Astrobiology and Society: Building an Interdisciplinary Research Community (original) (raw)
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Rethinking Life: Astrobiology and the Future of the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
SBE 2020: Future Research in the Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences , 2011
Human beings have long been interested in the potential discovery of extraterrestrial life – but astrobiology is much m ore than this. Astrobiology addresses the definition, emergence, evolution, and future of life on Earth and in the universe, and intersects with the human exploration and exploitation of our solar system, our own deliberate evolution, and our relationship with our planet. Astrobiology is challenging our views of, and engagements with, life itself, as well as humanity’s position in the universe. The science presents issues that crosscut SBES disciplines at a fundamental level. All legal, ethical, theological, and cultural systems are based on `life as we know it’, and astrobiology has begun to challenge those fundamental assumptions, as well as our anthropocentrism, and our terracentrism. A truly interdisciplinary approach is needed to understand the broad implications within human and social contexts –now, and in the future. We therefore ask, How will advances in astrobiology research and exploration affect humanity? , and argue that it is necessary to foster an interdisciplinary community of SBES researchers who can address the human questions that astrobiology is presenting to us.
Journal of Big History , 2019
Astrobiology is the field of science devoted to searching for life elsewhere in the Universe. It is inherently interdisciplinary, integrating results from multiple fields of science, and in this respect has strong synergies with 'big history'. I argue that big history and astrobiology are both acting to widen human perspectives in intellectually and socially beneficial directions, especially by enhancing public awareness of cosmic and evolutionary worldviews. I will further argue that these perspectives have important implications for the social and political organisation of humanity, including the eventual political unification of our planet. Astrobiology and big history are also concerned with the future of humanity, and I will argue that this future will be culturally and intellectually enriched if it includes the exploration of the universe around us.
Astrobiology: Physical Origin, Biological Evolution and Spatial Distribution, 2010
Over recent years the importance of the public understanding of science has been increasingly recognised. Science is not only a core area of culture, but is also a major area of investment from public expenditure. Awareness of the potential of science to develop technologies which can safeguard and extend the quality of life-for example, through medical advances-is matched by knowledge of the role science has played in developing increasingly effective mass weapon systems and in facilitating the non-sustainable exploitation of natural resources. The public has a somewhat ambivalent view on whether science is in general a good thing, and scientific careers are not seen as attractive to many talented young people. Scientists in all fields must therefore engage with the issue of 'public relations' rather than consider their work as only the concern of an intellectual elite. Education for public understanding has become one of the responsibilities of those working in research areas funded from the public purse. Furthermore, spending money on aspects of 'space science' may not seem a priority compared with developing renewable energy technologies, tackling pollution and protecting biodiversity here on earth. Astrobiology has some advantages in this regard, being an area that can readily inspire the public imagination. Conversely, the very familiarity with aliens represented in mass media, may also mean that scientists attempting to explain the nature and significance of their work to the public may often face unhelpful preconceptions. Moreover, it can be argued that the areas of science that astrobiology draws upon (such as chemical, biological and cosmological evolution) are among those where research into science education has identified major learning difficulties. The present chapter offers an analysis undertaken from the perspective of science education, to discuss the nature of the particular challenges faced by those seeking to facilitate public education in the field of astrobiology.
Astrobiology and lJS Social and Political Implications of a "New" Science
Civiltà Cattolica, 2017
Astrobiology "studies the origin and evolution of life on Earth and the possible variety of life elsewhere." Often confused with SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), astrobiology is a rapidly developing interdisciplinary scientific research field. A group of scholars, composed of theologians and astrobiologists, has investigated and is still investigating the social implications of this new scientific branch. This experience has become an opportunity to evaluate how scientific research is carried out today and to propose some ethical paradigms in this regard. But also to understand if and how theology and astrobiology can support each other; in particular, if and how astrobiological research can promote a theological understanding of creation and of human life founded on the Incarnation and animated by it.
Communicating Astrobiology - A New Approach
54th International Astronautical Congress of the International Astronautical Federation, the International Academy of Astronautics, and the International Institute of Space Law, 2003