Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-vmclg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-17T00:58:44.607Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Widening perspectives: the intellectual and social benefits of astrobiology (regardless of whether extraterrestrial life is discovered or not)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 April 2017

I.A. Crawford
I.A. Crawford*
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK
*
e-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Astrobiology is usually defined as the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the Universe. As such it is inherently interdisciplinary and cannot help but engender a worldview infused by cosmic and evolutionary perspectives. Both these attributes of the study of astrobiology are, and will increasingly prove to be, beneficial to society regardless of whether extraterrestrial life is discovered or not.

Keywords

astrobiologybig historycosmic perspective
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Astrobiology , Volume 17 , Issue 1 , January 2018 , pp. 57 - 60
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bertka, C.M. (ed.) (2009). Exploring the Origin, Extent and Nature of Life: Philosophical, Ethical and Theological Perspectives. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Birkbeck College (2017). Introduction to astrobiology. http://www.bbk.ac.uk/study/modules/easc/EASC064H5 (accessed 3 February 2017).Google Scholar
Bohm, D. (1996) On Creativity. Routledge, Abingdon.Google Scholar
Cabrera, L. (ed.) (2011). Global Governance, Global Government: Institutional Visions for an Evolving World System. State University of New York Press, Albany.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chambers, R. (1844). Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation. John Churchill, London.Google Scholar
Chambers, R. (1845). Explanations: A Sequel to Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation. John Churchill, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christian, D. (2004). Maps in Time: An Introduction to Big History. University of California Press, New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christian, D. (2017). What is big history? J. Big Hist. 1, 4–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Connell, K., Dick, S.J. & Rose, K. (2000). Workshop on the Societal Implications of Astrobiology: Final Report. NASA Technical Memorandum, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. http://www.astrosociology.org/Library/PDF/NASA-Workshop-Report-Societal-Implications-of-Astrobiology.pdf (accessed 3 February 2017).Google Scholar
Crawford, I.A. (2010). Astrobiological benefits of human space exploration. Astrobiology 10, 577–587.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crawford, I.A. (2013). Widening perspectives. EPSC Abstracts 8, p. 256.Google Scholar
Crawford, I.A. (2014a). Avoiding intellectual stagnation: the starship as an expander of minds. J. Br. Interplanet. Soc. 67, 253–257.Google Scholar
Crawford, I.A. (2014b). Interplanetary federalism: maximising the chances of extraterrestrial peace, diversity and liberty. In The Meaning of Liberty beyond Earth, ed. Cockell, C.S., pp. 199–218. Springer, Dordrecht.Google Scholar
Dick, S.J. & Lupisella, M.L. (eds) (2009). Cosmos & Culture: Cultural Evolution in a Cosmic Context. NASA SP-2009-4802.Google Scholar
Holmes, R. (2008). The Age of Wonder. Harper Press, London.Google Scholar
Impey, C., Spitz, A.H. & Stoeger, W. (eds) (2013). Encountering Life in the Universe: Ethical Foundations and Social Implications of Astrobiology. University of Arizona Press, Tucson.Google Scholar
International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) (2013). The Global Exploration Roadmap. http://www.globalspaceexploration.org/web/isecg/news/2013-08-20 (accessed 21 January 2017).Google Scholar
Kemp, M. (2009). Dissecting the two cultures. Nature 459, 32–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Offerdahl, E. (2013). A scientifically minded citizenry: the ethical responsibility of all scientists. In Encountering Life in the Universe: Ethical Foundations and Social Implications of Astrobiology, ed. Impey, C., Spitz, A.H. & Stoeger, W., pp. 222–235. University of Arizona Press, Tucson.Google Scholar
Poole, R. (2008). Earthrise: How Man First Saw the Earth. Yale University Press, New Haven.Google Scholar
Race, M., Denning, K., Bertka, C.M., Dick, S.J., Harrison, A.A., Impey, C. & Mancinelli, R. (2012). Astrobiology and society: building an interdisciplinary research community. Internat. J. Astrobiology 12, 958–965.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sagan, C. (1994) Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space. Random House, New York.Google Scholar
Snow, C.P. (1959). The Two Cultures. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Spier, F. (2010). Big History and the Future of Humanity. Wiley–Blackwell, Hoboken.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stoeger, W.R. (2013). Astrobiology and beyond: from science to philosophy and ethics. In Encountering Life in the Universe: Ethical Foundations and Social Implications of Astrobiology, ed. Impey, C., Spitz, A.H. & Stoeger, W., pp. 56–79. University of Arizona Press, Tucson.Google Scholar
Uglow, J. (2002). The Lunar Men. Faber and Faber, London.Google Scholar
von Humboldt, A. (1845). Cosmos: A Sketch of a Physical Description of the Universe. English Trans., Vols. I, II, E.C. Otté (1850). Harper & Brothers, New York.Google Scholar
Wells, H.G. (1925). The Outline of History, Revised edn. Waverley Book Company, London.Google Scholar
Whelpley, J.D. (1846). Review of cosmos. Am. Rev. 3, 598–610.Google Scholar
White, F. (2014). The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, 3rd edn. Library of Flight, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Reston.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, E.O. (1998). Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge. Little, Brown and Company, New York.Google Scholar
Wilson, E.O. (2016). Half Earth: Our Planet's Fight for Life. Liveright, New York.Google Scholar