Astrobiology, Discovery, and Societal Impact

ISBN-13: 9781108426763 / Angielski / Twarda / 2018 / 394 str.

Steven J. Dick

Opis

Examines humanistic aspects of astrobiology, exploring approaches, critical issues, and implications of the discovery of extraterrestrial life.

Recenzje

'We (primarily the space agencies and the scientific community of Astrobiology) are currently engaged in a grand exploration, seeking life beyond Earth. It is past time that we make plans for what the discovery of distant life - microbial, intelligent, or other - would mean for terrestrial life. What will be the impacts as we destructure one set of world views and restructure another? What do we know about humans and their institutions that will help us plan proactively for a transition to a biological universe, if and when that occurs? What policies must we pre-enact to guide any first contact to an outcome deemed satisfactory by all concerned? These are just some of the questions posed by Steven J. Dick in this scholarly and fascinating book that makes the case for the further inclusion of the humanities and social sciences within Astrobiology. While many of these questions are now unanswerable, this work provides a roadmap for how we might arrive at what is knowable in advance of a discovery.' Jill Tarter, SETI Institute

Spis treści

Introduction. When biospheres collide; Part I. Approaches: 1. History; 2. Discovery; 3. Analogy; Part II. Critical Issues: 4. Can we transcend anthropocentrism?; 5. Is human knowledge universal?; 6. How can we envision impact?; Part III. Impact!: 7. Astroculture: transforming our worldviews; 8. Astroethics: interacting with alien life; 9. Astropolicy: preparing for discovery; 10. Summary and conclusions: at home in the biological (or postbiological) universe; Bibliography; Index.