 12. God, evolution, and astrobiology Cynthia S. W. Crysdale; Part III. Future of Life: 13. Planetary ecosynthesis on Mars: restoration ecology and environmental ethics Christopher P. McKay; 14. The trouble with intrinsic value: an ethical primer for astrobiology Kelly C. Smith; 15. God's preferential option for life: a Christian perspective on astrobiology Richard O. Randolph; 16. Comparing stories about the origin, extent, and future of life: an Asian religious perspective Francisca Cho; Index.