{"product_id":"encountering-life-in-the-universe-ethical-foundations-and-social-implications-of-astrobiology-9780816528707","title":"Encountering Life in the Universe: Ethical Foundations and Social Implications of Astrobiology","description":"\u003cp\u003eAre 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 behaveeven before we know for sure they are there. Encountering Life in the Universe is a remarkable resource for such philosophical challenges.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45647000207413,"sku":"ByrdShop_0816528705","price":34.8,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780816528707.jpg?v=1781684963","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/encountering-life-in-the-universe-ethical-foundations-and-social-implications-of-astrobiology-9780816528707","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}