Limit this search to....

Encountering Life in the Universe: Ethical Foundations and Social Implications of Astrobiology
Contributor(s): Impey, Chris (Editor), Spitz, Anna H. (Editor), Stoeger, William (Editor)
ISBN: 0816528705     ISBN-13: 9780816528707
Publisher: University of Arizona Press
OUR PRICE:   $37.95  
Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats
Published: October 2013
Qty:
Temporarily out of stock - Will ship within 2 to 5 weeks
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Science | Astronomy
- Science | Space Science
- Science | Life Sciences - Evolution
Dewey: 576.839
LCCN: 2013011212
Physical Information: 0.6" H x 5.9" W x 8.9" (0.88 lbs) 269 pages
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:
Are we alone in the universe? Are the planets our playground to treat as we will, or do we have a responsibility to other creatures who may inhabit or use them? Do we have a right to dump trash in space or leave vehicles on Mars or the moon? How should we interact with other life forms?

Encountering Life in the Universe examines the intersection of scientific research and society to further explore the ethics of how to behave in a universe where much is unknown. Taking contributions from notable experts in several fields, the editors skillfully introduce and develop a broad look at the moral questions facing humans on Earth and beyond.

Major advances in biology, biotechnology, and medicine create an urgency to ethical considerations in those fields. Astrobiology goes on to debate how we might behave as we explore new worlds, or create new life in the laboratory, or interact with extraterrestrial life forms. Stimulated by new technologies for scientific exploration on and off the Earth, astrobiology is establishing itself as a distinct scientific endeavor.

In what way can established philosophies provide guidance for the new frontiers opened by astrobiology research? Can the foundations of ethics and moral philosophy help answer questions about modifying other planets? Or about how to conduct experiments to create life in the lab or about? How to interact with organisms we might discover on another world?

While we wait for the first echo that might indicate life beyond Earth, astobiologists, along with philosophers, theologians, artists, and the general public, are exploring how we might behave--even before we know for sure they are there. Encountering Life in the Universe is a remarkable resource for such philosophical challenges.