Pub Date : 2024-04-05DOI: 10.1017/s1473550424000077
O. Herbort, P. Woitke, Ch. Helling, Aubrey L. Zerkle
Life as we know it requires the presence of liquid water and the availability of nutrients, which are mainly based on the elements C, H, N, O, P and S (CHNOPS) and trace metal micronutrients. We aim to understand the presence of these nutrients within atmospheres that show the presence of water cloud condensates, potentially allowing the existence of aerial biospheres. In this paper, we introduce a framework of nutrient availability levels based on the presence of water condensates and the chemical state of the CHNOPS elements. These nutrient availability levels are applied to a set of atmospheric models based on different planetary surface compositions resulting in a range of atmospheric compositions. The atmospheric model is a bottom-to-top equilibrium chemistry atmospheric model which includes the atmosphere–crust interaction and the element depletion due to the formation of clouds. While the reduced forms of CNS are present at the water cloud base for most atmospheric compositions, P and metals are lacking. This indicates the potential bio-availability of CNS, while P and metals are limiting factors for aerial biospheres.
{"title":"Habitability constraints by nutrient availability in atmospheres of rocky exoplanets","authors":"O. Herbort, P. Woitke, Ch. Helling, Aubrey L. Zerkle","doi":"10.1017/s1473550424000077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550424000077","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Life as we know it requires the presence of liquid water and the availability of nutrients, which are mainly based on the elements C, H, N, O, P and S (CHNOPS) and trace metal micronutrients. We aim to understand the presence of these nutrients within atmospheres that show the presence of water cloud condensates, potentially allowing the existence of aerial biospheres. In this paper, we introduce a framework of nutrient availability levels based on the presence of water condensates and the chemical state of the CHNOPS elements. These nutrient availability levels are applied to a set of atmospheric models based on different planetary surface compositions resulting in a range of atmospheric compositions. The atmospheric model is a bottom-to-top equilibrium chemistry atmospheric model which includes the atmosphere–crust interaction and the element depletion due to the formation of clouds. While the reduced forms of CNS are present at the water cloud base for most atmospheric compositions, P and metals are lacking. This indicates the potential bio-availability of CNS, while P and metals are limiting factors for aerial biospheres.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140738328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-22DOI: 10.1017/S1473550423000277
Meris E. Carte, Fei Chen, Benton C. Clark, Mark A Schneegurt
Abstract Interplanetary spacecraft are built in a spacecraft assembly facility (SAF), a clean room designed to reduce microbial contamination that could confound life detection missions or influence native ecosystems. The frigid hyperarid near-surface environment of Mars has ample hygroscopic Mg and Na salts of chloride, (per)chlorate and sulphate that may deliquesce to form dense brines, liquids with low water activity, and freezing points <0°C. The current study sought to define the climax microbial community after 6 mo of enrichment of SAF floor wipe samples in salt plains medium supplemented with 50% (w/v; ~2 M; aw = 0.94) MgSO4 or 20% (w/v; ~1.9 M; aw = 0.91) NaClO3. After 1 wk, 4 wk and 6 mo of incubation, metagenomic DNA extracts of the enriched SAF microbial community were used for high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and subsequent phylogenetic analyses. Additionally, dozens of bacterial strains were isolated by repetitive streak-plating from the climax community after 6 mo of enrichment. Early in the enrichment, staphylococci greatly dominated and then remained abundant members of the community. However, actinobacteria succeeded the staphylococci as the dominant taxa as the cultures matured, including Arthrobacter, Brachybacterium and Brevibacterium. A diverse assemblage of bacilli was present, with Oceanobacillus being especially abundant. The SAF culture collection included representatives of Brachybacterium conglomeratum, Brevibacterium sediminis, Oceanobacillus picturae and Staphylococcus sciuri. These were characterized with biochemical and physiological tests, revealing their high salinotolerance. Shannon diversity indices were generally near 2, reflecting modest diversity at several levels of identity and the community structures were uneven throughout. However, minor members of the community seem capable of the ecosystem functions required for biogeochemical cycling. For instance, organisms capable of all the functions of the N cycle were detected. The microbial assemblage in SAFs is the most likely to be transported by spacecraft to another world. While individual microbial populations may exhibit the qualities needed for survival at the near-surface of Mars, certainly entire communities with the capacity for complete biogeochemical cycling, would have a greater chance of survival and proliferation.
摘要 星际航天器是在航天器组装设施（SAF）中建造的，该设施是一个洁净室，旨在减少微生物污染，以免干扰生命探测任务或影响本地生态系统。火星寒冷的超干旱近地表环境中有大量吸湿性镁盐和钠盐，如氯化物、（过）氯酸盐和硫酸盐，它们可能潮解形成浓盐水、水活性低的液体，冰点<0°C。目前的研究旨在确定 SAF 地板擦拭样本在盐原培养基中富集 6 个月后的高潮微生物群落，该培养基中添加了 50% (w/v; ~2 M; aw = 0.94) MgSO4 或 20% (w/v; ~1.9 M; aw = 0.91) NaClO3。经过 1 周、4 周和 6 个月的培养后，富集的 SAF 微生物群落的元基因组 DNA 提取物被用于 16S rRNA 基因的高通量测序和随后的系统发育分析。此外，在富集 6 个月后，还从高潮群落中通过重复条纹板法分离出数十种细菌菌株。在富集初期，葡萄球菌在群落中占据了极大的优势，随后仍是群落中的重要成员。然而，随着培养物的成熟，放线菌取代葡萄球菌成为主要类群，其中包括节杆菌、布拉希杆菌和布雷维杆菌。杆菌的种类繁多，其中海洋杆菌尤为丰富。SAF 培养物包括丛生布氏杆菌、沉积布氏杆菌、象鼻海洋杆菌和 sciuri 葡萄球菌。对这些细菌进行了生化和生理测试，结果表明它们具有很强的耐盐性。香农多样性指数一般接近 2，反映了在几个特征层次上的适度多样性，而且整个群落结构参差不齐。不过，群落中的次要成员似乎能够发挥生物地球化学循环所需的生态系统功能。例如，可以检测到具有氮循环所有功能的生物。SAF 中的微生物群落最有可能被航天器带到另一个世界。虽然单个微生物种群可能表现出在火星近表面生存所需的素质，但具有完整生物地球化学循环能力的整个群落肯定会有更大的生存和扩散机会。
{"title":"Succession of the bacterial community from a spacecraft assembly clean room when enriched in brines relevant to Mars","authors":"Meris E. Carte, Fei Chen, Benton C. Clark, Mark A Schneegurt","doi":"10.1017/S1473550423000277","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550423000277","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Interplanetary spacecraft are built in a spacecraft assembly facility (SAF), a clean room designed to reduce microbial contamination that could confound life detection missions or influence native ecosystems. The frigid hyperarid near-surface environment of Mars has ample hygroscopic Mg and Na salts of chloride, (per)chlorate and sulphate that may deliquesce to form dense brines, liquids with low water activity, and freezing points <0°C. The current study sought to define the climax microbial community after 6 mo of enrichment of SAF floor wipe samples in salt plains medium supplemented with 50% (w/v; ~2 M; aw = 0.94) MgSO4 or 20% (w/v; ~1.9 M; aw = 0.91) NaClO3. After 1 wk, 4 wk and 6 mo of incubation, metagenomic DNA extracts of the enriched SAF microbial community were used for high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and subsequent phylogenetic analyses. Additionally, dozens of bacterial strains were isolated by repetitive streak-plating from the climax community after 6 mo of enrichment. Early in the enrichment, staphylococci greatly dominated and then remained abundant members of the community. However, actinobacteria succeeded the staphylococci as the dominant taxa as the cultures matured, including Arthrobacter, Brachybacterium and Brevibacterium. A diverse assemblage of bacilli was present, with Oceanobacillus being especially abundant. The SAF culture collection included representatives of Brachybacterium conglomeratum, Brevibacterium sediminis, Oceanobacillus picturae and Staphylococcus sciuri. These were characterized with biochemical and physiological tests, revealing their high salinotolerance. Shannon diversity indices were generally near 2, reflecting modest diversity at several levels of identity and the community structures were uneven throughout. However, minor members of the community seem capable of the ecosystem functions required for biogeochemical cycling. For instance, organisms capable of all the functions of the N cycle were detected. The microbial assemblage in SAFs is the most likely to be transported by spacecraft to another world. While individual microbial populations may exhibit the qualities needed for survival at the near-surface of Mars, certainly entire communities with the capacity for complete biogeochemical cycling, would have a greater chance of survival and proliferation.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138947347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-14DOI: 10.1017/S1473550423000265
Juliana Campos Meurer, Jacob Haqq-Misra, Milton de Souza Mendonça
Abstract Although astrobiology studies how life functions and evolves, ecology is still largely overlooked in astrobiology research. Here we present an argument for astroecology, a merger of ecology and astrobiology, a self-aware scientific endeavour. Ecology is rarely mentioned in influential documents like the NASA Astrobiology Strategy (2015), and terms such as ‘niche’ can end up being used in a less precise fashion. As ecology deals with sequential levels of organization, we suggest astrobiologically-relevant problems for each of these levels. Organismal ecology provides ecological niche modelling, which can aid in evaluating the probability that Earth-like life would survive in extraterrestrial environments. Population ecology provides a gamut of models on the consequences of dispersal, and if lithopanspermia can be validated as a form of space dispersal for life, then metabiospheres and similar astrobiological models could be developed to understand such complex structure and dynamics. From community ecology, the discussion of habitability should include the concept of true vacant habitats (a misnomer, perhaps better called ‘will-dwells’) and contributions from the blossoming field of microbial ecology. Understanding ecosystems by focusing on abiotic properties is also key to extrapolating from analogue environments on Earth to extraterrestrial ones. Energy sources and their distribution are relevant for ecological gradients, such as the biodiversity latitudinal gradient – would tropics be species-rich in other inhabited planets? Finally, biosphere ecology deals with integration and feedback between living and non-living systems, which can generate stabilized near-optimal planetary conditions (Gaia); but would this work for other inhabited planets? Are there ‘strong’ (like Earth) and ‘weak’ (perhaps like Mars) biospheres? We hope to show ecology can contribute relevant ideas to the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology, helping conceptualize further levels of integration. We encourage new partnerships and for astrobiologists to take ecology into account when studying the origin, evolution and distribution of life in the universe.
{"title":"Astroecology: bridging the gap between ecology and astrobiology","authors":"Juliana Campos Meurer, Jacob Haqq-Misra, Milton de Souza Mendonça","doi":"10.1017/S1473550423000265","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550423000265","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Although astrobiology studies how life functions and evolves, ecology is still largely overlooked in astrobiology research. Here we present an argument for astroecology, a merger of ecology and astrobiology, a self-aware scientific endeavour. Ecology is rarely mentioned in influential documents like the NASA Astrobiology Strategy (2015), and terms such as ‘niche’ can end up being used in a less precise fashion. As ecology deals with sequential levels of organization, we suggest astrobiologically-relevant problems for each of these levels. Organismal ecology provides ecological niche modelling, which can aid in evaluating the probability that Earth-like life would survive in extraterrestrial environments. Population ecology provides a gamut of models on the consequences of dispersal, and if lithopanspermia can be validated as a form of space dispersal for life, then metabiospheres and similar astrobiological models could be developed to understand such complex structure and dynamics. From community ecology, the discussion of habitability should include the concept of true vacant habitats (a misnomer, perhaps better called ‘will-dwells’) and contributions from the blossoming field of microbial ecology. Understanding ecosystems by focusing on abiotic properties is also key to extrapolating from analogue environments on Earth to extraterrestrial ones. Energy sources and their distribution are relevant for ecological gradients, such as the biodiversity latitudinal gradient – would tropics be species-rich in other inhabited planets? Finally, biosphere ecology deals with integration and feedback between living and non-living systems, which can generate stabilized near-optimal planetary conditions (Gaia); but would this work for other inhabited planets? Are there ‘strong’ (like Earth) and ‘weak’ (perhaps like Mars) biospheres? We hope to show ecology can contribute relevant ideas to the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology, helping conceptualize further levels of integration. We encourage new partnerships and for astrobiologists to take ecology into account when studying the origin, evolution and distribution of life in the universe.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138974851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-11DOI: 10.1017/S1473550423000289
Gabriel G. de la Torre
Abstract In this study, we surveyed a total of 245 people about unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), 93 who directly witnessed UAP. Paying special attention to the psychological impact of UAP, our study survey covered different aspects, including opinions on official UAP releases, the scientific approach to the phenomena and the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence. This study found that UAP had a clear psychological impact on witnesses, with a transformative effect, and a benign form of a non-pathological obsessive-like interest in the topic we defined as the UAP deep psychological engagement triad. This deep psychological engagement triad is characterized by UAP topic being present in a witness's mind daily, with a self-recognized interest and appreciation for the topic and a need to talk about UAP topic, not necessarily the event they experienced. UAP appear to have a very specific impact focused on extra-terrestrial aspects and the phenomena itself, which is experienced as a life-changing event by direct witnesses. These psychological aspects are quantitatively and qualitatively objectifiable, and further research is needed in this direction since all research efforts appear currently focused on the physical aspects of these phenomena.
{"title":"Psychological aspects in unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) witnesses","authors":"Gabriel G. de la Torre","doi":"10.1017/S1473550423000289","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550423000289","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In this study, we surveyed a total of 245 people about unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), 93 who directly witnessed UAP. Paying special attention to the psychological impact of UAP, our study survey covered different aspects, including opinions on official UAP releases, the scientific approach to the phenomena and the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence. This study found that UAP had a clear psychological impact on witnesses, with a transformative effect, and a benign form of a non-pathological obsessive-like interest in the topic we defined as the UAP deep psychological engagement triad. This deep psychological engagement triad is characterized by UAP topic being present in a witness's mind daily, with a self-recognized interest and appreciation for the topic and a need to talk about UAP topic, not necessarily the event they experienced. UAP appear to have a very specific impact focused on extra-terrestrial aspects and the phenomena itself, which is experienced as a life-changing event by direct witnesses. These psychological aspects are quantitatively and qualitatively objectifiable, and further research is needed in this direction since all research efforts appear currently focused on the physical aspects of these phenomena.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138584316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.1017/s1473550423000253
Giovanni Mussini
Of all species on Earth, only one – Homo sapiens – has developed a technological civilization. As a consequence, estimates of the number of similar civilizations beyond Earth often treat the emergence of human-like intelligence or ‘sophonce’ as an evolutionary unicum: a contingent event unlikely to repeat itself even in biospheres harbouring complex brains, tool use, socially transmitted behaviours and high general intelligence. Here, attention is drawn to the unexpected recency and temporal clustering of these evolutionary preconditions to sophonce, which are shown to be confined to the last ≤102 million years. I argue that this pattern can be explained by the exponential biotic diversification dynamics suggested by the fossil record, which translated into a nonlinearly expanding range of cognitive and behavioural outcomes over the course of Earth's history. As a result, the probability of sophonce arising out of a buildup of its enabling preconditions has been escalating throughout the Phanerozoic. The implications for the Silurian hypothesis and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) are discussed. I conclude that the transition from animal-grade multicellularity to sophonce is likely not a rate-limiting step in the evolution of extraterrestrial technological intelligences, and that while H. sapiens is probably the first sophont to evolve on Earth, on macroevolutionary grounds it is unlikely to be the last.
{"title":"Children of time: the geological recency of intelligence and its implications for SETI","authors":"Giovanni Mussini","doi":"10.1017/s1473550423000253","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550423000253","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Of all species on Earth, only one – Homo sapiens – has developed a technological civilization. As a consequence, estimates of the number of similar civilizations beyond Earth often treat the emergence of human-like intelligence or ‘sophonce’ as an evolutionary unicum: a contingent event unlikely to repeat itself even in biospheres harbouring complex brains, tool use, socially transmitted behaviours and high general intelligence. Here, attention is drawn to the unexpected recency and temporal clustering of these evolutionary preconditions to sophonce, which are shown to be confined to the last ≤102 million years. I argue that this pattern can be explained by the exponential biotic diversification dynamics suggested by the fossil record, which translated into a nonlinearly expanding range of cognitive and behavioural outcomes over the course of Earth's history. As a result, the probability of sophonce arising out of a buildup of its enabling preconditions has been escalating throughout the Phanerozoic. The implications for the Silurian hypothesis and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) are discussed. I conclude that the transition from animal-grade multicellularity to sophonce is likely not a rate-limiting step in the evolution of extraterrestrial technological intelligences, and that while H. sapiens is probably the first sophont to evolve on Earth, on macroevolutionary grounds it is unlikely to be the last.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138614600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-06DOI: 10.1017/s147355042300023x
Charles S. Cockell, John Holt, Jim Campbell, Harrison Groseman, Jean-Luc Josset, Tomaso R. R. Bontognali, Audra Phelps, Lilit Hakobyan, Libby Kuretn, Annalea Beattie, Jen Blank, Rosalba Bonaccorsi, Christopher McKay, Anushree Shirvastava, Carol Stoker, David Willson, Scott McLaughlin, Sam Payler, Adam Stevens, Jennifer Wadsworth, Loredana Bessone, Matthias Maurer, Francesco Sauro, Javier Martin-Torres, Maria-Paz Zorzano, Anshuman Bhardwaj, Alvaro Soria-Salinas, Thasshwin Mathanlal, Miracle Israel Nazarious, Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran, Parag Vaishampayan, Lisa Guan, Scott M. Perl, Jon Telling, Ian M. Boothroyd, Ollie Tyson, James Realff, Joseph Rowbottom, Boris Laurent, Matt Gunn, Shaily Shah, Srijan Singh, Sean Paling, Tom Edwards, Louise Yeoman, Emma Meehan, Christopher Toth, Paul Scovell, Barbara Suckling
An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
{"title":"Subsurface scientific exploration of extraterrestrial environments (MINAR 5): analogue science, technology and education in the Boulby Mine, UK – CORRIGENDUM","authors":"Charles S. Cockell, John Holt, Jim Campbell, Harrison Groseman, Jean-Luc Josset, Tomaso R. R. Bontognali, Audra Phelps, Lilit Hakobyan, Libby Kuretn, Annalea Beattie, Jen Blank, Rosalba Bonaccorsi, Christopher McKay, Anushree Shirvastava, Carol Stoker, David Willson, Scott McLaughlin, Sam Payler, Adam Stevens, Jennifer Wadsworth, Loredana Bessone, Matthias Maurer, Francesco Sauro, Javier Martin-Torres, Maria-Paz Zorzano, Anshuman Bhardwaj, Alvaro Soria-Salinas, Thasshwin Mathanlal, Miracle Israel Nazarious, Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran, Parag Vaishampayan, Lisa Guan, Scott M. Perl, Jon Telling, Ian M. Boothroyd, Ollie Tyson, James Realff, Joseph Rowbottom, Boris Laurent, Matt Gunn, Shaily Shah, Srijan Singh, Sean Paling, Tom Edwards, Louise Yeoman, Emma Meehan, Christopher Toth, Paul Scovell, Barbara Suckling","doi":"10.1017/s147355042300023x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s147355042300023x","url":null,"abstract":"An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the ‘Save PDF’ action button.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135635728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-06DOI: 10.1017/s1473550423000241
Cyrille Jeancolas, Cat Gillen, Sean McMahon, Martin Ward, Peter John Vickers
Abstract Astrobiology is a scientific endeavour involving great uncertainties. This could justify intellectual risk-taking associated with research that significantly deviates from the mainstream, to explore new avenues. However, little is known regarding the effect of such maverick endeavours. To better understand the need for more or less risk in astrobiology, we investigate to what extent high-risk / high-impact research contributes to breakthrough results in the discipline. We gathered a sample of the most impactful astrobiology papers of the past 20 years and explored the degree of risk of the research projects behind these papers via contact with the corresponding authors. We carried out interviews to explore how attitudes towards risk have played out in their work, and to ascertain their opinions on risk-taking in astrobiology. We show the majority of the selected breakthrough results derive from endeavours considered medium- or high-risk, risk is significantly correlated with impact, and most of the discussed projects adopt exploratory approaches. Overall, the researchers display a distribution of attitudes towards risk from the more cautious to the more audacious, and are divided on the need for more risk-taking in astrobiology. Our findings ultimately support the explicit implementation of a risk-balanced portfolio in astrobiology.
{"title":"Breakthrough results in astrobiology: is ‘high risk’ research needed?","authors":"Cyrille Jeancolas, Cat Gillen, Sean McMahon, Martin Ward, Peter John Vickers","doi":"10.1017/s1473550423000241","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550423000241","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Astrobiology is a scientific endeavour involving great uncertainties. This could justify intellectual risk-taking associated with research that significantly deviates from the mainstream, to explore new avenues. However, little is known regarding the effect of such maverick endeavours. To better understand the need for more or less risk in astrobiology, we investigate to what extent high-risk / high-impact research contributes to breakthrough results in the discipline. We gathered a sample of the most impactful astrobiology papers of the past 20 years and explored the degree of risk of the research projects behind these papers via contact with the corresponding authors. We carried out interviews to explore how attitudes towards risk have played out in their work, and to ascertain their opinions on risk-taking in astrobiology. We show the majority of the selected breakthrough results derive from endeavours considered medium- or high-risk, risk is significantly correlated with impact, and most of the discussed projects adopt exploratory approaches. Overall, the researchers display a distribution of attitudes towards risk from the more cautious to the more audacious, and are divided on the need for more risk-taking in astrobiology. Our findings ultimately support the explicit implementation of a risk-balanced portfolio in astrobiology.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135634585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-16DOI: 10.1017/s1473550423000186
Gia Dvali, Zaza N. Osmanov
Abstract We explain that black holes are the most efficient capacitors of quantum information. It is thereby expected that all sufficiently advanced civilizations ultimately employ black holes in their quantum computers. The accompanying Hawking radiation is democratic in particle species. Due to this, the alien quantum computers will radiate in ordinary particles such as neutrinos and photons within the range of potential sensitivity of our detectors. This offers a new avenue for search for extraterrestrial intelligence, including the civilizations entirely composed of hidden particles species interacting with our world exclusively through gravity.
{"title":"Black holes as tools for quantum computing by advanced extraterrestrial civilizations","authors":"Gia Dvali, Zaza N. Osmanov","doi":"10.1017/s1473550423000186","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550423000186","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract We explain that black holes are the most efficient capacitors of quantum information. It is thereby expected that all sufficiently advanced civilizations ultimately employ black holes in their quantum computers. The accompanying Hawking radiation is democratic in particle species. Due to this, the alien quantum computers will radiate in ordinary particles such as neutrinos and photons within the range of potential sensitivity of our detectors. This offers a new avenue for search for extraterrestrial intelligence, including the civilizations entirely composed of hidden particles species interacting with our world exclusively through gravity.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136112796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-21DOI: 10.1017/s1473550423000216
Jaroslav Klokočník, Jan Kostelecký, Aleš Bezděk, Václav Cílek
Abstract Providing evidence for possible oil-type occurrences on Mars means providing an indication for the past life on Mars. We do this via analysis of the combed (aligned) gravity strike angles, one of the gravity (gravitational) aspects (descriptors) derived from one of the recent gravitational field models of Mars, currently having the highest accessible precision and resolution. After intensive testing for features on the Earth and the Moon, the gravity aspects are applied for Mars. We detect candidates for the groundwater/hydrocarbon/mud/petroleum-bearing sites in the largest areas with as many as possible combed gravity strike angles, uniformly ordered into ‘plates’. They appear mainly but not only in the hypothetical northern Martian palaeo-ocean (the northern lowlands). It turns out that the combed strike angles are sensitive not only to uniformly ordered sediments of the basins, but also to supposed lahars.
{"title":"Hydrocarbons on Mars","authors":"Jaroslav Klokočník, Jan Kostelecký, Aleš Bezděk, Václav Cílek","doi":"10.1017/s1473550423000216","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550423000216","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Providing evidence for possible oil-type occurrences on Mars means providing an indication for the past life on Mars. We do this via analysis of the combed (aligned) gravity strike angles, one of the gravity (gravitational) aspects (descriptors) derived from one of the recent gravitational field models of Mars, currently having the highest accessible precision and resolution. After intensive testing for features on the Earth and the Moon, the gravity aspects are applied for Mars. We detect candidates for the groundwater/hydrocarbon/mud/petroleum-bearing sites in the largest areas with as many as possible combed gravity strike angles, uniformly ordered into ‘plates’. They appear mainly but not only in the hypothetical northern Martian palaeo-ocean (the northern lowlands). It turns out that the combed strike angles are sensitive not only to uniformly ordered sediments of the basins, but also to supposed lahars.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136154126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-08DOI: 10.1017/s1473550423000204
Irina K. Romanovskaya
The concept of planetary intelligence as collective intelligence is used to consider possible evolutionary paths of biotechnospheres that emerge on the intersection of the technosphere with the biosphere and support coupling of the technosphere with the biosphere, thus affecting planetary evolution. In mature biotechnospheres, the intelligence of technologies and the intelligence of life forms, including engineered life forms, could act in concert to perform various tasks (e.g. monitoring planetary biospheres and environments; restoring planetary environments and biodiversity; steading planetary environments; providing support for space missions; terraforming cosmic objects). Space exploration can expand biotechnospheres beyond planets and create cosmic ecosystems encompassing planets and other cosmic objects; biotechnospheres, spacecraft and the environments of near-planetary, interplanetary space or interstellar space. Humankind, other civilizations or their intelligent machines may produce biotechnosignatures (i.e. observables and artefacts of biotechnospheres) in the Solar System and beyond. I propose ten possible biotechnosignatures and strategies for the search for these biotechnosignatures in situ and over interstellar distances. For example, if a non-human advanced civilization existed and built biotechnospheres on Earth in the past, its biotechnospheres could use engineered bacteria and the descendants of that bacteria could currently exist on Earth and have properties pertaining to the functions of the ancient bacteria in the biotechnospheres (such properties are proposed and discussed); intelligent technologies created by the ancient civilization could migrate to the Solar System's outer regions (possible scenarios of their migration and their technosignatures and biotechnosignatures are discussed); these two scenarios are described as the Cosmic Descendants hypothesis. Interstellar asteroids, free-floating planets, spacecraft and objects gravitationally bound to flyby stars might carry extraterrestrial biotechnospheres and pass through the Solar System. In connection to the fate of post-main-sequence stars and their Oort clouds, the probability for interstellar asteroids to carry biotechnospheres or to be interstellar spacecraft is estimated as very low.
{"title":"Planetary biotechnospheres, biotechnosignatures and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence","authors":"Irina K. Romanovskaya","doi":"10.1017/s1473550423000204","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550423000204","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The concept of planetary intelligence as collective intelligence is used to consider possible evolutionary paths of biotechnospheres that emerge on the intersection of the technosphere with the biosphere and support coupling of the technosphere with the biosphere, thus affecting planetary evolution. In mature biotechnospheres, the intelligence of technologies and the intelligence of life forms, including engineered life forms, could act in concert to perform various tasks (e.g. monitoring planetary biospheres and environments; restoring planetary environments and biodiversity; steading planetary environments; providing support for space missions; terraforming cosmic objects). Space exploration can expand biotechnospheres beyond planets and create cosmic ecosystems encompassing planets and other cosmic objects; biotechnospheres, spacecraft and the environments of near-planetary, interplanetary space or interstellar space. Humankind, other civilizations or their intelligent machines may produce biotechnosignatures (i.e. observables and artefacts of biotechnospheres) in the Solar System and beyond. I propose ten possible biotechnosignatures and strategies for the search for these biotechnosignatures in situ and over interstellar distances. For example, if a non-human advanced civilization existed and built biotechnospheres on Earth in the past, its biotechnospheres could use engineered bacteria and the descendants of that bacteria could currently exist on Earth and have properties pertaining to the functions of the ancient bacteria in the biotechnospheres (such properties are proposed and discussed); intelligent technologies created by the ancient civilization could migrate to the Solar System's outer regions (possible scenarios of their migration and their technosignatures and biotechnosignatures are discussed); these two scenarios are described as the Cosmic Descendants hypothesis. Interstellar asteroids, free-floating planets, spacecraft and objects gravitationally bound to flyby stars might carry extraterrestrial biotechnospheres and pass through the Solar System. In connection to the fate of post-main-sequence stars and their Oort clouds, the probability for interstellar asteroids to carry biotechnospheres or to be interstellar spacecraft is estimated as very low.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48550475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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