The Nature of Life and Its Potential to Survive
This book looks at the persistence of life and how difficult it would be to annihilate life, especially a species as successful as humanity. The idea that life in general is fragile is challenged by the hardiness of microbes, which shows that astrobi
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The Nature of Life and Its Potential to Survive
Astronomers’ Universe
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/6960
David S. Stevenson
The Nature of Life and Its Potential to Survive
David S. Stevenson Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, UK
ISSN 1614-659X ISSN 2197-6651 (electronic) Astronomers’ Universe ISBN 978-3-319-52910-3 ISBN 978-3-319-52911-0 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-52911-0 Library of Congress Control Number: 2017932377 © Springer International Publishing AG 2017 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer International Publishing AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
This book is for my wonderful wife, Nikki, without whom this work would not have been possible. Her encouragement and ideas have kept the development of this book in motion and made me consider possibilities that would not have otherwise come to mind. I am a very lucky man.
Preface
Why is life so tenacious? After all, we find it in virtually every environment Earth can provide. Life occupies every niche within each broad canvas of rainforest, clinging to the sides of branches high in the canopy; or lurking under the frozen topsoil of Antarctica’s dry valleys. Life is found in acidic hot springs and alkaline Rift Valley lakes. Life seems boundless. This book explores the nature of life on Earth and questions whether we can extrapolate its terrestrial characteristics to life elsewhere in the universe. Here, we assume life is universal, but is this a valid proposition? Is Earth somehow unique in the cosmos— and from our anthropomorphic viewpoint—is intelligent life so incredibly improbable that Fermi’s paradox may be addressed with an affirmative, “Yes, we are alone”? In The Nature and
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