Astrobiology and Society in Europe Today

Executive Summary                                                                                                         5

 

Acknowledgements                                                                                                         6

 

Abbreviations                                                                                                                   7

 

Affiliations                                                                                                                       8

 

1. Astrobiology and Society in Europe                                                                                     9

 

1.1 Introduction                                                                                                                     9

 

1.2 The Contribution of Humanities and Social Sciences to EU Astrobiology                     9

 

1.3 What is Astrobiology?                                                                                                   10

 

1.4 Organising EU Astrobiology Research                                                                          11

 

2. The International Context of Astrobiology                                                                        12

 

2.1 Introduction                                                                                                                   12

 

2.2 European Astrobiology Research to Date                                                                      13

 

2.3 American Experience                                                                                                     15

 

2.4 International Outlook                                                                                                     16

 

2.4.1 Africa                                                                                                                    16

 

2.4.2 Asia                                                                                                                       16

 

2.4.3 Latin America                                                                                                       17

 

2.5 Current Regulations and Planetary Protection                                                               18

 

3. Society, Worldview and Outreach                                                                                      20

 

3.1 Introduction                                                                                                                   20

 

3.2 The Public Understanding of Astrobiology                                                                   20

 

3.3 Popularisation, Dissemination and Outreach                                                                 21

 

3.4 Rethinking Humanity's Place in the Universe                                                               23

 

3.5 Astrobiology and Religion                                                                                             24

 

4. Environment and Sustainability                                                                                         26

4.1 Introduction                                                                                                                   26

 

4.2 Environmental Protection and Sustainability                                                                 26

 

4.3 Earth Sites of Importance for Astrobiology                                                                  27

 

4.4 Environmental Ethics in Space                                                                                      28

 

5. Education, Training and Scholarship                                                                                30

 

5.1 Introduction                                                                                                                   30

 

5.2 Astrobiology Training and Education                                                                            30

 

5.3 Astrobiology and Society in European Scholarship                                                       31

 

5.4 Science and Technology Awareness among Students                                                   33

 

6. Technological Innovation and Commerce                                                                         35

 

6.1 Introduction                                                                                                                   35

 

6.2 Technological Innovations Driven by Astrobiology                                                      35

 

6.3 Potential Conflicts of Interest                                                                                        36

 

7. Science and Research                                                                                                           38

 

7.1 Introduction                                                                                                                   38

 

7.2 Advancing Astrobiology Research in Europe                                                                38

 

7.3 Careers in Astrobiology                                                                                                 40

 

7.4 The Social Study of Astrobiology as a Science                                                             42

 

8. Leading the Future of Astrobiology in Europe                                                                 44

 

8.1 Introduction                                                                                                                   44

 

8.2 Challenges Facing the EU Astrobiology Community                                                    44

 

8.3 The Role of the European Astrobiology Institute                                                          45

 

8.3.1 Principal Tasks                                                                                                      46

 

8.3.2 Research Areas                                                                                                      47

 

8.3.3 Funding and Mentorship                                                                                       48

 

8.3.4 Suggested Activities of the EAI                                                                           49

 

8.3.5 Multidisciplinarity and Networking                                                                      49

 

9. Appendices                                                                                                                            51

9.1 Definitions                                                                                                                     51

 

9.2 Presentation of the Group                                                                                              52

 

9.3 COST Action Memorandum                                                                                          52

 

9.4 Suggested Literature                                                                                                      53