The Quest for a Universal Theory of Life: Searching for Life As We Don't Know It: Cambridge Astrobiology, cartea 11
Autor Carol E. Clelanden Limba Engleză Hardback – 11 sep 2019
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Specificații
ISBN-13: 9780521873246
ISBN-10: 052187324X
Pagini: 258
Dimensiuni: 178 x 253 x 19 mm
Greutate: 0.59 kg
Editura: Cambridge University Press
Colecția Cambridge University Press
Seria Cambridge Astrobiology
Locul publicării:Cambridge, United Kingdom
ISBN-10: 052187324X
Pagini: 258
Dimensiuni: 178 x 253 x 19 mm
Greutate: 0.59 kg
Editura: Cambridge University Press
Colecția Cambridge University Press
Seria Cambridge Astrobiology
Locul publicării:Cambridge, United Kingdom
Cuprins
Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1. The enduring legacy of Aristotle: the battle over life as self-organization or (genetic-based) reproduction; 2. Why life cannot be defined; 3. What is a scientific theory; 4. How scientific theories develop; 5. Challenges for a universal theory of life; 6. Rethinking the traditional paradigm for life: lessons from the world of microbes; 7. Artificial life: could ALife solve the N=1 problem?; 8. Searching for extraterrestrial life without a definition or universal theory of life; 9. A shadow biosphere: alien microbes on Earth?; Conclusion; References; Index.
Recenzii
'What is life? What universal principles apply to any biosphere? Our efforts to answer these deep questions are stymied because of our biased, Earth-bound perspective with only one kind of (known) life. In a book rich with original ideas and lucid insights, science philosopher Carol E. Cleland considers life from the perspective of what we don't know - the limitations, hidden biases, sloppy definitions, and false assumptions that may lead us astray. From 'shadow biospheres' on Earth, to artificial life in the lab, to alien lifeforms in distant galaxies, Cleland expands our minds and leads us to rethink what we thought we knew.' Robert Hazen, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington
'Searching for life elsewhere in our solar system or beyond is at the forefront of science today, due to recent discoveries about terrestrial life, planetary environments, and planets around other stars. We can't extrapolate from our single example of life on Earth, which all share common biochemistry and are descended from a common ancestor, as to what the characteristics of life elsewhere in the universe might be. Given these uncertainties, how can we identify something as alive? What does it mean to be living? What is life? Carol E. Cleland takes a philosophy of science approach to what constitutes life, integrating it with biology in a planetary context. She has made a valuable contribution to our understanding of the nature of life and of how to search for it, both on Earth and elsewhere.' Bruce Jakosky, University Of Colorado
'An essential read for anyone interested in the nature of life and its origins. Cleland's philosophical outlook means that she approaches the subject from a fresh perspective, framing important questions rarely discussed by scientists: what does it mean to try to define life, water, or anything else? How likely is it that life will be found on other planets or satellites, such as Titan, with conditions very different from those on Earth? Can we be sure that life as we know it is the only sort of life possible? Moreover, can we be sure that life very different from the life we know doesn't already exist unrecognized on Earth itself? This book discusses these points in a provocative way that forces readers to examine some of their cherished beliefs that they thought were self-evident.' Athel Cornish-Bowden, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France
'This book focuses on the search for a universal theory of life and portrays viewpoints of both the philosopher and the scientist. This makes the book unique, providing at times astonishing insights.' Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Basic and Applied Ecology
'Cleland … encourages readers to think more broadly about the definition of life, avoiding the 'neo-Aristotelian' narrowness of current investigations. This work is indeed scholarly, with over 20 pages of references, and interdisciplinary … three different approaches are philosophically presented to enable readers to conceptualize searching for 'life as we don't know it'.' T. Barker, Choice
'Searching for life elsewhere in our solar system or beyond is at the forefront of science today, due to recent discoveries about terrestrial life, planetary environments, and planets around other stars. We can't extrapolate from our single example of life on Earth, which all share common biochemistry and are descended from a common ancestor, as to what the characteristics of life elsewhere in the universe might be. Given these uncertainties, how can we identify something as alive? What does it mean to be living? What is life? Carol E. Cleland takes a philosophy of science approach to what constitutes life, integrating it with biology in a planetary context. She has made a valuable contribution to our understanding of the nature of life and of how to search for it, both on Earth and elsewhere.' Bruce Jakosky, University Of Colorado
'An essential read for anyone interested in the nature of life and its origins. Cleland's philosophical outlook means that she approaches the subject from a fresh perspective, framing important questions rarely discussed by scientists: what does it mean to try to define life, water, or anything else? How likely is it that life will be found on other planets or satellites, such as Titan, with conditions very different from those on Earth? Can we be sure that life as we know it is the only sort of life possible? Moreover, can we be sure that life very different from the life we know doesn't already exist unrecognized on Earth itself? This book discusses these points in a provocative way that forces readers to examine some of their cherished beliefs that they thought were self-evident.' Athel Cornish-Bowden, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France
'This book focuses on the search for a universal theory of life and portrays viewpoints of both the philosopher and the scientist. This makes the book unique, providing at times astonishing insights.' Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Basic and Applied Ecology
'Cleland … encourages readers to think more broadly about the definition of life, avoiding the 'neo-Aristotelian' narrowness of current investigations. This work is indeed scholarly, with over 20 pages of references, and interdisciplinary … three different approaches are philosophically presented to enable readers to conceptualize searching for 'life as we don't know it'.' T. Barker, Choice
Notă biografică
Descriere
Explores fundamental philosophical and scientific questions about the nature of life, particularly in relation to the search for extraterrestrial life.