The Living Universe: NASA and the Development of Astrobiology

by Steven Dick (Author)

4 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0813534473

ISBN-10: 081353447X

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The Living Universe is a comprehensive, historically nuanced study of the formation of the new scientific discipline of exobiology and its transformation into astrobiology. Among many other themes, the authors analyze how research on the origin of life became wedded to the search for life on other planets and for extraterrestrial intelligence. Many scientific breakthroughs of the last forty years were either directly supported or indirectly spun off from NASA’s exobiology program, including cell symbiosis, the discovery of the Archaea, and the theories of Nuclear Winter and the asteroid extinction of the dinosaurs.

Exobiology and astrobiology have generated public fascination, enormous public relations benefits for NASA, and––on the flip side of the coin––some of the most heated political wrangling ever seen in government science funding. Dick and Strick providea riveting overview of the search for life throughout the universe, with all of the Earthly complexities of a science-in-the-making and the imperfect humans called scientists. Their book will appeal to biologists, historians and philosophers of science, planetary scientists (including geologists), and an educated general readership interested in the investigation of life on other planets.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Steven J. Dick is the chief historian at NASA and associate editor of the International Journal of Astrobiology. Among his books are Sky and Ocean Joined: The U.S. Naval Observatory, 1830–2000 , The Biological Universe, and Life on Other Worlds, which has been translated into four languages. James E. Strick is the author of Sparks of Life: Darwinism and the Victorian Debates over Spontaneous Generation. He is an assistant professor in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at Franklin and Marshall College.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rutgers University Press (July 30, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 308 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 081353447X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0813534473
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.45 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches

Customer Reviews:

4 ratings

Miki

Very good history and explanation of topic

Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2015

Verified Purchase

bought this for my nephew, trying to decide on his college major. Very good history of the subject and discussion of NASA's R&D on this topic.

Helpful

John Lynch

Excellent history of astrobiology

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2005

Dick and Strick present a history of astrobiological research from the 1950's to the present time. The reader is treated - and I mean treated - to wonderful expositions of the politics and science of NASA's involvement in astrobiology. Featuring early origin of life research, the Viking mission, and the Mars meteorite (among other topics), this work will appeal to scientists and historians alike. Most importantly, it is accessible to non-specialists. Well worth picking up if you are interested in astrobiology and how important that field is to the future of NASA.

6 people found this helpful

B. weilburg

Fermi paradox believer

Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2014

No stars for govt operative with bs Carl Sagan religion!! This quack talks a story of logic then loses all credibility by failing
To admit to the massive govt coverup and
Threats to anyone or anything proving the
Existence of alien life forms or ultra terrestrial as they may be! Calling millions of people frauds and lunatics for implying
Roswell was real etc the Fermi paradox that he clings to proposes there can be no aliens because there would have to be a ton of hard evidence and there is not!! His
Entire repertoire his intense resume a complete fraud given his level of denial
About people with hard evidence having confiscated by govt and their lives threatened! He lives in complete denial
Of what hundreds of experienced pilots
Radar operators astronauts have told us!
Who do you trust? Academic govt worker
Or hard working pilots? Investigators? Police? So many cases yet complete denial as if were all crazy and his proof is a lack of hard evidence, nevermind the Roswell debris nevermind bill and Betty hill forget randleshim forget the sherrif
In New Mexico the entire population of Phoenix the workers from Area 51
Etc it's an obvious government operative
Spreading disinformation pretending
People are not being threatened disappeared slandered etc to look for
Bacteria organisms on comets when we
Can be sure alien bodies are in our govts possession makes him a complete fraud
And the proof he's looking for is covered
Up and anyone trying to uncover it risks their life!! He's a part of the problem
Not the et search party!! That's why he
Favors programs like SETI lol when we all know now about entanglement it's implication in communicating thru vast
Distances so the fraud that SETI and
Sagans religion propose is reprehensible!
I could not recommend the book it's a waste of time and money.

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The Living Universe: NASA and the Development of Astrobiology

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