The first of its kind, this book is a collection of memoirs that describe the lives not just the science of some of the people who have advanced our understanding of the conditions for life on Earth and in the universe. Astrobiology became a mainstream topic with the announcement in 1996 that fossilized life had been found in martian meteorite ALH84001; that claim has since been discredited. Nonetheless, following the 1992 announcement of the discovery of planets orbiting around a pulsar, it reinvigorated investigations and debate about conditions required for the origin(s) of life on Earth and the possibility of life elsewhere.
Scientists from a variety of career stages and disciplines have shared their stories of passion and persistence, as they paved their various educational and scientific career paths and search for answers to some of the biggest questions we have about life on Earth:
What happened in the microseconds after the big bang?
How did life form on Earth?
What conditions are hospitable to life elsewhere?
How do stars affect their planets?
What is the future of life on Earth?
To understand these big questions, scientists in this book describe focusing on one subject deeply while finding connections across disciplines, an inherent trait of astrobiology. Personal experiences, including struggles, have enhanced their research trajectories.
The diversity of topics, perspectives, career stages, and career paths and placements provided by the authors is an appealing read for people who are interested in learning more about the multifaceted field of astrobiology. As such, it can be an important resource for the next generation of scientific investigators and educators.
Key features:
· The book honours the people (both living and deceased) who made significant contributions to their fields of study, which influence our current understanding of life on and beyond Earth.
· The book is a reference for early career scientific investigators and educators to help them learn about the various possible career paths and fields, as well as about some of the successes and challenges that might be experienced as they navigate their own career trajectories.
· The level of writing is for the inquisitive person interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), from beginner to expert.
Chapter 01 A Life Among Molecules,
Chapter 02 Testing Darwins Idea
in Kamchatka,
Chapter 03 Cracking Life's Code: Ada Yonath and the Molecular
Story of Life,
Chapter 04 Imre Friedmann: An Astrobiology Rock star A
Story of Survival, Serendipity, and Science,
Chapter 05 Jim Ferris: A Man
of Many (Inter)layers,
Chapter 06 Sandra Pizzarello: A Pioneer in the Study
of Organic Molecules in Extraterrestrial Materials,
Chapter 07 Life
Evolving from Chemistry: From the Universe to the Lab,
Chapter 08 Finding
the Archaea: Events Leading Up to Discovery and the Personal Consequences
Experienced,
Chapter 09 Lynn Margulis: A Born Mentor,
Chapter 10 A Broad
Sweep: From Curiosity Science to Saving the Planet,
Chapter 11 From
Terrestrial Geology to Life in the Universe: Experiencing Astrobiology Coming
to Life,
Chapter 12 Searching for Extreme Paleoenvironments on Earth and
Beyond,
Chapter 13 A is for Astrobiology: The Analytical Astrobiology Lab,
Chapter 14 An Unconventional Journey: From Back-gate Barrio to Astrobiology
Academic,
Chapter 15 From Galaxies to Plants,
Chapter 16 An Accidental
Astrobiologist: A Journey Involving Several Firsts,
Chapter 17 Journey from
Organic Geochemistry to Asteroid Sample Return Mission,
Chapter 18 Reaching
for the Stars and Landing on the Moon,
Chapter 19 A Girl Amazed: Life,
Stars and Astrobiology,
Chapter 20 What Would You Do If You Won the $100
Million?,
Chapter 21 From Farm Country to Astrobiology,
Chapter 22 Never
Say Never: How My Path to Astrobiology Wasn't Written in the Stars,
Chapter
23 Astrobiology in Australia,
Chapter 24 A Tale of Prebiotic Chemistry
from Asia and Beyond,
Chapter 25 An Evolutionary Trajectory in
Astrobiology,
Chapter 26 Hypotheses, High Heels and Hugs,
Chapter 27
There Is Only One Song,
Chapter 28 From Many Disciplines, One Field:
Collaboration and the Making of Astrobiology,
Chapter 29 Astrobiologys
Third Question, Afterword
Dr. Nicolle E. B. Zellner is the Herbert and Grace Dow Endowed Professor in the Sciences and a professor of physics at Albion College in Michigan. She has also served as a NASA Program Scientist in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters. Supported by the NSF and NASA, Dr. Zellners research interests focus on understanding the impact history of the Earth-Moon system and how those impacts affected the conditions for life on Earth. Over the course of her career, she has taught thousands of students and mentored dozens of student research partners. As a woman in science, she advocates for those approaches and practices that support workforce development in the STEM fields. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a recipient of the Carl Sagan Medal for Public Communication.
