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Very Short Introductions #370
Astrobiyoloji: Dünyada ve Evrende Yaşam
İnsanlar çok eski zamanlardan beri yeryüzünde yaşamın nasıl ortaya çıktığı ve evrende yalnız olup olmadığımız gibi sorulara kafa yoruyorlar. Son dönemlerde adını giderek daha sık duyduğumuz astrobiyoloji tam da bu sorulara yanıt bulmak üzere ortaya çıkmış bir bilgi alanı. Evrende ve dünyada yaşamın kökenini, evrimini ve geleceğini inceleyen astrobiyologlar, gelişen teknolojiyle birlikte her geçen gün hayal gücümüzü kışkırtan keşiflerde bulunuyor.
Kendisi de bir astrobiyolog olan David Catling bu kitapta astrobiyolojinin temel meselelerini ele alarak bu heyecan verici bilime dair kısa ama kapsamlı bir çerçeve sunuyor. Dünyada yaşamı ortaya çıkaran koşullar nelerdi? Yaşam hangi ilkeler temelinde gelişti? Gezegenimiz mevcut haline erişmeden önce nasıl evrelerden geçti? Kitlesel yok oluşlara hangi olaylar yol açtı? Dünyamızı nasıl bir gelecek bekliyor? Gezegenler nasıl oluştu? Güneş Sistemi’nde ve ötesinde hangi gezegenlerde yaşam ortaya çıkmış olabilir veya gelecekte ortaya çıkabilir? Dünya dışındaki bir gezegende akıllı varlıklar varsa –fizikçi Enrico Fermi’nin meşhur tabiriyle– “Nerede bunlar?”
Astrobiyoloji, okuru kendi tanıdık dünyasından dışarı adım atıp üzerinde yaşadığı görkemli gezegene ve çevresini sarmalayan uçsuz bucaksız evrene meraklı gözlerle bakmaya davet ediyor.
Kendisi de bir astrobiyolog olan David Catling bu kitapta astrobiyolojinin temel meselelerini ele alarak bu heyecan verici bilime dair kısa ama kapsamlı bir çerçeve sunuyor. Dünyada yaşamı ortaya çıkaran koşullar nelerdi? Yaşam hangi ilkeler temelinde gelişti? Gezegenimiz mevcut haline erişmeden önce nasıl evrelerden geçti? Kitlesel yok oluşlara hangi olaylar yol açtı? Dünyamızı nasıl bir gelecek bekliyor? Gezegenler nasıl oluştu? Güneş Sistemi’nde ve ötesinde hangi gezegenlerde yaşam ortaya çıkmış olabilir veya gelecekte ortaya çıkabilir? Dünya dışındaki bir gezegende akıllı varlıklar varsa –fizikçi Enrico Fermi’nin meşhur tabiriyle– “Nerede bunlar?”
Astrobiyoloji, okuru kendi tanıdık dünyasından dışarı adım atıp üzerinde yaşadığı görkemli gezegene ve çevresini sarmalayan uçsuz bucaksız evrene meraklı gözlerle bakmaya davet ediyor.
168 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2013
111 people are currently reading
1610 people want to read
About the author
David C. Catling
3 books19 followersDavid Catling is a Professor of Earth and Space Sciences. After a doctorate at the University of Oxford, he worked as a planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center near San Francisco from 1995-2001, then as a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle from 2001-2005, and as a European Union Marie Curie Chair in England from 2005 before returning to Seattle in 2009. Amongst other things, he was in the scientific team responsible for NASA's Phoenix Lander spacecraft, which landed on Mars in 2008.
In his spare time, he hikes in remote places (such as Patagonia), plays the piano, and enjoys great food.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
June 18, 2021
‘The human race is just a chemical scum on a moderate-sized planet, orbiting around a very average star in the outer suburb of one among a hundred billion galaxies.’ – Stephen Hawking .
Before reading this, I read Hand's Alien Oceans: The Search for Life in the Depths of Space (earlier this year) which explores very similar topics covered in Catling’s book. Hand’s was more detailed and in-depth (Jupiter-centric I’d say), and Catling’s is much easier to digest – certainly a more accessible book. If you’re interested in ‘aliens’ – and by that I meant ‘little green men’ or creepy slimy killing-machines, then this won’t be the book for you. If anything, it covers more of exoplanets, and microbes in outer space. A fantastic primer for anyone who’s clueless and curious about all that.
‘Another, more primitive, type of microbial photosynthesis that doesn’t split water or release oxygen is anoxygenic photosynthesis. In this case, biomass is made using sunlight and hydrogen, hydrogen sulphide, or dissolved iron in hydrothermal areas around volcanoes. Today, microbial scum grows this way in hot springs.’
For me, I usually listen to non-fiction audiobooks (mostly science/history/autobios) before bed, and then have a quick flip/read through of the physical books the day after. The photographs and graphs in the books are great fun. Although I’ve previously learned about most of the scientific discoveries/theories in the books, it’s a good book to recap. The writing is brilliant. The bit about photosynthesis (albeit a brief discussion) got me excited.
‘A world without eukaryotes would also be one without sex. Think no flowers or love songs...There are many ideas about why sex is evolutionarily advantageous for eukaryotes. One possibility concerns how it mixes and matches genes from both parents onto each chromosome in a process called recombination. If beneficial mutations occur separately in two individuals, the mixture of both can’t be achieved in asexual organisms, but sexually reproducing organisms can bring them together and reap the benefits. Conversely, sex can also eliminate bad, mutated genes by bringing unmutated genes together in some individuals, whereas self-cloning organisms are stuck with bad genes, and offspring can die because of them.’
‘Outside the three domains, viruses represent a grey area between the living and non-living. Viruses are typically about ten times more abundant than microbes in seawater or soil. They consist of pieces of DNA or RNA surrounded by protein and, in some cases, a further membrane. Viruses are tiny, only about 50–450 nanometres (billionths of a metre) in size, comparable to the wavelength of ultraviolet light. They are generally considered non-living because they are inanimate outside a cell and have to infect and hijack cells for their own reproduction. However, some do this without the host ever noticing, so not all viruses cause disease. One theory of several for the origin of the nucleus of eukaryotes is that it may have evolved from a large DNA virus, but the role of viruses in the evolution of life is still a matter of debate.’
An article by Scientific American shows how the Chicxulub Impactor created rainforests – here. And I think that’s a perfect add-on reading to Catling’s book. Also, I suppose we shouldn’t need to worry about another asteroid blasting us into another wave of mass extinction, because if it does come, it’d happen so fast we wouldn’t even know what hit us. A blessing and curse – it all depends on how you look at it.
‘Extinctions destroy previously successful lineages but they also provide opportunities for others. You are reading this book because of the Chicxulub impactor. The mammals became dominant once the dinosaurs were gone.’
December 19, 2021
علم الأحياء الفلكية يُطلق عليه أيضًا علم الأحياء الخارجية ، هو مجال علمي متعدد التخصصات؛ يشمل مجالات علم الأحياء وعلم الفلك والجيولوجيا. يتعامل مع الطبيعة والوجود، أي يدرس الأصول والتطور المبكر والتوزيع ومستقبل الحياة في الكون. يأخذ علم الأحياء الفلكية في الاعتبار مسألة ما إذا كانت الحياة خارج كوكب الأرض موجودة ، وإذا كانت موجودة ، فكيف يمكن للبشر اكتشافها. وإذا ماكانت هناك كائنات عاقلة غيرنا؟ أين هم ؟
إذا نجحت جهود البحث عن حياة خارج الأرض، فربما نستخلص رؤى ثاقبة أيضاً من الحضارات الأخرى، إن استطعنا فهم إشاراتها. أما في الوقت الراهن، فإن الحياة الوحيدة المعروفة هي التي نعيشها هنا.
يستفيد علم الأحياء الفلكية من البيولوجيا الجزيئية ، والفيزياء الحيوية ، والكيمياء الحيوية ، والكيمياء ، وعلم الفلك ، وعلم الكونيات الفيزيائي ، وعلم الكواكب الخارجية ، والجيولوجيا ، وعلم الحفريات ، وعلم الأسماك لاستكشاف إمكانية الحياة في عوالم أخرى والمساعدة في التعرف على الغلاف الحيوي الذي قد يكون مختلفًا عن تلك الموجودة على الأرض. يعد أصل الحياة وتطورها المبكر جزءًا لا يتجزأ من علم الأحياء الفلكية. كما يهتم بشكل أساسي بالفرضيات التي تتناسب بشدة مع النظريات العلمية الحالية.
يشمل هذا المجال متعدد التخصصات البحث حول أصل أنظمة الكواكب ، وأصول المركبات العضوية في الفضاء ، والتفاعلات بين الصخور والمياه والكربون ، والتكوين التلقائي على الأرض ، وإمكانية السكن على كوكب الأرض ، والبحث عن البصمات الحيوية لاكتشاف الحياة ، ودراسات حول إمكانية تكيف الحياة معها. إلى جانب التحديات على الأرض وفي الفضاء الخارجي.
في اكتشاف الفضاء؛ تشير الصور والبيانات من المركبات الفضائية التي تدور حول المريخ إلى أن المياه كانت تتدفق على سطح الكوكب الأحمر ولا تزال موجودة بكميات كبيرة تحت الأرض. وبالتالي ، هناك جهد دولي مستمر لاستخدام المجسات الآلية لفحص المريخ بحثًا عن أدلة على الحياة الماضية ، وحتى الحالية ، التي كان من الممكن أن تتراجع إلى طبقات المياه الجوفية السائلة.
أيضًا ، تشير الاكتشافات التي تعود أساسًا إلى مسبار جاليليو الفضائي (الذي تم إطلاقه في عام 1989) إلى أن بعض أقمار كوكب المشتري - بشكل أساسي يوروبا "يحتوي قمر كوكب المشتري ، أوروبا ، على محيط مائي سائل على عمق عشرات الكيلومترات تحت سطحه والذي قد يكون صالحًا للسكنى لبعض الكائنات الحية." ولكن أيضًا جانيميد وكاليستو - بالإضافة إلى قمر زحل إنسيلادوس ، قد يكون لديها محيطات سائلة طويلة العمر تحت سطحها الخارجي الجليدي جلود. يمكن الحفاظ على دفء هذه المحيطات على الرغم من بُعدها الكبير عن الشمس بسبب تفاعلات الجاذبية بين الأقمار والكوكب المضيف ، وقد تدعم نوع الحياة الموجود في فتحات أعماق البحار على الأرض.
حتى تيتان ، أحد أقمار زحل الكبيرة ذات الغلاف الجوي السميك ، قد يكون لديه بعض البيولوجيا غير العادية على سطحه البارد ، حيث قد توجد بحيرات الميثان والإيثان السائل. هبط مسبار الفضاء الأوروبي Huygens على تيتان في 14 يناير 2005 ، ورأى علامات تدفق سائل على سطحه. عززت مثل هذه الاكتشافات بقوة ظهور علم الأحياء الفلكية كمجال للدراسة من خلال توسيع نطاق الموائل المحتملة خارج كوكب الأرض إلى ما هو أبعد من المفهوم التقليدي "للمنطقة الصالحة للسكن".
كتاب شيّق! وترجمة جميلة !
يبقى السؤال: هل نحن وحدنا في الكون؟
إذا نجحت جهود البحث عن حياة خارج الأرض، فربما نستخلص رؤى ثاقبة أيضاً من الحضارات الأخرى، إن استطعنا فهم إشاراتها. أما في الوقت الراهن، فإن الحياة الوحيدة المعروفة هي التي نعيشها هنا.
يستفيد علم الأحياء الفلكية من البيولوجيا الجزيئية ، والفيزياء الحيوية ، والكيمياء الحيوية ، والكيمياء ، وعلم الفلك ، وعلم الكونيات الفيزيائي ، وعلم الكواكب الخارجية ، والجيولوجيا ، وعلم الحفريات ، وعلم الأسماك لاستكشاف إمكانية الحياة في عوالم أخرى والمساعدة في التعرف على الغلاف الحيوي الذي قد يكون مختلفًا عن تلك الموجودة على الأرض. يعد أصل الحياة وتطورها المبكر جزءًا لا يتجزأ من علم الأحياء الفلكية. كما يهتم بشكل أساسي بالفرضيات التي تتناسب بشدة مع النظريات العلمية الحالية.
يشمل هذا المجال متعدد التخصصات البحث حول أصل أنظمة الكواكب ، وأصول المركبات العضوية في الفضاء ، والتفاعلات بين الصخور والمياه والكربون ، والتكوين التلقائي على الأرض ، وإمكانية السكن على كوكب الأرض ، والبحث عن البصمات الحيوية لاكتشاف الحياة ، ودراسات حول إمكانية تكيف الحياة معها. إلى جانب التحديات على الأرض وفي الفضاء الخارجي.
في اكتشاف الفضاء؛ تشير الصور والبيانات من المركبات الفضائية التي تدور حول المريخ إلى أن المياه كانت تتدفق على سطح الكوكب الأحمر ولا تزال موجودة بكميات كبيرة تحت الأرض. وبالتالي ، هناك جهد دولي مستمر لاستخدام المجسات الآلية لفحص المريخ بحثًا عن أدلة على الحياة الماضية ، وحتى الحالية ، التي كان من الممكن أن تتراجع إلى طبقات المياه الجوفية السائلة.
أيضًا ، تشير الاكتشافات التي تعود أساسًا إلى مسبار جاليليو الفضائي (الذي تم إطلاقه في عام 1989) إلى أن بعض أقمار كوكب المشتري - بشكل أساسي يوروبا "يحتوي قمر كوكب المشتري ، أوروبا ، على محيط مائي سائل على عمق عشرات الكيلومترات تحت سطحه والذي قد يكون صالحًا للسكنى لبعض الكائنات الحية." ولكن أيضًا جانيميد وكاليستو - بالإضافة إلى قمر زحل إنسيلادوس ، قد يكون لديها محيطات سائلة طويلة العمر تحت سطحها الخارجي الجليدي جلود. يمكن الحفاظ على دفء هذه المحيطات على الرغم من بُعدها الكبير عن الشمس بسبب تفاعلات الجاذبية بين الأقمار والكوكب المضيف ، وقد تدعم نوع الحياة الموجود في فتحات أعماق البحار على الأرض.
حتى تيتان ، أحد أقمار زحل الكبيرة ذات الغلاف الجوي السميك ، قد يكون لديه بعض البيولوجيا غير العادية على سطحه البارد ، حيث قد توجد بحيرات الميثان والإيثان السائل. هبط مسبار الفضاء الأوروبي Huygens على تيتان في 14 يناير 2005 ، ورأى علامات تدفق سائل على سطحه. عززت مثل هذه الاكتشافات بقوة ظهور علم الأحياء الفلكية كمجال للدراسة من خلال توسيع نطاق الموائل المحتملة خارج كوكب الأرض إلى ما هو أبعد من المفهوم التقليدي "للمنطقة الصالحة للسكن".
كتاب شيّق! وترجمة جميلة !
يبقى السؤال: هل نحن وحدنا في الكون؟
November 21, 2022
الكتاب كويس جدا وفيه معلومات مفيدة اوي
لكن للاسف الترجمة بوظت كل دا
ضغطت على نفسي لحد ما عديت 70% لكن مش هقدر اكمل اكتر من كدا ومعلومات كتير بتقع بسبب مصطلحات مترجمة حرفيا ومحتاجة بحث لوحدها عشان تتفهم
لكن للاسف الترجمة بوظت كل دا
ضغطت على نفسي لحد ما عديت 70% لكن مش هقدر اكمل اكتر من كدا ومعلومات كتير بتقع بسبب مصطلحات مترجمة حرفيا ومحتاجة بحث لوحدها عشان تتفهم
January 27, 2014
a concise, lucid primer of the ever-expanding field of astrobiology, catling's slim book (part of oxford's fantastic a very short introduction series) offers much more than a mere cursory presentation of the subject's elementary concepts. as an incipient discipline within the broader astrosciences, exciting advances in the studies of the origins of life (both on our own planet, as well as elsewhere in the solar system, galaxy, and universe) are reframing our knowledge on an on-going basis. while there may not yet be consensus on the necessary conditions that might (under a variety of circumstances) give rise to even simple forms of life, a wider range of potentially habitable planets (and moons) are being discovered with exciting celerity.
as we understand more about the origins and evolution of life on this planet, we have a better sense of what to look for elsewhere in the cosmos. catling offers a list of nine celestial bodies within our own solar system where life (if only in microbial form) might currently exist. while some background in both science and mathematics will make astrobiology a more coherent read, those with even a cursory interest in the subject will find much to ponder over.
as we understand more about the origins and evolution of life on this planet, we have a better sense of what to look for elsewhere in the cosmos. catling offers a list of nine celestial bodies within our own solar system where life (if only in microbial form) might currently exist. while some background in both science and mathematics will make astrobiology a more coherent read, those with even a cursory interest in the subject will find much to ponder over.
as stephen hawking put it, "the human race is just a chemical scum on a moderate-sized planet, orbiting around a very average star in the outer suburb of one among a hundred billion galaxies."
March 16, 2018
Very clear and written in layman's terms, so that you don't need to be an astronomer, physicist, or organic chemist to understand the material Catling presents. After reading this, I feel like I have a much better understanding of what kind of life might exist in the universe outside that on Earth, and I have a real interest in seeing sensible, realistic studies being done to explore that possibility.
This is among the very best of the "Very Short Introductions" I've read. Highly recommended.
This is among the very best of the "Very Short Introductions" I've read. Highly recommended.
August 15, 2016
This is superb.
Includes some science that is well presented and clear.
The topic stimulates the imagination,
while the considerations guiding our exploration offers a kind of refresher course on some foundational scientific ideas.
Of course relating to our place in this Galaxy.
!
Includes some science that is well presented and clear.
The topic stimulates the imagination,
while the considerations guiding our exploration offers a kind of refresher course on some foundational scientific ideas.
Of course relating to our place in this Galaxy.
!
December 23, 2013
The most remarkable thing about this book is that it has actually been written and published. Just a decade ago a book with a title of “Astrobiology” would have been squarely relegated to the science fiction section of the bookstore. Granted, we still haven’t found any signs of alien life, but our understandings of the origin and diversity of life on Earth, conditions in various parts of the Solar System, and the prevalence of potentially habitable worlds in our galaxy have grown almost exponentially over the past ten years or so. That’s why our speculations about extra-terrestrial life are now concrete enough that we can make some very reasonable guesses and estimates.
Even though the title of this book is Astrobiology (i.e. the study of life outside of the earth), most of the book dedicated to our understanding of the conditions and processes on Earth itself that had lead to emergence of life. Even though the kind of life that we are most familiar with on Earth might be very atypical of the life in the rest of the universe, the sheer diversity of physical conditions under which earthly life has been capable of thriving gives us hope that we can possibly find life under similar conditions elsewhere. There are, however, certain main conditions that need to obtain for any sort of life that we can conceive of to exist. Most importantly, there needs to be plenty of liquid water, or at least some other liquid substance capable of facilitating organic chemistry. Furthermore, any life that we can conceive of needs to be carbon based, as that’s the only element capable of creating stable molecules of almost infinite complexity. The book then moves on to discussion various planets, moons and other objects in the Solar System, and examines which one of them could possibly have (or have had) the kinds of conditions required for life. Finally, the book deals with the prevalence of possible life-supporting planets throughout the Galaxy, and gives its own set of estimates for their possible “livability.”
This is a very interesting and well-written book. Anyone with an even cursory interest in anything to do with space and space exploration will find a lot of fascinating information in here. I’ve actually taught an introductory college Astronomy class a few years ago, but I’ve still found a lot of new information in here that I was not aware of before. Our understanding and information about the universe is constantly and rapidly expanding, and I would not be surprised if the second or third edition of this book, some ten years from now, has plenty to say about the actual discovery of life on other planets. Until then this short introduction should be adequate to slake our thirst for knowledge about space aliens.
Even though the title of this book is Astrobiology (i.e. the study of life outside of the earth), most of the book dedicated to our understanding of the conditions and processes on Earth itself that had lead to emergence of life. Even though the kind of life that we are most familiar with on Earth might be very atypical of the life in the rest of the universe, the sheer diversity of physical conditions under which earthly life has been capable of thriving gives us hope that we can possibly find life under similar conditions elsewhere. There are, however, certain main conditions that need to obtain for any sort of life that we can conceive of to exist. Most importantly, there needs to be plenty of liquid water, or at least some other liquid substance capable of facilitating organic chemistry. Furthermore, any life that we can conceive of needs to be carbon based, as that’s the only element capable of creating stable molecules of almost infinite complexity. The book then moves on to discussion various planets, moons and other objects in the Solar System, and examines which one of them could possibly have (or have had) the kinds of conditions required for life. Finally, the book deals with the prevalence of possible life-supporting planets throughout the Galaxy, and gives its own set of estimates for their possible “livability.”
This is a very interesting and well-written book. Anyone with an even cursory interest in anything to do with space and space exploration will find a lot of fascinating information in here. I’ve actually taught an introductory college Astronomy class a few years ago, but I’ve still found a lot of new information in here that I was not aware of before. Our understanding and information about the universe is constantly and rapidly expanding, and I would not be surprised if the second or third edition of this book, some ten years from now, has plenty to say about the actual discovery of life on other planets. Until then this short introduction should be adequate to slake our thirst for knowledge about space aliens.
August 24, 2021
Literally so good — aliens (microbes tho) be likely existing
December 6, 2021
الكتاب مكثّف يستعرض اهم المعلومات من العلوم التي تدخل في مجال الأحياء الفلكية، الذي يبحث عن اسلوب ونمط لايجاد دلائل حياة على كواكب أخرى عن طريق استكشاف الحياة على الأرض بمعناها الواسع...
كتاب دسم جدا
كتاب دسم جدا
October 16, 2016
Que livrinho fascinante... Não tem nem duzentas páginas, mas tem mais informações do que muito livrão por aí, e num texto empolgante e até divertido. Na definição do autor, astrobiologia é "o ramo da ciência que estuda a origem e a evolução da vida na Terra e a possível variedade da vida em outros lugares". Para isso, é preciso estudar um pouco de tudo: cosmologia, astronomia, astrofísica, geologia, microbiologia, química, evolução... Ou seja, só coisa boa!
June 22, 2021
I'd never heard of the field of Astrobiology before I found this book, so I thought I'd put it on my list. I have read a few books in the "Very Short Introduction" series, and generally find them to be well written and produced.
Fortunately, Astrobiology continues the trend, and I enjoyed the writing presented here as well.
Author David C. Catling is a Professor in Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington. He is a planetary scientist and astrobiologist whose research focuses on understanding the differences between the evolution of planets, their atmospheres, and their potential for life.
David C. Catling:
The book gets off to a good start, with a well-written introduction. Catling provides a definition of the new field of "astrobiology" for the reader. He then provides a short, succinct history of the universe; including the scope of its size. Cosmic microwave background radiation is also briefly discussed.
The book picks up pace as it goes, and Catling quickly dives into some very technical material. Unfortunately, I think he might lose some people unfamiliar with biology, physics, and/or chemistry here. So this book is probably not the best match for the scientifically illiterate layperson...
Some of the topics covered here include:
• Chirality
• The Great Oxidation Event
• Sexual reproduction
• The chemistry of life
• The phylogenetic tree (or web) of life
• Extremophiles
• Life in the Solar System; Which worlds might be habitable today?
• The hunt for exoplanets
• The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)
• The Rare Earth Hypothesis
The tardigrade; an extremophile:
**********************
Astrobiology was an interesting short read. I enjoyed the book, although I should reiterate that much of the material presented here might not be accessible to the scientifically illiterate layperson.
4 stars.
Fortunately, Astrobiology continues the trend, and I enjoyed the writing presented here as well.
Author David C. Catling is a Professor in Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington. He is a planetary scientist and astrobiologist whose research focuses on understanding the differences between the evolution of planets, their atmospheres, and their potential for life.
David C. Catling:
The book gets off to a good start, with a well-written introduction. Catling provides a definition of the new field of "astrobiology" for the reader. He then provides a short, succinct history of the universe; including the scope of its size. Cosmic microwave background radiation is also briefly discussed.
The book picks up pace as it goes, and Catling quickly dives into some very technical material. Unfortunately, I think he might lose some people unfamiliar with biology, physics, and/or chemistry here. So this book is probably not the best match for the scientifically illiterate layperson...
Some of the topics covered here include:
• Chirality
• The Great Oxidation Event
• Sexual reproduction
• The chemistry of life
• The phylogenetic tree (or web) of life
• Extremophiles
• Life in the Solar System; Which worlds might be habitable today?
• The hunt for exoplanets
• The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)
• The Rare Earth Hypothesis
The tardigrade; an extremophile:
**********************
Astrobiology was an interesting short read. I enjoyed the book, although I should reiterate that much of the material presented here might not be accessible to the scientifically illiterate layperson.
4 stars.
March 11, 2019
So the story of a new evolving subject. I picked this book as I want to do a reality check regarding extraterrestrial life. Its always quite exciting to think and romanticize about life beyond planet earth .....
Astrobiology have twin objectives.
1. To understand the life and its evolution : about 2/3rd of this book that is 5 of the 8 chapters are devoted on the evolution of life on the earth. Its interesting to know that we have very little clarity about our own origin and evolution. this field is still in its nascent stage. A lots a questions need to be answered.
2. To inquire for life beyond earth : Chapter 6 inquire for any symptoms of life on our solar system. put some hopes on Enceladus and Europa . Chapter 7 explains the technique employed to find exoplanet. what is to be considered a symptom of any life at exoplanet .... after reading the two chapters I some how felt that this field of astrobiology is some how overhyped
The chapter 08 mainly tries to overrule Rare Earth Hypothesis and tried to infuse some optimism in this field
But this book lived to my expectations and in a true sense it was a reality check ......... was a delight to read
Astrobiology have twin objectives.
1. To understand the life and its evolution : about 2/3rd of this book that is 5 of the 8 chapters are devoted on the evolution of life on the earth. Its interesting to know that we have very little clarity about our own origin and evolution. this field is still in its nascent stage. A lots a questions need to be answered.
2. To inquire for life beyond earth : Chapter 6 inquire for any symptoms of life on our solar system. put some hopes on Enceladus and Europa . Chapter 7 explains the technique employed to find exoplanet. what is to be considered a symptom of any life at exoplanet .... after reading the two chapters I some how felt that this field of astrobiology is some how overhyped
The chapter 08 mainly tries to overrule Rare Earth Hypothesis and tried to infuse some optimism in this field
But this book lived to my expectations and in a true sense it was a reality check ......... was a delight to read
December 31, 2021
An interesting introduction. I did not know how much archaeology and astrobiology have in common, but in perspective, it makes a lot of sense. A good chunk of the book is explaining the chemical and biological process that occurred early in the Earth that resulted in life. There are clear explanations from a mix of geology, chemistry and climate change to understand how and un under what conditions could life appear (at least life as we know it and even some more speculative cases). Highly recommended.
March 30, 2020
like all the very short introduction this is a very good book, I knew nothing about astrobiology now I know a little and I have much more that I want to learn :)
Read
February 21, 2025The introduction strikes a perfect balance, offering a comprehensive overview in layman's terms without becoming overly rigorous or boring.
May 8, 2023
Very interesting look into the fundamentals. I don’t think geology is my cup of tea but I found the biological elements interesting and the astronomical elements fascinating.
November 23, 2025
Я звісно розумію, що поза нашої планети мало чого є для вивчення біологам...однак ця книжка -це мікс різних тем з біології та суміжних наук до географії🤕...
October 19, 2019
This is a great little book that touches on most of the main issues relating to the study of how life may have developed on Earth, and how it may also develop on other worlds both within and outside of the solar system.
As such is indeed both a short introduction but also a very good one, and a great way for anyone interested in the subject to get a general overview. For the more serious student, it serves as a nice springboard to general topics explored in much more detail in other books.
As such is indeed both a short introduction but also a very good one, and a great way for anyone interested in the subject to get a general overview. For the more serious student, it serves as a nice springboard to general topics explored in much more detail in other books.
February 16, 2024
Very concise and straight to the point, I recommend it to anyone trying to get a hold of astrobiology with no prior knowledge.
December 17, 2020
Biyoloji severleri memnun edecek bir kitap olduğunu düşünüyorum.
October 18, 2022
Whenever I want to read an introduction to something the first place I look for answers in is Oxford's series "Very short introduction" because it is written by specialized academic writers, edited by professional editors and it is a short introduction. Thus, when it occurred to me to read about astrobiology (which I have read about many articles but not a cohesive book) I pick up this book, and I am content that I made this choice.
The book is well written and is rich in easy-to-understand information suitable for almost any reader interested in this field who is not an expert.
The book discuss the formation of a habitable planet (Earth) and the emergence of life and its evolution and the conditions needed for that on other worlds. However, it is worth mentioning that this book does not address the extraterrestrial intelligence and "rare Earth hypothesis" in detail and I find that its views on the rare Earth hypothesis is not very solid.
In total, recommended.
The book is well written and is rich in easy-to-understand information suitable for almost any reader interested in this field who is not an expert.
The book discuss the formation of a habitable planet (Earth) and the emergence of life and its evolution and the conditions needed for that on other worlds. However, it is worth mentioning that this book does not address the extraterrestrial intelligence and "rare Earth hypothesis" in detail and I find that its views on the rare Earth hypothesis is not very solid.
In total, recommended.
November 10, 2022
This is probably my favorite book from the A Very Short Introduction series. I was so mistaken to think that astrobiology is about search for alien life elsewhere (which was my original intention for picking up this book).
So, actually, astrobiology is the study of life in the universe, including on Earth. But, why do we need to study here ?? Because if we can understand the development of life on Earth, this gives a direction to explore another places (if we want to search for extra-terrestrial life). Life on earth was developed relatively early in the cosmic ages, plus the Earth is quite an "unremarkable" planet (so, there are many planets like us). So, there is a real possibility of finding life (as we know it) elsewhere. What is remarkable about this field is that astrobiology is truly interdisciplinary. It is the intersection of biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, and even philosophy (what should be regarded as life ?). And I think this book is a good primer on the topic and would definitely entice the readers to learn more about life.
So, actually, astrobiology is the study of life in the universe, including on Earth. But, why do we need to study here ?? Because if we can understand the development of life on Earth, this gives a direction to explore another places (if we want to search for extra-terrestrial life). Life on earth was developed relatively early in the cosmic ages, plus the Earth is quite an "unremarkable" planet (so, there are many planets like us). So, there is a real possibility of finding life (as we know it) elsewhere. What is remarkable about this field is that astrobiology is truly interdisciplinary. It is the intersection of biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, and even philosophy (what should be regarded as life ?). And I think this book is a good primer on the topic and would definitely entice the readers to learn more about life.
April 10, 2017
Super readable, super enjoyable. I walked away from this book with a lot more knowledge about life, universe and everything. What I really enjoyed was the section discussing the building blocks of life. Where we use H2O as the basis for life, it is conceivable that life on another planet could use H2S. Which could lead to a whole different line of evolution occurring.
This gave me a good overview of habitable zones, galactic habitable zones, what life could look like on other planets. The role of the moon, the average-ness of our sun. How different suns have different habitable ranges. How microbial life exists in the harshest conditions on Earth, so it seems very plausible that it could handle very harsh conditions outside of Earth.
Overall, this book was a welcomed primer on a subject that I find completely fascinating.
This gave me a good overview of habitable zones, galactic habitable zones, what life could look like on other planets. The role of the moon, the average-ness of our sun. How different suns have different habitable ranges. How microbial life exists in the harshest conditions on Earth, so it seems very plausible that it could handle very harsh conditions outside of Earth.
Overall, this book was a welcomed primer on a subject that I find completely fascinating.
April 29, 2015
Astrobiology, or the study of life and its origins both on this planet and in space, is a very new science and really, really fascinating. Of course, we all want to know whether we're alone in the universe, but it is only this new science that is really looking to answer that question. This book provided a really succinct introduction to what is an enormously complex subject. It was highly scientific and perhaps not fully accessible to many, and the first chapters, discussing the origins of life on Earth perhaps didn't have the interest of the final chapters which were speculating on the possibilities of life elsewhere. But I definitely feel better informed. And it just confirms why I don't believe in UFOs!
December 4, 2017
3.5/5.
Although the book is a good summary of the basics in the subjects that come into play in Astrobiology studies, there is less focus on Astrobiology that I expected. Some speculation and discussion about the future of the field and its controversies are deeply interesting, but perhaps there is little bravery in the way Catling deals with it, with a vision that sounds a bit narrow. Maybe the problem is that I expected something else, but I couldn't make much of it. Still, for people that need to polish their knowledge in biology, astronomy, geology or exoplanetology, and why they're relevant to Astrobiology, this is an interesting and enjoyable reading.
Although the book is a good summary of the basics in the subjects that come into play in Astrobiology studies, there is less focus on Astrobiology that I expected. Some speculation and discussion about the future of the field and its controversies are deeply interesting, but perhaps there is little bravery in the way Catling deals with it, with a vision that sounds a bit narrow. Maybe the problem is that I expected something else, but I couldn't make much of it. Still, for people that need to polish their knowledge in biology, astronomy, geology or exoplanetology, and why they're relevant to Astrobiology, this is an interesting and enjoyable reading.
December 16, 2016
Well-written and very educational. The first 2/3 of the book covers the biochemistry of life so it would be of interest to a wide audience, even if you don't care about the life-elsewhere part. The last third provided a good summary of the conditions on other planetary bodies (planets, moons, asteroids) and how life might get a foothold there. I also appreciated the summary charts towards the end.
December 27, 2014
An excellent, condensed overview of Astrobiology. This tome goes over the basics of the field, while still touching on new theories and untested ideas. If you are curious about this field of Biology/Astronomy, this is the perfect primer. Great stuff!
July 16, 2018
Astrobiology is a very complex subject and calls upon a wide range of disciplines: Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Particle Physics, Geology. It's difficult in a VSI to bring the reader up from an unknown initial knowledge in each of these areas, to a point where the arguments relating to the main topic can be explained. The book biased it's style towards that of a science reference book and so was not a casual read, but served it's purpose well.
For me, this is one of the biggest questions facing humanity. My own view is that it is inevitable that there is other life in the universe. Given a big enough data domain, the extremely unlikely becomes the inevitable.
Even taking the origin of life as a given, I often think how incredibly tiny the chances of my existence are. How many hominid and non-hominid creatures in my ancestry had to avoid predators, diseases, accidents and other near-misses, meet particular mates and have offspring, to eventually arrive at the being that is me. But, like the national lottery, you have to “be in it, to win it”. All those things happened, and here I am.
Then, leading up to the origins of life on Earth, are a chain of other coincidences. The impact of Theia resulting in the Moon, which stabilises Earth's polar axis, aluminium 26 levels melting water, Jupiter acting as an Asteroid catcher. It is tempting to think “is this all planned”.
Douglas Adams deals with this temptation rather well. “This is rather as if you imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, 'This is an interesting world I find myself in — an interesting hole I find myself in — fits me rather neatly, doesn't it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!'
The Drake Equation merely tries to estimate the number of transmitting civilisations in our galaxy. There are hundreds of billions of other galaxies in the observable universe, and it is not clear how much more universe may lie beyond the observable horizon, which is limited by the speed of light since the Big Bang. So intelligent life, let alone life of any sort, does feel to me to be inevitable. Whether we could ever communicate with it or even detect it is entirely a different matter. If we don't find simple life within our Solar System, it is very unlikely that we will ever make direct with contact with even microbial life around the very closest stars because of the sheer distances involved. Once again, Douglas Adams nails the point. “Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.”
The next issue is the length of time that civilisations may exist on life bearing planets, that are capable of sending or receiving messages. Based on our own miserable example, by the time anyone receives anything from the huge amount of data that we send out everyday, we're probably going to be long gone. That doesn't stop me, of course, from running SETI data through my home computer, whenever I have a moment. As pointed out previously, “You've got to be in it, to win it”.
So we're probably not alone, but we'll also probably never know for sure. All starting to sound a bit Kantian.
The biggest message in the book is the “Pale Blue Dot” pixel in the picture from Voyager 1.
Please listen to Carl Sagan...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupTo...
The Pale Blue Dot is all we've got. Don't mess it up!
For me, this is one of the biggest questions facing humanity. My own view is that it is inevitable that there is other life in the universe. Given a big enough data domain, the extremely unlikely becomes the inevitable.
Even taking the origin of life as a given, I often think how incredibly tiny the chances of my existence are. How many hominid and non-hominid creatures in my ancestry had to avoid predators, diseases, accidents and other near-misses, meet particular mates and have offspring, to eventually arrive at the being that is me. But, like the national lottery, you have to “be in it, to win it”. All those things happened, and here I am.
Then, leading up to the origins of life on Earth, are a chain of other coincidences. The impact of Theia resulting in the Moon, which stabilises Earth's polar axis, aluminium 26 levels melting water, Jupiter acting as an Asteroid catcher. It is tempting to think “is this all planned”.
Douglas Adams deals with this temptation rather well. “This is rather as if you imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, 'This is an interesting world I find myself in — an interesting hole I find myself in — fits me rather neatly, doesn't it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!'
The Drake Equation merely tries to estimate the number of transmitting civilisations in our galaxy. There are hundreds of billions of other galaxies in the observable universe, and it is not clear how much more universe may lie beyond the observable horizon, which is limited by the speed of light since the Big Bang. So intelligent life, let alone life of any sort, does feel to me to be inevitable. Whether we could ever communicate with it or even detect it is entirely a different matter. If we don't find simple life within our Solar System, it is very unlikely that we will ever make direct with contact with even microbial life around the very closest stars because of the sheer distances involved. Once again, Douglas Adams nails the point. “Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.”
The next issue is the length of time that civilisations may exist on life bearing planets, that are capable of sending or receiving messages. Based on our own miserable example, by the time anyone receives anything from the huge amount of data that we send out everyday, we're probably going to be long gone. That doesn't stop me, of course, from running SETI data through my home computer, whenever I have a moment. As pointed out previously, “You've got to be in it, to win it”.
So we're probably not alone, but we'll also probably never know for sure. All starting to sound a bit Kantian.
The biggest message in the book is the “Pale Blue Dot” pixel in the picture from Voyager 1.
Please listen to Carl Sagan...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupTo...
The Pale Blue Dot is all we've got. Don't mess it up!
July 8, 2023
Astrobiology
Despite my confusion through most of the book, perhaps necessitating a second-read to better understand the content, this was a delightful and concise read into what astrobiology is involved in, and how it came to be. A relatively new science-discipline, it blew up as we began to extend our vision and imagination in the coming new age of space and extra-terrestrial thought. Are we, or are we not, alone?
As Arthur C. Clarke once said, “Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying".
The small book first introduces the history of how astrobiology started and evolved into being, before then tackling the issue it raises by attempting to define "life". Taken for granted, "life" has a very complicated and complex meaning: not only does it involve the right elements, and the right combination of these elements, but the cell-structures have to be precise, have the ability to reproduce and metabolise, generate and disperse heat or energy, among other things. Rather than what life does, the question is what life is, and whether microbial life fits in this description.
However, what was very fascinating was taking "life" out of earth's bounds and explaining certain mechanics of the planets and the solar system in general. From the expansion of the Big Bang, to the creation of atoms used for life through stars. How earth formed, as well as our neighbouring planets and their moons. The author, David Catling, also provides us with a short chapter on our understanding of life supported by hydrogen, helium, and water sources - or strange life not yet observed that can form without these, as well as the planets, moons, and asteroids that he believes may be habitable or otherwise able to support "life": whether or not that means life, as we know it.
Despite my confusion through most of the book, perhaps necessitating a second-read to better understand the content, this was a delightful and concise read into what astrobiology is involved in, and how it came to be. A relatively new science-discipline, it blew up as we began to extend our vision and imagination in the coming new age of space and extra-terrestrial thought. Are we, or are we not, alone?
As Arthur C. Clarke once said, “Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying".
The small book first introduces the history of how astrobiology started and evolved into being, before then tackling the issue it raises by attempting to define "life". Taken for granted, "life" has a very complicated and complex meaning: not only does it involve the right elements, and the right combination of these elements, but the cell-structures have to be precise, have the ability to reproduce and metabolise, generate and disperse heat or energy, among other things. Rather than what life does, the question is what life is, and whether microbial life fits in this description.
However, what was very fascinating was taking "life" out of earth's bounds and explaining certain mechanics of the planets and the solar system in general. From the expansion of the Big Bang, to the creation of atoms used for life through stars. How earth formed, as well as our neighbouring planets and their moons. The author, David Catling, also provides us with a short chapter on our understanding of life supported by hydrogen, helium, and water sources - or strange life not yet observed that can form without these, as well as the planets, moons, and asteroids that he believes may be habitable or otherwise able to support "life": whether or not that means life, as we know it.
December 10, 2024
This volume is another wonderful addition to hundreds of titles in Oxford's "Very Short Introduction" series, my go-to source for learning about new topics and to brush up, or bring myself up-to-date, on already studied topics.
The question of whether we are alone in the universe has occupied us humans for a very long time. The ancient Greeks had a haunch that Earth wasn't the only cradle for life, but lacked the technology to test their beliefs. The near-simultaneous discoveries of bacterial remains in a Martian meteorite and the first planets orbiting other stars brought the question of the existence of life beyond our planet to the scientific forefront.
Now, the new field of Astrobiology harnesses the required technological and scientific capability to seriously address this ancient and fundamental question. The prefix "astro" means "related to outer space," so astrobiology is the study of life in the universe. This precious little book (pocket size, 142 pages) covers the basics of astrobiology in eight chapters averaging 16 pages each.
1. What is astrobiology?
2. From stardust to planets, the abodes for life
3. Origins of life and environment
4. From slime to the subline
5. Life: a genome's way of making more and fitter genomes
6. Life in the Solar System
7. Far-off worlds, distant suns
8. Controversies and prospects
I will end my review by quoting the book's final paragraph (p. 129): "When astrobiology came to fore as a discipline in the 1990s, some questioned its future and wondered if it might be a fad that fades, perhaps because of disappointment in not quickly finding extraterrestrial life or a failure to answer questions about life's origin. However, the discovery of Earth-sized exoplanets in habitable zones will ensure that the possibility of life elsewhere becomes more relevant than ever. Astrobiology is here to stay."
The question of whether we are alone in the universe has occupied us humans for a very long time. The ancient Greeks had a haunch that Earth wasn't the only cradle for life, but lacked the technology to test their beliefs. The near-simultaneous discoveries of bacterial remains in a Martian meteorite and the first planets orbiting other stars brought the question of the existence of life beyond our planet to the scientific forefront.
Now, the new field of Astrobiology harnesses the required technological and scientific capability to seriously address this ancient and fundamental question. The prefix "astro" means "related to outer space," so astrobiology is the study of life in the universe. This precious little book (pocket size, 142 pages) covers the basics of astrobiology in eight chapters averaging 16 pages each.
1. What is astrobiology?
2. From stardust to planets, the abodes for life
3. Origins of life and environment
4. From slime to the subline
5. Life: a genome's way of making more and fitter genomes
6. Life in the Solar System
7. Far-off worlds, distant suns
8. Controversies and prospects
I will end my review by quoting the book's final paragraph (p. 129): "When astrobiology came to fore as a discipline in the 1990s, some questioned its future and wondered if it might be a fad that fades, perhaps because of disappointment in not quickly finding extraterrestrial life or a failure to answer questions about life's origin. However, the discovery of Earth-sized exoplanets in habitable zones will ensure that the possibility of life elsewhere becomes more relevant than ever. Astrobiology is here to stay."
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