The Astrobiological Landscape
The Astrobiological Landscape
$170.00
USDAstrobiology is an expanding, interdisciplinary field investigating the origin, evolution and future of life in the universe. Tackling many of the foundational debates of the subject, from discussions of cosmological evolution to detailed reviews of common concepts such as the 'Rare Earth' hypothesis, this volume is the first systematic survey of the philosophical aspects and conundrums in the study of cosmic life. The author's exploration of the increasing number of cross-over problems highlights the relationship between astrobiology and cosmology and presents some of the challenges of multidisciplinary study. Modern physical theories dealing with the multiverse add a further dimension to the debate. With a selection of beautifully presented illustrations and a strong emphasis on constructing a unified methodology across disciplines, this book will appeal to graduate students and specialists who seek to rectify the fragmented nature of current astrobiological endeavour, as well as curious astrophysicists, biologists and SETI enthusiasts.
- Proposes new concepts that allow results from various fields to be studied together
- Takes a fresh, multidisciplinary approach
- Analyses and explains some of the most common points of confusion in astrobiology
Reviews & endorsements
"… written in a language and at a level that is accessible to other astronomers and astrobiologists … Best of all, the book ends with twenty pages of notes and twenty-one pages of references. Just for this wonderfully comprehensive bibliography of the philosophy of astrobiology, this book deserves to be on the shelf of any astrobiologist's library."
Guy Consolmagno, Meteoritics and Planetary Science
"Ćirković's book is not an astrobiology textbook with facts and worked examples, but is probably the best book on the philosophical implications of life in the universe, in the universe."
Charles H. Lineweaver, Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres
Product details
June 2012Adobe eBook Reader
9781139511940
0 pages
0kg
15 b/w illus. 1 map
This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Acknowledgements
- 1. Astrobiology: the colour out of space?
- 2. Cosmology, life, and duration of the past
- 3. Cosmology, life, and selection effects
- 4. Cosmology, life, and the archipelago
- 5. Astrobiology as a natural extension of Darwinism
- 6. Rare Earths and the continuity thesis
- 7. SETI and its discontents
- 8. Natural and artificial: cosmic domain of Arnheim
- 9. Astrobiology as the neo-Copernican synthesis?
- Index.
