Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Louis Neal Irwin

Life in the Universe (eBook, PDF)

Expectations and Constraints

• Format: PDF

Produktbeschreibung

Energy, chemistry, solvents, and habitats -- the basic elements of living systems - define the opportunities and limitations for life on other worlds. This class-tested text examines each of these parameters in crucial depth and makes the argument that life forms we would recognize may be more common in our solar system than many assume. It also considers, however, exotic forms of life that would not have to rely on carbon as basic chemical element, solar energy as a main energy source, or water as primary solvent. Finally the question of detecting bio- and geosignature of such life forms is discussed, ranging from Earth environments to deep space. While speculative considerations in this emerging field of science cannot be avoided, the authors have tried to present their study with the breadth and seriousness that a scientific approach to this issue requires. They seek an operational definition of life and investigate the realm of possibilities that nature offers to realize this very special state of matter and avoid scientific jargon wherever possible to make this intrinsically interdisciplinary subject understandable to a broad range of readers.

The second edition thoroughly updates this text in view of the rapid progress in the field and a substantial amount of new material has been added, in particular sections and chapters on adaptation to extreme environments, the future and fate of living systems, life detection concepts based on the thorough analysis of the Viking missions and the issue around the meteorite ALH 84001, and - last but not least - recommendations for the optimization of future space exploration missions.

From the reviews of the first edition:

"[...] I know of no other book that reassesses the fundamentals of astrobiology in such way. This book is a tacit lesson in open-mindedness tempered with thorough scientific analysis. This is a very important book for all professional astrobiologists." A Ellery, International Journal of Astrobiology, 6 (2007) 182-183

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Springer-Verlag GmbH
• Seitenzahl: 251
• Erscheinungstermin: 11. September 2008
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9783540768173
• Artikelnr.: 43886313

Autorenporträt

Dirk Schulze-Makuch is a professor at the Technical University Berlin, Germany, and an adjunct professor at Arizona State University and Washington State University. He is interested in all aspects of astrobiology, but particularly whether other planets and moons inside and outside our Solar System could serve as a potential habitat for life. He received the Friedrich-Wilhelm Bessel Award from the Humboldt Foundation for extraordinary achievements in theoretical biology  in 2010.  He is best known for his publications on extraterrestrial life, which span nearly 200 scientific articles and several books such as Cosmic Biology: How Life Could Evolve on other Worlds (2011),  Megacatastrophes! Nine Strange Ways the World Could End (2012),  The Extraterrestrial Encyclopedia (2016) and The Cosmic Zoo: Complex Life on Many Worlds (2017), as well as earlier editions of Life in the Universe: Expectations and Constraints (2004 and 2008). Louis Irwin is a professor emeritus of biological sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso. He has published close to 100 research papers, reviews, encyclopedia entries, and chapters on neuroscience, astrobiology, and evolution.   He is particularly interested in evolutionary trajectories under different conditions, including those that lead to intelligent and technologically capable forms of life. He has written a neuroscience memoir (Scotophobin, 2006), and co-authored books on evolution (The Evolutionary Imperative, 2016), and astrobiology (Life in the Universe: Expectations and Constraints, 2004 and 2008) and Cosmic Biology: How Life Could Evolve on other Worlds (2011).

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction.- Definition of Life.- Origin of Life.- Synthetic Life.- Lessons from the History of Life on Earth.- Energy Sources and Life.- Building Blocks of Life.- Life and the Need for a Solvent.- Habitats of Life.- Signatures of Life.- Life Detection-Past and Present.- Astrobiological Potential within the Solar System.- Exoplanets and Exomoons.- Ideas of Exotic Forms of Life.- The Future and Fate of Living Systems.- SETI - The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life.- Optimizing Space Exploration.- References.- Index.

Rezensionen

"This book does a comprehensive job of touching on the many disparate topics that constitute the discipline. ... a useful book, which provides a starting point for those readers wishing to explore the primary literature in astrobiology. Summing Up: Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty and professionals." (P. K. Strother, Choice, Vol. 56 (11), July, 2019)