The National Academies Press

Currently Skimming:

Session 3: Are We Alone?
Pages 22-28

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.

From page 22... ... Pappalardo, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; Space Studies Board Member Speakers: Sara Seager, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Steven Benner, Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution Panelists: Marc Kaufman, Journalist, The Washington Post Stephen Mautner, The National Academies Press INTRODUCTION Robert T Pappalardo, senior research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology and Space Studies Board (SSB) Read the entire page →
From page 23... ... SETI uses radio telescopes to search for signals from other intelligent civilizations. Seager ended her talk by saying that people who work in exoplanet research have an idealistic vision that they can change the way we see ourselves in the universe -- "we really think we can change the world." STEVEN BENNER Steven Benner, distinguished fellow at the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, broadened the discussion to talk about life forms that might be quite different from the liquid-waterbased, carbon-based life we know. Read the entire page →
From page 24... ... Benner then asked whether water is necessary for life. Using Titan as an example, with its oceans of liquid methane and the Kauffman hypothesis3 that "the more complex the environment, the greater the likelihood life emerged within it." He summarized four possibilities about whether life might exist on Titan: • If complexity is sufficient for life, then Titan has life; • If the corrosiveness of water is limiting, then Titan is more likely to have life; • But if tar contains inhibitors of life, then complexity is inimical to life; • But if minerals help manage organic complexity, then perhaps life is common on the right kind of planet. Read the entire page →
From page 25... ... SOURCE: Steven Benner, Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, presentation to the workshop on Sharing the Adventure with the Public⎯The Value and Excitement of "Grand Questions" of Space Science and Exploration, November 9, 2010. Image courtesy of Steven A Read the entire page →
From page 26... ... PANEL DISCUSSION Marc Kaufman, a journalist with the Washington Post and author of a recent book on astrobiology, and Steve Mautner, executive editor of the National Academies Press, joined Pappalardo, Seager, and Benner on the panel. Pappalardo began by asking Kaufman about the extent to which the press has to get a story right, Does it matter to the public? Read the entire page →
From page 27... ... Benner said that climate scientists have difficulty because the topic is closely tied to public policy and "so easily corrupted by people trying to subvert science for their own policy goals." Kaufman said that in writing his book on astrobiology he did talk to "quite a few creationists," as well as to the Vatican, and found that "virtually all leaders of religion," primarily Christianity in this case, say "no problem." Creationists, on the other hand, told him that finding intelligent life elsewhere would be impossible under Christianity. As the conversation with the audience continued, Pappalardo said that the discussion was at the "boundary of the triple junction among science, religion, and philosophy." He related that when he asks his students to privately write down whether finding other life would affect their religious beliefs and do 27 Read the entire page →
From page 28... ... Pappalardo closed by noting that it was Carl Sagan's birthday that day and "we can reflect on his extremely effective communication style." Sagan's zest for the search for life infused much of his work and his teaching, Pappalardo said, so in thinking about how to communicate with the public about the Grand Questions, Are we alone? is the grandest of them all and can be a way to engage them. Read the entire page →

From page 22...

... Pappalardo, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; Space Studies Board Member Speakers: Sara Seager, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Steven Benner, Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution Panelists: Marc Kaufman, Journalist, The Washington Post Stephen Mautner, The National Academies Press INTRODUCTION Robert T Pappalardo, senior research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology and Space Studies Board (SSB)

Read the entire page →

From page 23...

... SETI uses radio telescopes to search for signals from other intelligent civilizations. Seager ended her talk by saying that people who work in exoplanet research have an idealistic vision that they can change the way we see ourselves in the universe -- "we really think we can change the world." STEVEN BENNER Steven Benner, distinguished fellow at the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, broadened the discussion to talk about life forms that might be quite different from the liquid-waterbased, carbon-based life we know.

Read the entire page →

From page 24...

... Benner then asked whether water is necessary for life. Using Titan as an example, with its oceans of liquid methane and the Kauffman hypothesis3 that "the more complex the environment, the greater the likelihood life emerged within it." He summarized four possibilities about whether life might exist on Titan: • If complexity is sufficient for life, then Titan has life; • If the corrosiveness of water is limiting, then Titan is more likely to have life; • But if tar contains inhibitors of life, then complexity is inimical to life; • But if minerals help manage organic complexity, then perhaps life is common on the right kind of planet.

Read the entire page →

From page 25...

... SOURCE: Steven Benner, Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, presentation to the workshop on Sharing the Adventure with the Public⎯The Value and Excitement of "Grand Questions" of Space Science and Exploration, November 9, 2010. Image courtesy of Steven A

Read the entire page →

From page 26...

... PANEL DISCUSSION Marc Kaufman, a journalist with the Washington Post and author of a recent book on astrobiology, and Steve Mautner, executive editor of the National Academies Press, joined Pappalardo, Seager, and Benner on the panel. Pappalardo began by asking Kaufman about the extent to which the press has to get a story right, Does it matter to the public?

Read the entire page →

From page 27...

... Benner said that climate scientists have difficulty because the topic is closely tied to public policy and "so easily corrupted by people trying to subvert science for their own policy goals." Kaufman said that in writing his book on astrobiology he did talk to "quite a few creationists," as well as to the Vatican, and found that "virtually all leaders of religion," primarily Christianity in this case, say "no problem." Creationists, on the other hand, told him that finding intelligent life elsewhere would be impossible under Christianity. As the conversation with the audience continued, Pappalardo said that the discussion was at the "boundary of the triple junction among science, religion, and philosophy." He related that when he asks his students to privately write down whether finding other life would affect their religious beliefs and do 27

Read the entire page →

From page 28...

... Pappalardo closed by noting that it was Carl Sagan's birthday that day and "we can reflect on his extremely effective communication style." Sagan's zest for the search for life infused much of his work and his teaching, Pappalardo said, so in thinking about how to communicate with the public about the Grand Questions, Are we alone? is the grandest of them all and can be a way to engage them.

Read the entire page →

← Previous Chapter Skim

Next Chapter Skim →

This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More information on Chapter Skim is available.

Session 3: Are We Alone? Pages 22-28

Session 3: Are We Alone?
Pages 22-28