Good day. Does anyone know a few ways to contribute to astrobio citizen science? Like some online community that work together, maybe GitHub repos?

It'd be kind of a play on 2001: a space odyssey, and would be about a very old, maybe-eldritch half-human character visiting a different planet and watching a species evolve and come into sapience, and kinda taking the place of the obelisk, just kinda being there at the moments when this species makes its most important advancements

But it would be from the point of view of the emerging species, and the legends they tell about him

Idk exactly what the species will look like, but very different from humans, the half-human character will look entirely alien to them

They'll probably have some sort of shiny chitin or something? Just for the comparison of that to the half-human's (black, shiny) suit. Also a different number of limbs, again, for the comparison (why does this being only have 4? Did someone rip off the others? D: )

I guess the first things to figure out would be 1) what things in humanity's history would be considered important achievements, and 2) what paradigms of life on earth do and don't apply to them

I'm gonna start with 2, because that seems easier to narrow down, I think

-All lifeforms would need a source of energy, be it from their planet's star, or geothermal vents, or something else -They would most likely need physical bodies of some sort, which means that they'd need nutrients/physical matter for them to build their bodies out of -They'd need some sort of way to reproduce, and some sort of way for mutations to arise (otherwise, they wouldn't be able to evolve) This doesn't have to be a DNA analogue, but that might be the easiest to explain/conceptualize --Following from the previous, there would likely also be biodiversity, as things mutate in all sorts of different ways -I would also need them to eventually develop ways to learn, and to communicate, as shared knowledge is one of the things that makes a society, I think -I want them to have some sort of ongoing conflict, for two reasons: 1) I feel like social conflict is one of the main things that made our brains grow more powerful, and 2) an organism that has everything it needs and doesn't have to strive for anything is a happy organism, but a boring one

So, I have two main ideas:

1. they live near geothermal vents, at the bottom of an ocean frozen under a thick layer of ice.

-One of their triumphs is when they break through the layer and see the stars for the first time. -The main limiter of this species is space: they need to be a certain distance from the vents, and there's only so many organisms that can occupy that space at one time. -This would likely result in a relatively small community, at least until they develop the ability to store energy long enough to travel to other vents. --This might make (most of) the species overall more adventurous? Since aside from the ones at the original vent, they'd all be descended from the ones that were willing to go out into the cold and the dark to see what was there.

2. they photosynthesize (basically sentient trees? Maybe with big fins for catching the sun, rather than leaves?)

-They can move their limbs (they do this often, and eventually develop a network of themselves that can move things along to other locations/specific individuals) -I feel like this would result in a v cooperative community, also internet vibes to their communications? -I see no real limiters with this species; there's a lot of land, a lot of water, and a lot of sun. Maybe their main conflicts are external (bug analogues, etc) or social (convincing the other ones around you to do what you want)? I feel like the former might lead to an "us vs. them" kind of mentality in the species, and the latter might compound it. Not sure whether or not that would be a good thing for the story. -Maybe they can also move their roots? (If so, they're not very good at it, and only do it when necessary.)

The other cool thing I thought of, that could honestly be applied to either species, is that they develop tendrils that can drill into another creature and take its nutrients/energy for itself. -The ones that are the most successful are the ones that learn that taking good care of the creatures that they're attached to also means that they themselves fare better) -Eventually, it becomes a cultural thing; they start breeding creatures to make good familiars (docile, mostly sedentary/able to be uprooted and moved, if necessary, depending on which species I go with, good at producing excess energy, good pain tolerance, etc). -They might become a status symbol, too, or at least a look into the personality of the owner.

That's about all I have so far, any input is greatly appreciated <3

This is a broad list of useful astrobiology resources for an introduction, news and latest developments, academic resources, reading materials, video/audio content, and national/international organisations.

If you have suggestions of further resources to include, please let me know. I will endeavour to update this master post every few months. Last Updated 24/10/24 .

What is Astrobiology?

• Astrobiology Wikipedia - Useful to jump into for an overview of the field with quick links to various sub-fields. Remember, this isn't entirely up to date, as is user editable.
• "Astrobiology (Overview)" [Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Planetary Science] - A more science focussed, and peer reviewed overview of the subject featuring references to other peer reviewed literature.
• National Geographic Astrobiology Feature - An engaging and informative overview of the field written to be accessible to the general public interested in science. Contains engaging NatGeo photos.
• Astrobiology: A Very Short Introduction by David C. Catling - A short but comprehensive book on all the field of Astrobiology contains. Available at most good bookshops, or online as a book, eBook, or audiobook.

Latest Astrobiology News - Secondary Sources

• NASA Astrobiology - A NASA operated website with information about the subject and a feed of latest news and developments in the field.
• Astrobiology.com - A highly up-to-date compendium of all Astrobiology news, primarily composed of brief summaries of research papers. Contains links to sources.
• New Scientist - Astrobiology Articles - A page dedicated to all articles about Astrobiology features in New Scientist magazine or just on their website. Some articles are behind a paywall.
• Phys.org Astrobiology - A collection of articles pertaining to Astrobiology on the widely read online science news outlet.
• Sci.news Astrobiology - A collection of articles pertaining to Astrobiology on the online outlet sci.news.

Peer-Reviewed Academic Journals - Primary Sources

• Astrobiology (journal) - "The most-cited peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the understanding of life's origin, evolution, and distribution in the universe, with a focus on new findings and discoveries from interplanetary exploration and laboratory research." (from their website).
• Nature Astrobiology - A collection of all the latest research articles in the field of Astrobiology, across the Nature family of academic journals.
• International Journal of Astrobiology - Dedicated astrobiology journal from Cambridge University Press.
• Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences - A sub-set of a space science journal dedicated to Astrobiology.
• The Astrophysical Journal - Contains papers more broadly in Astrophysics, but often includes important research on astrobiology, and exoplanets and their habitability.
• The Planetary Science Journal - Focussed broadly on planetology, often in astrobiological contexts.
• Google Scholar - Searching astrobiology keywords on google scholar is great for finding peer reviewed sources.

Books

• Pop Science Books -  A Goodreads list of Astrobiology Pop Science books from the origin of life to the future of humankind.
• Astrobiology Textbooks  - A Goodreads list of Astrobiology and Astrobiology aligned textbooks for students and academics.

Lectures, Videos, and Audio Content

• TED Talks - A collection of TED talks on Astrobiological concepts.
• Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life (Online Course) - A free to access online course as an introduction to Astrobiology by Prof Charles Cockell of the University of Edinburgh. The final certificate is optional, but needs to be paid for.
• NASA Astrobiology YouTube - Podcasts, lectures, and short video content from NASA about Astrobiology.
• Astrobiology (ALIENS) with Kevin Peter Hand [Ologies podcast with Alie Ward] - An exceptional podcast chatting with renowned astrobiologist Dr Kevin Peter Hand.
• Exocast Podcast - A podcast dedicated to the field of Exo-planetology featuring experts in planetary science and astrophysics. Often with astrobiological themes.

Astrobiology Organisations

• European Astrobiology Institute (EAI) - A collection of researchers, higher education institutions and organisations surrounding Astrobiology. Contains many useful resources including job and PhD opportunities.
• European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA) - A similar collection of Astrobiology researchers and academics. Contains resources such as conference listings and job market information.
• Astrobiology Graduates in Europe (AbGradE) - An organisation for recently graduated Astrobiology students to engage with further research opportunities. Contains job and PhD opportunities.
• Astrobiology Society of Britain (ASB) - A learned society for all those interested in AStrobiology. Features many resources including a list of all activve astrobiology researchers in the UK.
• Astrobiology Society of America - a student centric organisation for AStrobiology in the USA.

I’m trying to find six different papers for an astrobiology project, but I haven’t had much luck. I’ve looked at various sources, but I’m not finding it very interesting and I don’t know much about astrobiology. Could someone help me out?

3 is enough for me but 6 will be great

Hey guys! My name is Keshav, I am a 22-year old student based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This past May, I published my first book; Astrobiology and the Search for Life in our Universe. Vol 1. The Essence of Everything. Yes, it is rather a mouthful. I have attached the entire manuscript for the book below, so anyone who is interested in flicking through it can do so. I am very proud of my work but unfortunately it is very difficult for me to spread the word of my book around. To get it traditionally published is virtually impossible as there is no market for it at all here. Thus, I am trying to push it internationally, but I require some help to get the word out. Additionally, my book is currently available on Amazon, I have attached a link to it below. If you do enjoy the content and would like to purchase a paperback copy for yourself i'd greatly appreciate that! But even just spreading the word to your peers/colleagues/friends/family would be great.

The book is the first of a four part volume on Astrobiology. I am currently writing the second volume, and hope to publish it by the end of the year. To provide better information I will briefly break down the contents of all four volumes below. 

Vol 1 - Exploring the Essence of Everything. Chap 1 - Stars, Planets, and Everything in Between. Chap 2 - Chemistry of our Universe. Chap 3 - History of Earth

Vol 2 - Understanding the Essence of Existence. Chap 4 - The Origins of Life on Earth. Chap 5 - The Evolution of Life on Earth. Chap 6 - The Chemistry of Life on Earth

Vol 3 - Discovering the Essence of Exploration. Chap 7 - SETI. Chap 8 - Hunting for Exoplanets. Chap 9 - Habitable Worlds

Vol 4 - Unveiling the Essence of Eternity. Chap 10 - The Drake Equation. Chap 11 - Types of Civilisations. Chap 12 - The Future of Everything

As you can see, the writing is essentially one giant book that has been broken down into 4 smaller volumes where each volume is a direct continuation of the last. This is mainly due to page count and convenience as the total book would contain some 1,200+ pages but each smaller volume fits 300-400 pages. It is my ambition to become an astrobiologist eventually, and I hope to one day walk the terrain of Mars.

Thanks everyone!

 Exploring the Essence of Everything.pdf
Amazon link

Hi there guys, im from Brasil, and i want to work with astrobiology, specific in the botany area, trying to cultivate in the lunar/mars regolith, but i dont know very well how to reach that. Here, in my country, theres very low investiment in space science, so i want to move to USA or EU to pursue my dream.

I just want some tips on how to reach that, in things like:

• How to chose the better undergratuate course
• Where i get informations to be actualized in the field
• International events and perspectives on the career path

Futhermore, im open to talk to anybody who wants to discuss about that area.

ps: sorry for my english, im praticing hehe

Hello! As part of my studies (college) I need to interview a microbiologist who does their research in the astrobiology field. Please if you have time to spare and is interested do not hesitate to contact me! Thank you in advance!

I’ve been looking into it a lot but the pay looks horrible and way less that a livable wage so I am starting to reconsider

Hi! I'm interested space. I want to go into space biology like looking at how space affects cellular and molecular mechanisms of life and diseases processes. But I'm also interested in astrobiology and planetary science, like looking at biosignatures and designing the life science aspect of space missions.

I'm choosing between doing an MSc in Analytical Biosciences (molecular mixed with bioinformatics) or an MSc in Astrobiology.

My concern is practicality. The AnaBio is a bit general allowing me to still do astrobiology research. I'll also have a lot of fallback in terms of employment in my country (as a professor or researcher).

The AstroBio on the other hand is very specialized, and apart from the space agency in my country, I don't see a good fallback option for it.

What do you guys think? Should I just do the AnaBio and just do research in space biology/astrobiology, or take the AstroBio and hope I'll find success in the field?

Please i need help

So I've been thinking a lot about Europa and Titan lately. And I had the thought, assuming we could be absolutely sure that there wasn't already life on either, would it be ethical to attempt to introduce microbes that would be able to survive on these moons?

Would this be preventing life from possibly arising? Yes, but the sun is already however far along it's life span, so if there's not native life, should we attempt to spread earth life to these potentially habitable places?

Interested in understanding how researchers could interpret these data -although not direct samples- in a way to come up with new theoretical perspectives about origins of life and/or astrobiology

To give context, in Universe sandbox I am going to make a Neutron star, White dwarf binary system. The Neutron star is going to have a mass of 1.54 solar masses and a surface temperature of 360205 kelvin. The White Dwarf is going to have a mass of 1.10 solar masses and a surface temperature of 20127 kelvin. Is it theoretically possible for complex life to evolve on the surface of planets that reside in the habitable zone of both objects? What challenges would the alien civilization encounter in their attempt at terraforming both objects? What would life on the surface likely evolve to look like and what adaptations would they likely evolve to live in these environments? Could building a Dyson sphere around both objects mitigate the radiation output of both?