Pub Date : 2021-08-01DOI: 10.1017/s1473550421000185
W. Bains, J. Petkowski
The search for biosignatures is likely to generate controversial results, with no single biosignature being clear proof of the presence of life. Bayesian statistical frameworks have been suggested as a tool for testing the effect that a new observation has on our belief in the presence of life on another planet. We test this approach here using the tentative discovery of phosphine on Venus as an example of a possible detection of a biosignature on an otherwise well-characterized planet. We report on a survey of astrobiologists' views on the likelihood of life on Enceladus, Europa, Mars, Titan and Venus before the announcement of the detection of phosphine in Venus' atmosphere (the Bayesian Prior Probability) and after the announcement (the Posterior Probability). Survey results show that respondents have a general view on the likelihood of life on any world, independent of the relative ranking of specific bodies, and that there is a distinct ‘fans of icy moons’ sub-community. The announcement of the potential presence of phosphine on Venus resulted in the community showing a small but significant increase in its confidence that there was life on Venus; nevertheless the community still considers Venus to be the least likely abode of life among the five targets considered, last after Titan. We derive a Bayesian formulation that explicitly includes both the uncertainty in the interpretation of the signal as well as uncertainty in whether phosphine on Venus could have been produced by life. We show that although the community has shown rational restraint about a highly unexpected and still tentative detection, their changing expectations do not fit a Bayesian model.
{"title":"Astrobiologists are rational but not Bayesian","authors":"W. Bains, J. Petkowski","doi":"10.1017/s1473550421000185","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550421000185","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The search for biosignatures is likely to generate controversial results, with no single biosignature being clear proof of the presence of life. Bayesian statistical frameworks have been suggested as a tool for testing the effect that a new observation has on our belief in the presence of life on another planet. We test this approach here using the tentative discovery of phosphine on Venus as an example of a possible detection of a biosignature on an otherwise well-characterized planet. We report on a survey of astrobiologists' views on the likelihood of life on Enceladus, Europa, Mars, Titan and Venus before the announcement of the detection of phosphine in Venus' atmosphere (the Bayesian Prior Probability) and after the announcement (the Posterior Probability). Survey results show that respondents have a general view on the likelihood of life on any world, independent of the relative ranking of specific bodies, and that there is a distinct ‘fans of icy moons’ sub-community. The announcement of the potential presence of phosphine on Venus resulted in the community showing a small but significant increase in its confidence that there was life on Venus; nevertheless the community still considers Venus to be the least likely abode of life among the five targets considered, last after Titan. We derive a Bayesian formulation that explicitly includes both the uncertainty in the interpretation of the signal as well as uncertainty in whether phosphine on Venus could have been produced by life. We show that although the community has shown rational restraint about a highly unexpected and still tentative detection, their changing expectations do not fit a Bayesian model.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1017/s1473550421000185","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49284101","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 : 2021-06-25DOI: 10.1017/s1473550421000203
M. Lingam
The appellation ‘habitable zone’ in astrobiology in sooth evinces an overlooked and winding history that can be traced back to the 19th century. This paper sketches how this term from geography was generalized to encompass planetary habitability. The people involved in this narrative are numerous, but the bulk of their musings were rather nebulous. Yet, during this period appear the first true insights, although sadly this saga is not altogether sans blights.
{"title":"A brief history of the term ‘habitable zone’ in the 19th century","authors":"M. Lingam","doi":"10.1017/s1473550421000203","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550421000203","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The appellation ‘habitable zone’ in astrobiology in sooth evinces an overlooked and winding history that can be traced back to the 19th century. This paper sketches how this term from geography was generalized to encompass planetary habitability. The people involved in this narrative are numerous, but the bulk of their musings were rather nebulous. Yet, during this period appear the first true insights, although sadly this saga is not altogether sans blights.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1017/s1473550421000203","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44169990","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 : 2021-06-22DOI: 10.1017/s1473550421000197
Octavio A. Chon-Torres, C. Murga-Moreno
The current advances in our exploration of Mars have made us think of the human species as a multiplanetary species. However, we have certain challenges before we can truly consider ourselves such a species, especially moral ones. Therefore, astrobioethics would be the right one to examine what it takes to consider ourselves a multiplanetary species. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the meaning and significance of being an inter- and multiplanetary species. To achieve this, a philosophical and critical analysis will be made, using as input aspects of biology, ethics and moral community. We conclude that to be a truly multiplanetary species, more than the technological aspects that allow us to reach other planets, a change at different levels will be needed.
{"title":"Conceptual discussion around the notion of the human being as an inter and multiplanetary species","authors":"Octavio A. Chon-Torres, C. Murga-Moreno","doi":"10.1017/s1473550421000197","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550421000197","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The current advances in our exploration of Mars have made us think of the human species as a multiplanetary species. However, we have certain challenges before we can truly consider ourselves such a species, especially moral ones. Therefore, astrobioethics would be the right one to examine what it takes to consider ourselves a multiplanetary species. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the meaning and significance of being an inter- and multiplanetary species. To achieve this, a philosophical and critical analysis will be made, using as input aspects of biology, ethics and moral community. We conclude that to be a truly multiplanetary species, more than the technological aspects that allow us to reach other planets, a change at different levels will be needed.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1017/s1473550421000197","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48651719","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 : 2021-06-19DOI: 10.1017/S1473550422000404
Reginald D. Smith
The Drake equation has proven fertile ground for speculation about the abundance, or lack thereof, of communicating extraterrestrial intelligences (CETIs) for decades. It has been augmented by subsequent authors to include random variables in order to understand its probabilistic behaviour. However, in most cases, the emergence and lifetime of CETIs are assumed to be independent of each other. In this paper, we will derive several expressions that can demonstrate how CETIs may relate to each other in technological age as well as how the dynamics of the concurrent CETI population change under basic models of interaction, such as the Allee effect. By defining interaction as the change in the expected communication lifetime with respect to the density of CETI in a region of space, we can use models and simulation to understand how the CETI density can promote or inhibit the longevity and overall population of interstellar technological civilizations.
{"title":"Communicating extraterrestrial intelligence (CETI) interaction models based on the Drake equation","authors":"Reginald D. Smith","doi":"10.1017/S1473550422000404","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550422000404","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The Drake equation has proven fertile ground for speculation about the abundance, or lack thereof, of communicating extraterrestrial intelligences (CETIs) for decades. It has been augmented by subsequent authors to include random variables in order to understand its probabilistic behaviour. However, in most cases, the emergence and lifetime of CETIs are assumed to be independent of each other. In this paper, we will derive several expressions that can demonstrate how CETIs may relate to each other in technological age as well as how the dynamics of the concurrent CETI population change under basic models of interaction, such as the Allee effect. By defining interaction as the change in the expected communication lifetime with respect to the density of CETI in a region of space, we can use models and simulation to understand how the CETI density can promote or inhibit the longevity and overall population of interstellar technological civilizations.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41536057","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 : 2021-06-14DOI: 10.1017/S1473550423000071
B. Lacki
Typicality arguments attempt to use the Copernican Principle to draw conclusions about the cosmos and presently unknown conscious beings within it, including extraterrestrial intelligences (ETI). The most notorious is the Doomsday Argument, which purports to constrain humanity's future from its current lifespan alone. These arguments rest on a likelihood calculation that penalizes models in proportion to the number of distinguishable observers. I argue that such reasoning leads to solipsism, the belief that one is the only being in the world, and is therefore unacceptable. Using variants of the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ thought experiment as a guide, I present a framework for evaluating observations in a large cosmos: Weighted Fine Graining (WFG). WFG requires the construction of specific models of physical outcomes and observations. Valid typicality arguments then emerge from the combinatorial properties of third-person physical microhypotheses. Indexical (observer-relative) facts do not directly constrain physical theories, but instead weight different provisional evaluations of credence. As indexical knowledge changes, the weights shift. I show that the self-applied Doomsday Argument fails in WFG, even though it can work for an external observer. I argue that the Copernican Principle does not let us apply self-observations to constrain ETIs.
{"title":"The Noonday argument: fine-graining, indexicals, and the nature of Copernican reasoning","authors":"B. Lacki","doi":"10.1017/S1473550423000071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550423000071","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Typicality arguments attempt to use the Copernican Principle to draw conclusions about the cosmos and presently unknown conscious beings within it, including extraterrestrial intelligences (ETI). The most notorious is the Doomsday Argument, which purports to constrain humanity's future from its current lifespan alone. These arguments rest on a likelihood calculation that penalizes models in proportion to the number of distinguishable observers. I argue that such reasoning leads to solipsism, the belief that one is the only being in the world, and is therefore unacceptable. Using variants of the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ thought experiment as a guide, I present a framework for evaluating observations in a large cosmos: Weighted Fine Graining (WFG). WFG requires the construction of specific models of physical outcomes and observations. Valid typicality arguments then emerge from the combinatorial properties of third-person physical microhypotheses. Indexical (observer-relative) facts do not directly constrain physical theories, but instead weight different provisional evaluations of credence. As indexical knowledge changes, the weights shift. I show that the self-applied Doomsday Argument fails in WFG, even though it can work for an external observer. I argue that the Copernican Principle does not let us apply self-observations to constrain ETIs.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46799304","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 : 2021-06-14DOI: 10.1017/S1473550421000252
B. Lacki
Interstellar travel in the Milky Way is commonly thought to be a long and dangerous enterprise, but are all galaxies so hazardous? I introduce the concept of galactic traversability to address this question. Stellar populations are one factor in traversability, with higher stellar densities and velocity dispersions aiding rapid spread across a galaxy. The interstellar medium (ISM) is another factor, as gas, dust grains and cosmic rays all pose hazards to starfarers. I review the current understanding of these components in different types of galaxies, and conclude that red quiescent galaxies without star formation have favourable traversability. Compact elliptical galaxies and globular clusters could be ‘super-traversable’, because stars are packed tightly together and there are minimal ISM hazards. Overall, if the ISM is the major hindrance to interstellar travel, galactic traversability increases with cosmic time as gas fractions and star formation decline. Traversability is a consideration in extragalactic surveys for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).
{"title":"Galactic traversability: a new concept for extragalactic SETI","authors":"B. Lacki","doi":"10.1017/S1473550421000252","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550421000252","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Interstellar travel in the Milky Way is commonly thought to be a long and dangerous enterprise, but are all galaxies so hazardous? I introduce the concept of galactic traversability to address this question. Stellar populations are one factor in traversability, with higher stellar densities and velocity dispersions aiding rapid spread across a galaxy. The interstellar medium (ISM) is another factor, as gas, dust grains and cosmic rays all pose hazards to starfarers. I review the current understanding of these components in different types of galaxies, and conclude that red quiescent galaxies without star formation have favourable traversability. Compact elliptical galaxies and globular clusters could be ‘super-traversable’, because stars are packed tightly together and there are minimal ISM hazards. Overall, if the ISM is the major hindrance to interstellar travel, galactic traversability increases with cosmic time as gas fractions and star formation decline. Traversability is a consideration in extragalactic surveys for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48814434","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 : 2021-06-08DOI: 10.1017/S1473550421000173
P. Ávila, T. Grassi, S. Bovino, A. Chiavassa, B. Ercolano, S. Danielache, E. Simoncini
A free-floating planet (FFP) is a planetary-mass object that orbits around a non-stellar massive object (e.g. a brown dwarf) or around the Galactic Centre. The presence of exomoons orbiting FFPs has been theoretically predicted by several models. Under specific conditions, these moons are able to retain an atmosphere capable of ensuring the long-term thermal stability of liquid water on their surface. We model this environment with a one-dimensional radiative-convective code coupled to a gas-phase chemical network including cosmic rays and ion-neutral reactions. We find that, under specific conditions and assuming stable orbital parameters over time, liquid water can be formed on the surface of the exomoon. The final amount of water for an Earth-mass exomoon is smaller than the amount of water in Earth oceans, but enough to host the potential development of primordial life. The chemical equilibrium time-scale is controlled by cosmic rays, the main ionization driver in our model of the exomoon atmosphere.
{"title":"Presence of water on exomoons orbiting free-floating planets: a case study","authors":"P. Ávila, T. Grassi, S. Bovino, A. Chiavassa, B. Ercolano, S. Danielache, E. Simoncini","doi":"10.1017/S1473550421000173","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550421000173","url":null,"abstract":"A free-floating planet (FFP) is a planetary-mass object that orbits around a non-stellar massive object (e.g. a brown dwarf) or around the Galactic Centre. The presence of exomoons orbiting FFPs has been theoretically predicted by several models. Under specific conditions, these moons are able to retain an atmosphere capable of ensuring the long-term thermal stability of liquid water on their surface. We model this environment with a one-dimensional radiative-convective code coupled to a gas-phase chemical network including cosmic rays and ion-neutral reactions. We find that, under specific conditions and assuming stable orbital parameters over time, liquid water can be formed on the surface of the exomoon. The final amount of water for an Earth-mass exomoon is smaller than the amount of water in Earth oceans, but enough to host the potential development of primordial life. The chemical equilibrium time-scale is controlled by cosmic rays, the main ionization driver in our model of the exomoon atmosphere.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1017/S1473550421000173","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41399421","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 : 2021-06-07DOI: 10.1017/S1473550421000161
Octavio A. Chon-Torres
We are witnessing the enormous breakthroughs of space technology, which will eventually allow us to reach Mars. However, it seems that the technological evolution is expanding at a faster rate than the moral development. Are we ethically ready to take human beings to Mars? Will it be a private company the first one that manages to take us there? Should we colonize Mars or leave it like it is right now? Are astrobiological interests being contemplated when discussing human presence in Mars? These are some of the questions that we must answer since the moment of stepping on Mars does not seem to be far away. Therefore, the objective of this article is to evaluate the idea of Mars being a free planet from any of Earth's governments, and to analyse the idea of colonizing Mars considering that by doing that we could seriously endanger native life. What it proposed is that its unavoidable that we will reach Mars, however, we may not be prepared as humanity and this is something that we must face.
{"title":"Mars: a free planet?","authors":"Octavio A. Chon-Torres","doi":"10.1017/S1473550421000161","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550421000161","url":null,"abstract":"We are witnessing the enormous breakthroughs of space technology, which will eventually allow us to reach Mars. However, it seems that the technological evolution is expanding at a faster rate than the moral development. Are we ethically ready to take human beings to Mars? Will it be a private company the first one that manages to take us there? Should we colonize Mars or leave it like it is right now? Are astrobiological interests being contemplated when discussing human presence in Mars? These are some of the questions that we must answer since the moment of stepping on Mars does not seem to be far away. Therefore, the objective of this article is to evaluate the idea of Mars being a free planet from any of Earth's governments, and to analyse the idea of colonizing Mars considering that by doing that we could seriously endanger native life. What it proposed is that its unavoidable that we will reach Mars, however, we may not be prepared as humanity and this is something that we must face.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1017/S1473550421000161","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45973777","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 : 2021-05-26DOI: 10.1017/S1473550421000136
V. Surendra, V. Jayaram, M. Muruganantham, T. Vijay, S. Vijayan, P. Samarth, H. Hill, A. Bhardwaj, N. Mason, B. Sivaraman
Nucleobases are nitrogenous bases composed of monomers that are a major constituent of RNA and DNA, which are an essential part of any cellular life on the Earth. The search for nucleobases in the interstellar medium remains a major challenge, however, the recent detection of nucleobases in meteorite samples and laboratory synthesis in simulated analogue experiments have confirmed their abiotic origin and a possible route for their delivery to the Earth. Nevertheless, cellular life is based on the interacting network of complex structures, and there is substantial lack of information on the possible routes by which such ordered structures may be formed in the prebiotic environment. In the current study, we present the evidence for the synthesis of complex structures due to shock processing of nucleobases. The nucleobases were subjected to the reflected shock temperature of 3500–7000 K (estimated) and pressure of about 15–34 bar for over ~2 ms timescale. Under such extreme thermodynamic conditions, the nucleobases sample experiences superheating and subsequent cooling. Electron microscopic studies of shock processed residue show that nucleobases result in spontaneous formation of complex structures when subjected to extreme conditions of shock. These results suggest that impact shock processes might have contributed to the self-assembly of biologically relevant structures and the origin of life.
{"title":"Complex structures synthesized in shock processing of nucleobases – implications to the origins of life","authors":"V. Surendra, V. Jayaram, M. Muruganantham, T. Vijay, S. Vijayan, P. Samarth, H. Hill, A. Bhardwaj, N. Mason, B. Sivaraman","doi":"10.1017/S1473550421000136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550421000136","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Nucleobases are nitrogenous bases composed of monomers that are a major constituent of RNA and DNA, which are an essential part of any cellular life on the Earth. The search for nucleobases in the interstellar medium remains a major challenge, however, the recent detection of nucleobases in meteorite samples and laboratory synthesis in simulated analogue experiments have confirmed their abiotic origin and a possible route for their delivery to the Earth. Nevertheless, cellular life is based on the interacting network of complex structures, and there is substantial lack of information on the possible routes by which such ordered structures may be formed in the prebiotic environment. In the current study, we present the evidence for the synthesis of complex structures due to shock processing of nucleobases. The nucleobases were subjected to the reflected shock temperature of 3500–7000 K (estimated) and pressure of about 15–34 bar for over ~2 ms timescale. Under such extreme thermodynamic conditions, the nucleobases sample experiences superheating and subsequent cooling. Electron microscopic studies of shock processed residue show that nucleobases result in spontaneous formation of complex structures when subjected to extreme conditions of shock. These results suggest that impact shock processes might have contributed to the self-assembly of biologically relevant structures and the origin of life.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1017/S1473550421000136","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49141510","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 : 2021-05-25DOI: 10.1017/S1473550421000148
K. Szocik
The embryo space colonization (ESC) concept is an interesting, very rational and quite effective way to guarantee the survival of the human species, as long as the technology is achieved and no unforeseen complications arise during even many millions of years journey to an exoplanet. Despite these formal advantages of the concept, this paper points to a number of arguments against its validity. These arguments revolve around two issues. One is to point out that while the concept of saving the Homo sapiens species is noble and should be supported, the way of saving humanity envisioned by the ESC departs from what should be understood by the concept of saving humanity through space colonization. The second issue is to draw attention to the ethical controversies that make this concept perhaps unsuitable for implementation at all. At least some of these objections do not address the concept of saving humanity by sending adult living persons on space missions.
{"title":"Humanity should colonize space in order to survive but not with embryo space colonization","authors":"K. Szocik","doi":"10.1017/S1473550421000148","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550421000148","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The embryo space colonization (ESC) concept is an interesting, very rational and quite effective way to guarantee the survival of the human species, as long as the technology is achieved and no unforeseen complications arise during even many millions of years journey to an exoplanet. Despite these formal advantages of the concept, this paper points to a number of arguments against its validity. These arguments revolve around two issues. One is to point out that while the concept of saving the Homo sapiens species is noble and should be supported, the way of saving humanity envisioned by the ESC departs from what should be understood by the concept of saving humanity through space colonization. The second issue is to draw attention to the ethical controversies that make this concept perhaps unsuitable for implementation at all. At least some of these objections do not address the concept of saving humanity by sending adult living persons on space missions.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1017/S1473550421000148","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45622259","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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