Astronomical Origins of Life

Astronomical Origins of Life

Author: B. Hoyle

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 361

ISBN-13: 9401142971

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Living material contains about twenty different sorts of atom combined into a set of relatively simple molecules. Astrobiologists tend to believe that abiotic mater ial will give rise to life in any place where these molecules exist in appreciable abundances and where physical conditions approximate to those occurring here on Earth. We think this popular view is wrong, for it is not the existence of the building blocks of life that is crucial but the exceedingly complicated structures in which they are arranged in living forms. The probability of arriving at biologically significant arrangements is so very small that only by calling on the resources of the whole universe does there seem to be any possibility of life originating, a conclusion that requires life on the Earth to be a minute component of a universal system. Some think that the hugely improbable transition from non-living to living mat ter can be achieved by dividing the transition into many small steps, calling on a so-called 'evolutionary' process to bridge the small steps one by one. This claim turns on semantic arguments which seek to replace the probability for the whole chain by the sum of the individual probabilities of the many steps, instead of by their product. This is an error well known to those bookies who are accustomed to taking bets on the stacking of horse races. But we did not begin our investigation from this point of view.


Our Cosmic Ancestry in the Stars

Our Cosmic Ancestry in the Stars

Author: Chandra Wickramasinghe, Ph.D.

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2019-05-14

Total Pages: 182

ISBN-13: 1591433290

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An exploration of how acceptance of panspermia will soon change history • Offers extensive scientific proof of panspermia--that life arose on Earth via comets and that evolution is seeded by viruses arriving via comets and interstellar dust • Explores the major philosophical, psychological, cultural, religious, and environmental ramifications of the acceptance of this new scientific worldview Mainstream consensus is that life arose on Earth spontaneously out of “primordial soup.” Yet this theory, as well as the Darwinian “survival of the fittest” concept as it relates to major steps in evolution, has no scientific basis or proof. Where, then, did life come from? As the authors show, with conclusive scientific evidence, life came from space--a concept known as “panspermia.” We humans, and all other life on Earth, evolved over millennia in response to viruses that arrived via comets, and we continue to do so. Exploring the philosophical, psychological, cultural, and environmental ramifications of the acceptance of panspermia, the authors show how the shift will be on par with the Copernican Revolution--when it was finally accepted that the Earth was not the center of the Universe. Explaining the origins of the panspermia theory in the work of the late Sir Fred Hoyle, the authors reveal the vast body of evidence that has accumulated over the past 4 decades in favor of the cosmic origins of life, including viral inserts found in DNA that have shaped our human genome over millions of years. They show how the tiniest of viruses, microscopic animals (tardigrades), and even seeds have been found to be natural cosmonauts. The authors also show how space-borne viruses play a crucial role in the positive evolution of life and that our entire existence on this planet is contingent on the continuing ingress of cosmic viruses. Revealing how panspermia offers answers to some of humanity’s longstanding questions about the origins of life, the authors discuss the impact this shift in understanding will have on our relationship with the Earth and on culture, history, and religion. And perhaps the most dramatic ramification of all is that acceptance of panspermia means acceptance that Earth is not unique--that other life-filled planets exist and intelligent life is common in the Universe. Not only did we come from space, but we are not alone.


Planet Formation and Panspermia

Planet Formation and Panspermia

Author: Joseph Seckbach

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2021-09-27

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13: 1119640938

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An in-depth view of the panspermia hypothesis examined against the latest knowledge of planetary formation and related processes. Panspermia is the concept that life can be passively transported through space on various bodies and seed, habitable planets and moons, which we are beginning to learn may exist in large numbers. It is an old idea, but not popular with those who prefer that life on Earth started on Earth, an alternative, also unproven hypothesis. This book updates the concept of panspermia in the light of new evidence on planet formation, molecular clouds, solar system motions, supernovae ejection mechanisms, etc. Thus, it is to be a book about newly understood prospects for the movement of life through space. The novel approach presented in this book gives new insights into the panspermia theory and its connection with planetary formation and the evolution of galaxies. This offers a good starting point for future research proposals about exolife and a better perspective for empirical scrutiny of panspermia theory. Also, the key to understanding life in the universe is to understand that the planetary formation process is convolved with the evolution of stellar systems in their galactic environment. The book provides the synthesis of all these elements and gives the readers an up-to-date insight on how panspermia might fit into the big picture. Audience Given the intrinsic interdisciplinary nature of the panspermia hypothesis the book will have a wide audience across various scientific disciplines covering astronomy, biology, physics and chemistry. Apart from scientists, the book will appeal to engineers who are involved in planning and realization of future space missions.


Astrobiology

Astrobiology

Author: Akihiko Yamagishi

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2019-02-27

Total Pages: 454

ISBN-13: 9811336393

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This book provides concise and cutting-edge reviews in astrobiology, a young and still emerging multidisciplinary field of science that addresses the fundamental questions of how life originated and diversified on Earth, whether life exists beyond Earth, and what is the future for life on Earth. Readers will find coverage of the latest understanding of a wide range of fascinating topics, including, for example, solar system formation, the origins of life, the history of Earth as revealed by geology, the evolution of intelligence on Earth, the implications of genome data, insights from extremophile research, and the possible existence of life on other planets within and beyond the solar system. Each chapter contains a brief summary of the current status of the topic under discussion, sufficient references to enable more detailed study, and descriptions of recent findings and forthcoming missions or anticipated research. Written by leading experts in astronomy, planetary science, geoscience, chemistry, biology, and physics, this insightful and thought-provoking book will appeal to all students and scientists who are interested in life and space.


Ultraviolet Astronomy and the Quest for the Origin of Life

Ultraviolet Astronomy and the Quest for the Origin of Life

Author: Ana I. Gomez de Castro

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2021-03-27

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13: 0128191716

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Ultraviolet Astronomy and the Quest for the Origin of Life addresses the use of astronomical observations in the ultraviolet range to better understand the generation of complex, life-precursor molecules. The origin of RNA is still under debate but seems to be related to the generation of pools of complex organic molecules submitted to heavy cycles of solution in water and drying. This book investigates whether these cycles require a planetary surface or may occur in space by examining both the theoretical and observational aspects of the role of UV radiation in the origin of life. This book offers the latest advances in these studies for astronomers, astrobiologists and planetary scientists. - Addresses both the theoretical and observational aspects of the role of Ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the origin of life - Builds on the requirements to produce prebiotic molecules in space and the implications for the origin of RNA - Investigates the use of ultraviolet observations related to planetary system formation, the evolution of young planetary disks, and the interaction of stars with planetary atmospheres


Anaxagoras and the Origin of Panspermia Theory

Anaxagoras and the Origin of Panspermia Theory

Author: Margaret R O'Leary

Publisher:

Published: 2008-05

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780595495962

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Origin of Panspermia Theory is an overview of an ancient natural philosopher's revolutionary ideas on the origin of life in the conservative religious culture of fifth-century BC Athens. The obsession of Ionian philosopher Anaxagoras with natural science and his utter rejection of supernatural explanations for happenings in the physical universe violated deeply venerated religious norms held by Athenian society. Indeed, his belief in the folly of the posture that humans could tease, flatter, enrage, seduce, chastise, and bargain with their gods to manipulate outcomes almost earned him a cup of hemlock, poured straight up by the Athenian multitude. Anaxagoras' theory of panspermia is an example of the long-ago situation in which science and religion first collided. This monograph is the first of a series that tracks the theory of panspermia from its origin to its modern counterpart, astrobiology.


Cosmic Genetic Evolution

Cosmic Genetic Evolution

Author:

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2020-10-18

Total Pages: 164

ISBN-13: 0128215259

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Cosmic Genetic Evolution, Volume 106 in the Advances in Genetics series, highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on Panspermia, Cometary Panspermia and Origin of Life, The Efficient Lamarckian Spread of Life in the Cosmos, The Sociology of Science and Generality of the DNA/RNA/Protein Paradigm Throughout the Cosmos, The Mutagenic Source and Power of Our Own Evolution, Origin of New Emergent Coronavirus and Candida Fungal Diseases – Terrestrial or Cosmic?, and Future Prospects for Investigation -The Near-Earth Neighborhood and Beyond. - Provides the authority and expertise of leading contributors from an international board of authors - Presents the latest release in the Advances in Genetics series - Updated release includes the latest information on the Cosmic Genetic Evolution


Terraforming Mars

Terraforming Mars

Author: Martin Beech

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2021-12-09

Total Pages: 596

ISBN-13: 1119761964

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TERRAFORMING MARS This book provides a thorough scientific review of how Mars might eventually be colonized, industrialized, and transformed into a world better suited to human habitation. The idea of terraforming Mars has, in recent times, become a topic of intense scientific interest and great public debate. Stimulated in part by the contemporary imperative to begin geoengineering Earth, as a means to combat global climate change, the terraforming of Mars will work to make its presently hostile environment more suitable to life—especially human life. Geoengineering and terraforming, at their core, have the same goal—that is to enhance (or revive) the ability of a specific environment to support human life, society, and industry. The chapters in this text, written by experts in their respective fields, are accordingly in resonance with the important, and ongoing discussions concerning the human stewardship of global climate systems. In this sense, the text is both timely and relevant and will cover issues relating to topics that will only grow in their relevance in future decades. The notion of terraforming Mars is not a new one, as such, and it has long played as the background narrative in many science fiction novels. This book, however, deals exclusively with what is physically possible, and what might conceivably be put into actual practice within the next several human generations. Audience Researchers in planetary science, astronomy, astrobiology, space engineering, architecture, ethics, as well as members of the space industry.


The Real Science Behind the X-Files

The Real Science Behind the X-Files

Author: Anne Simon

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 325

ISBN-13: 0684856182

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Could an alien organism really survive a centuries-long trip on a meteor and remain virulent enough to attack a human being? How would a scientist know she was peering at a microbe from another planet? What's the possibility of a genetically mutated monster actually developing? In a gripping exploration of the facts behind the science fiction that has enthralled millions of X-philes, Anne Simon -- the respected virologist who comes up with the science for many intriguing episodes -- discusses telomeres, cloning, the Hayflick limit, nanotechnology, endosymbionts, lentiviruses, and other strange phenomena that have challenged the intellect and threatened the lives and sanity of America's favorite FBI agents. With Simon's extraordinary gift for explaining complicated, cutting-edge science in a light, accessible style, and her behind-the-scenes commentary on the development of various plot lines, The Real Science Behind the X-Files will appeal to science buffs and X-Files aficionados alike.