Irwin / Schulze-Makuch Cosmic Biology

How Life Could Evolve on Other Worlds
1. Auflage 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4419-1647-1
Verlag: Praxis
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 338 Seiten

Reihe: Popular Astronomy

In Cosmic Biology, Louis Irwin and Dirk Schulze-Makuch guide readers through the range of planetary habitats found in our Solar System and those likely to be found throughout the universe. Based on our current knowledge of chemistry, energy, and evolutionary tendencies, the authors envision a variety of possible life forms. These range from the familiar species found on Earth to increasingly exotic examples possible under the different conditions of other planets and their satellites.Discussions of the great variety of life forms that could evolve in these diverse environments have become particularly relevant in recent years with the discovery of around 300 exoplanets in orbit around other stars and the possibilities for the existence of life in these planetary systems. The book also posits a taxonomic classification of the various forms of life that might be found, including speculation on the relative abundance of different forms and the generic fate of living systems. The fate and future of life on Earth will also be considered. The closing passages address the Fermi Paradox, and conclude with philosophical reflections on the possible place of Homo sapiens in the potentially vast stream of life across the galaxies.

As a neurobiologist, Louis Neal Irwin has been a student of evolution, complexity, and behavior over a 40 year career of academic teaching and research.  Irwin has published close to 60 original research articles, literature and book reviews, encyclopedia entries, and commentaries on the brain, behavior, and evolution, including one book ('Scotophobin') on the early development of neuroscience.Ten years ago, Irwin became a Solar System Educator for NASA, originally in conjunction with the launch of the Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn but later as representative for all the robotic exploratory missions managed by the Jet Propulsion Lab.  In that capacity he became familiar with the details of space exploration for the purpose of conducting teacher workshops. Soon thereafter, he also began a collaboration with Dirk Schulze-Makuch on research into the definition of life and the plausibility of searching for and finding life on other worlds. As NASA turned its attention to the emerging field of astrobiology, Schulze-Makuch and Irwin began to publish their research in that area, culminating in the joint authorship of 'Life in the Universe: Expectations and Constraints,' which many regard as the definitive work in the field of astrobiology for the technical specialist.Dirk Schulze-MakuchAs a trained hydrogeologist Dirk Schulze-Makuch entered the field of astrobiology by studing extremophilic organisms in hot springs. Propelled by a major NASA grant Dirk then joined the Europa Focus Group and some time later the Titan Focus Group of the NASA Astrobiology Institute. Recent interests include nearly all aspects of astrobiology including mission-aligned efforts to detect life on Mars and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Irwin, Louis Neal

Schulze-Makuch, Dirk

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Cosmic Biology;3
1.1;Contents;5
1.2;Preface;15
1.3;Illustrations;19
1.4;1 Rare Earths and Life Unseen;23
1.4.1;1.1 How habitats come about;25
1.4.1.1;1.1.1 Genesis: A scientific story of creation;25
1.4.1.2;1.1.2 How solar systems and planets form;27
1.4.1.3;1.1.3 Exoplanets;29
1.4.2;1.2 The Rare Earth model;31
1.4.3;1.3. The Life Unseen model;32
1.4.4;1.4. Strategy for the study of cosmic biology;33
1.4.5;1.5 Chapter summary;35
1.4.6;1.6 References and further reading;36
1.5;2 Life, Chemistry, Action!;37
1.5.1;2.1 The challenge of defining "life";37
1.5.1.1;2.1.1 Life as a duality of process and entity;38
1.5.1.2;2.1.2 Defining a living organism;39
1.5.2;2.2 Matter gone wild: the special chemistry of life;43
1.5.2.1;2.2.1 The elemental composition of living things;44
1.5.2.2;2.2.2 Biomolecules;47
1.5.2.3;2.2.3 Macromolecules;51
1.5.3;2.3 The advantages of liquids for life;54
1.5.3.1;2.3.1 General properties of liquids;54
1.5.3.2;2.3.2 The special properties of water;56
1.5.4;2.4 The need for and sources of energy for living systems;58
1.5.4.1;2.4.1 Oxidation-reduction chemistry;58
1.5.4.2;2.4.2 Thermal energy;60
1.5.4.3;2.4.3 Kinetic energy;61
1.5.4.4;2.4.4 Ionic diffusion;61
1.5.4.5;2.4.5 Osmosis;62
1.5.4.6;2.4.6 Other sources of energy;63
1.5.5;2.5 Chapter summary;64
1.5.6;2.6 References and further reading;65
1.6;3 Life's Fundamentals;67
1.6.1;3.1 Beginnings;67
1.6.1.1;3.1.1 A nine-step program for the origin of life on Earth;67
1.6.1.2;3.1.2 Qualifications and limitations;73
1.6.1.3;3.1.3 Alternative origin scenarios;74
1.6.1.3.1;3.1.3.1 A lukewarm water origin for life;74
1.6.1.3.2;3.1.3.2 A cold water origin for life;75
1.6.2;3.2 Organic evolution: the process of biological change through time;76
1.6.2.1;3.2.1 Selection;77
1.6.2.2;3.2.2 Chance;80
1.6.2.2.1;Mutation;80
1.6.2.2.2;Sexual Reproduction;81
1.6.2.2.3;Genetic Bottlenecks;81
1.6.2.2.4;Genetic drift;82
1.6.2.3;3.2.3 Heredity;82
1.6.3;3.3 Ecosystems: f r om populations to pyramids;83
1.6.3.1;3.3.1 Food webs;83
1.6.3.2;3.3.2 Trophic structures;83
1.6.4;3.4 Chapter summary;86
1.6.5;3.5 References and further reading;88
1.7;4 Fire and Water;90
1.7.1;4.1 Nature of Earth;90
1.7.1.1;4.1.1 Atmosphere;91
1.7.1.2;4.1.2 Building blocks;91
1.7.1.3;4.1.3 Energy;91
1.7.1.4;4.1.4 Temperature;91
1.7.1.5;4.1.5 Topography;92
1.7.1.6;4.1.6 Cycles;93
1.7.1.7;4.1.7 Conditions for life on Earth;93
1.7.1.8;4.1.8 Facts consistent with the existence of life on Earth;94
1.7.1.9;4.1.9 Possible assumptions about the nature of Earth's biosphere;95
1.7.2;4.2 A model for the history of life on Earth;95
1.7.2.1;4.2.1 Origin of life on Earth;95
1.7.2.2;4.2.2 Early stages of life on Earth;96
1.7.2.3;4.2.3 The dilemma of oxygen and the earliest forms of life;97
1.7.2.4;4.2.4 Transition to multicellularity;97
1.7.2.5;4.2.5 A brief descriptive history of life on Earth;100
1.7.2.5.1;4.2.5.1 Transition to larger, active organisms;102
1.7.2.5.2;4.2.5.2 Transition from water to air;102
1.7.2.5.3;4.2.5.3 Flight, Fur, and Flowers;106
1.7.2.5.4;4.2.5.4. Transition to the Modem World;107
1.7.3;4.3 A deduced biosphere for Earth;110
1.7.3.1;4.3.1 Trophic levels of life on Earth;111
1.7.3.1.1;Producers;113
1.7.3.1.2;Primary Consumers;113
1.7.3.1.3;Secondary Consumers;113
1.7.3.1.4;Tertiary Consumers;114
1.7.3.1.5;Multi-level consumers: parasites;114
1.7.3.1.6;Decomposers;114
1.7.3.2;4.3.2 Ecosystems on Earth;115
1.7.3.2.1;4.3.2.1 Marine ecosystems;115
1.7.3.2.2;4.3.2.2 Terrestrial ecosystems;115
1.7.3.2.3;4.3.2.3 Fresh Water Ecosystems;115
1.7.3.3;4.3.3 Biotic Communities on Earth;116
1.7.3.3.1;4.3.3.1 Marine Tropics;116
1.7.3.3.2;4.3.3.2 Terrestrial tropics;116
1.7.3.3.3;4.3.3.3 Marine temperate zones;116
1.7.3.3.4;4.3.3.4 Terrestrial temperate zones;117
1.7.3.3.5;4.3.3.5 Fresh water communities;117
1.7.3.3.6;4.3.3.6 Polar life zones;117
1.7.4;4.4 Characteristics of biota on Earth;117
1.7.4.1;4.4.1 Metabolism;117
1.7.4.2;4.4.2 Reproduction;118
1.7.4.3;4.4.3 Motility;119
1.7.4.4;4.4.4 Sensory systems;119
1.7.4.5;4.4.5 Cognition;120
1.7.4.6;4.4.6 Technology;121
1.7.5;4.5 What alien observers could get wrong about life on Earth;122
1.7.6;4.6 Chapter summary;123
1.7.7;4.7 References and further reading;124
1.8;5 Frozen Desert;126
1.8.1;5.1 Peeling through layers of Martian mystery;126
1.8.2;5.2 Overview of Martian planetary history;132
1.8.3;5.3 Reconstructing a plausible evolutionary history for putative life on Mars;136
1.8.3.1;5.3.1 Rise of the autotrophs;137
1.8.3.2;5.3.2 Phototrophic diversification;137
1.8.3.3;5.3.3 The heterotrophic succession;139
1.8.3.4;5.3.4 Colonial heterotrophs ensue;139
1.8.3.5;5.3.5 Offshoots of colonial life diversify;140
1.8.3.6;5.3.6 A succession of subterranean retreats;140
1.8.3.7;5.3.7 The sanctuary of caves;141
1.8.3.8;5.3.8 Living stones;142
1.8.3.9;5.3.9 Cryptobionts;142
1.8.3.10;5.3.10 Fossil remnants and life unseen;142
1.8.4;5.4 A putative Martian biosphere;143
1.8.5;5.5 Ecosystems on Mars;145
1.8.6;5.6 Biotic communities on Mars;146
1.8.7;5.7 Earth analogues of Martian habitats;147
1.8.8;5.8 Characteristics of life on Mars;149
1.8.8.1;5.8.1 Metabolism;149
1.8.8.2;5.8.2 Reproduction;149
1.8.8.3;5.8.3 Motility;150
1.8.8.4;5.8.4 Sensory Systems;151
1.8.8.5;5.8.5 Cognition;151
1.8.9;5.9 What could be wrong with this picture?;151
1.8.10;5.10 Life may have been discovered on Mars already;152
1.8.11;5.11 Chapter summary;154
1.8.12;5.12 References and further reading;155
1.9;6 Hell Fire and Brimstone;157
1.9.1;6.1 Nature of Venus;157
1.9.1.1;6.1.1 Atmosphere;158
1.9.1.2;6.1.2 Topography;159
1.9.1.3;6.1.3 Volcanism;160
1.9.1.4;6.1.4 Tectonic features;162
1.9.2;6.2 Planetary history of Venus;163
1.9.3;6.3 A possible evolutionary history for putative life on Venus;165
1.9.3.1;6.3.1 Life in the age of water on Venus;165
1.9.3.2;6.3.2 Life as Venus became hotter and the water evaporated;167
1.9.3.3;6.3.3 The possibility of life below the surface of Venus;168
1.9.3.3.1;6.3.3.1 Carbon-based life;168
1.9.3.3.2;6.3.3.2 Silicon-based life;168
1.9.4;6.4 The prospect of finding fossil evidence of life on Venus;169
1.9.5;6.5 Ecosystem possibilities for life on Venus;169
1.9.6;6.6 Characteristics of life on Venus;170
1.9.7;6.7 Possibilities for life on exoplanets like Venus;170
1.9.8;6.8 Chapter summary;171
1.9.9;6.8 References and further reading;172
1.10;7 Suspended Animation;173
1.10.1;7.1 Prospects for Life in the Clouds of Venus;173
1.10.1.1;7.1.1 Composition and characteristics of Venusian clouds;174
1.10.1.2;7.1.2 Properties conducive to life in the clouds of Venus;175
1.10.1.2.1;7.1.2.1 Temperature and pressure;175
1.10.1.2.2;7.1.2.2 Water, acidity, and organic chemistry;175
1.10.1.2.3;7.1.2.3 Sources of Energy;176
1.10.1.2.4;7.1.2.4 Habitat stability;176
1.10.1.3;7.1.3 Challenges for life in the clouds of Venus;177
1.10.1.4;7.1.4 Possible trajectories for the evolution of life in the clouds of Venus;177
1.10.1.5;7.1.5 Ecosystem possibilities in the clouds of Venus;180
1.10.2;7.2 Prospects for life in the atmospheres of gas giant planets;180
1.10.2.1;7.2.1 Composition of the gas giants;181
1.10.2.1.1;7.2.1.1 Jupiter;182
1.10.2.1.2;7.2.1.2 Saturn;182
1.10.2.1.3;7.2.1.3 Uranus;184
1.10.2.1.4;7.2.1.4 Neptune;184
1.10.2.2;7.2.2 Conceivable habitats for life on the gas giants;184
1.10.2.3;7.2.3 Assessing the plausibility of life in the atmosphere of the gas giants;186
1.10.2.3.1;7.2.3.1 Gas giants elsewhere may surprise us;187
1.10.2.3.2;7.2.3.2 What about "life" outside conventional definitions?;187
1.10.2.3.3;7.2.3.3 What about the immigration of life from another world?;188
1.10.3;7.3 Prospects for life in the atmospheres of exoplanets;189
1.10.4;7.4 Chapter summary;190
1.10.5;7.5 References and further reading;192
1.11;8 Deep and Dark;193
1.11.1;8.1 Nature of Europa;193
1.11.2;8.2. Planetary history of the Jovian satellites;196
1.11.3;8.3 Conditions for life on Europa;198
1.11.4;8.4 Energy for life on Europa;198
1.11.4.1;8.4.1 Light;198
1.11.4.2;8.4.2 Radiation;199
1.11.4.3;8.4.3 Chemistry;199
1.11.4.4;8.4.4 Fluid in motion;199
1.11.4.5;8.4.5 Osmotic and ionic gradients;200
1.11.4.6;8.4.6 Heat;200
1.11.4.7;8.4.7 Other long-shot possibilities;203
1.11.5;8.5 Forms of life on Europa;203
1.11.5.1;8.5.1 Producers;203
1.11.5.2;8.5.2 Consumers;205
1.11.6;8.6 Possible evolutionary history for putative life on Europa;206
1.11.7;8.7 Ecosystems on Europa;209
1.11.8;8.8 Biotic communities on Europa;213
1.11.8.1;8.8.1 The near-surface community;213
1.11.8.2;8.8.2 The ice ceiling community;213
1.11.8.3;8.8.3 The benthic community;213
1.11.8.4;8.8.4 The pelagic community;214
1.11.9;8.9 Characteristics of Europan biota;214
1.11.9.1;8.9.1 Metabolism;214
1.11.9.2;8.9.2 Reproductive systems;214
1.11.9.3;8.9.3 Motility;215
1.11.9.4;8.9.4 Sensory systems;215
1.11.9.5;8.9.5 Cognition;215
1.11.10;8.10 Properties of Europa not conducive for life;216
1.11.11;8.11 Enceladus: variations on a theme;216
1.11.12;8.12 Significance of the potential for life on Europa or Enceladus;218
1.11.13;8.13 Chapter summary;219
1.11.14;8.14 References and further reading;219
1.12;9 Fire and Ice;221
1.12.1;9.1 Nature of lo;221
1.12.1.1;9.1.1 Geology;222
1.12.1.1.1;9.1.1.1 Interior;223
1.12.1.1.2;9.1.1.2 Volcanism;223
1.12.1.1.3;9.1.1.3 Geochemistry;225
1.12.1.1.4;9.1.1.4 Topology;225
1.12.1.2;9.1.2 Thermal environment;227
1.12.1.3;9.1.3 Radiation environment;229
1.12.2;9.2 Planetary history of Io;230
1.12.3;9.3 Conditions for life on Io;230
1.12.3.1;9.3.1 Solvents for life on Io;232
1.12.3.2;9.3.2 Chemical building blocks for life on Io;233
1.12.3.3;9.3.2 Energy for life on lo;234
1.12.4;9.4 Origin of life on lo;234
1.12.5;9.5 Habitats for life on Io;235
1.12.6;9.6 A possible evolutionary history for life on Io;236
1.12.7;9.7 Ecosystem possibilities for life on Io;238
1.12.8;9.8 Characteristics of life on Io;239
1.12.8.1;9.8.1 Radiation resistance;239
1.12.8.2;9.8.2 Metabolism;240
1.12.8.3;9.8.3 Growth and reproduction;240
1.12.8.4;9.8.4 Motility;240
1.12.8.5;9.8.5 Sensory Systems;240
1.12.8.6;9.8.6 Cognition;241
1.12.9;9.9 Chapter summary;241
1.12.10;9.10 References and further reading;242
1.13;10 Petrolakes;244
1.13.1;10.1 Nature of Titan;245
1.13.1.1;10.1.1 Atmosphere and climate;245
1.13.1.2;10.1.2 Topography;247
1.13.1.3;10.1.3 Interior;250
1.13.2;10.2 Planetary history of Titan;251
1.13.3;10.3 Conditions (good and bad) for life on Titan;253
1.13.3.1;10.3.1 Chemistry;253
1.13.3.1.1;10.3.1.1 Chemistry for building blocks;253
1.13.3.1.2;10.3.1.2 Chemistry for energy;254
1.13.3.1.3;10.3.1.3 Chemistry for solvents;256
1.13.3.2;10.3.2 Temperature;256
1.13.3.3;10.3.3 Habitats;256
1.13.4;10.4 A possible evolutionary history for putative life on Titan;258
1.13.4.1;10.4.1 An aqueous origin and evolution for life on Titan;259
1.13.4.2;10.4.2 A hydrocarbon habitat for the origin and evolution of life on Titan;260
1.13.5;10.5 Ecosystem possibilities for life on Titan;264
1.13.6;10.6 Characteristics of life on Titan;264
1.13.6.1;10.6.1 Metabolism;264
1.13.6.2;10.6.2 Growth and reproduction;265
1.13.6.3;10.6.3 Motility;266
1.13.6.4;10.6.4 Sensory Systems;266
1.13.6.5;10.6.5 Cognition;267
1.13.7;10.7 Note of caution;267
1.13.8;10.8 Chapter summary;268
1.13.9;10.9 References and further reading;269
1.14;11 Exotic Cocktails;271
1.14.1;11.1 Nature of dwarf planets;272
1.14.2;11.2 Outline of the history of dwarf planets like Pluto and Triton;273
1.14.3;11.3 Nature of Pluto and Charon;274
1.14.4;11.4 Nature of Triton;276
1.14.4.1;11.4.1 Composition and chemistry;276
1.14.4.2;11.4.2 Atmosphere;277
1.14.4.3;11.4.3 Topography;277
1.14.4.4;11.4.4 Geological activity;280
1.14.5;11.5 Conditions conducive for life on Triton and Pluto;280
1.14.5.1;11.5.1 Energy for life on Triton;280
1.14.5.2;11.5.2 Building blocks for life on Triton;282
1.14.5.3;11.5.3 Solvents for life on Triton;283
1.14.5.4;11.5.4 Habitats for life on Triton;284
1.14.6;11.6 Scenarios for the possible evolution of life on Triton;284
1.14.7;11.7 Chapter summary;287
1.14.8;11.8 References and further reading;288
1.15;12 Biocomplexity in the Cosmos;290
1.15.1;12.1 Evolution of size, complexity, and biodiversity;290
1.15.1.1;12.1.1 Energy;291
1.15.1.2;12.1.2 Temperature;291
1.15.1.3;12.1.3 Mobility;292
1.15.1.4;12.1.4 Time;292
1.15.1.5;12.1.5 Habitat fractionation;293
1.15.1.6;12.1.6 Planetary history;293
1.15.2;12.2 Evolution of intelligence;294
1.15.2.1;12.2.1 What is intelligence?;295
1.15.2.2;12.2.2 Under what circumstances does intelligence arise?;298
1.15.2.3;12.2.3 Under what circumstances has meta-intelligence arisen?;300
1.15.2.4;12.2.4 Why has intelligence arisen so rarely on Earth?;300
1.15.3;12.3 Emergence of technology;302
1.15.3.1;12.3.1 Under what conditions does technology arise?;302
1.15.3.2;12.3.2 Why has technology arisen more rarely than intelligence on Earth?;304
1.15.4;12.4 Where are they? Dealing with the Fermi Paradox;306
1.15.4.1;12.4.1 The improbability of discovery;306
1.15.4.2;12.4.2 The disincentive for contact;307
1.15.4.3;12.4.3 The possibility of past or present visitations;308
1.15.4.4;12.4.4 The possibility that technology is self-limiting;308
1.15.4.5;12.4.5 Argument by analogy: the discovery and fate of the Hawaiian Islands;309
1.15.5;12.5 Chapter Summary;310
1.15.6;12.6 References and further reading;310
1.16;13 Anticipating the Future;312
1.16.1;13.1 Three prospects for any form of life;312
1.16.1.1;13.1.1 Plateau;312
1.16.1.2;13.1.2 Extinction;314
1.16.1.3;13.1.3 Transition;314
1.16.2;13.2 Thoughts on the relative frequency of different forms of life;316
1.16.2.1;1 3.2.1 Biodiversity in the Solar System under the familiar scenario;316
1.16.2.2;1 3.2.2 Biodiversity in the Solar System under the exotic scenario;317
1.16.2.3;1 3.2.3 Biodiversity in the cosmos under the familiar scenario;317
1.16.2.4;1 3.2.4 Biodiversity in the cosmos under the exotic scenario;318
1.16.2.5;13.2.5 Revisiting the Rare Earth Hypothesis;318
1.16.3;13.3 The fate and future of life on Earth;319
1.16.3.1;13.3.1 Fate of human life;320
1.16.3.1.1;13.3.1.1 As organic forms;321
1.16.3.1.2;13.3.1.2 As mechanical forms;321
1.16.3.2;13.3.2 Fate of insects;322
1.16.3.3;1 3.3.3 Fate of everything else;323
1.16.3.4;1 3.3.4 Summary of the fate of life on Earth;324
1.16.4;13.4 The fate and future of life on other worlds;324
1.16.5;13.5 Chapter summary;324
1.16.6;13.6 References and further reading;326
1.17;Glossary;327
1.18;Index;342