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Surveying Low-Cost Methods to Measure Lifespan and Healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans

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Defining life.

Steven A Benner¹

¹Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution and The Westheimer Institute for Science and Technology, Gainesville, Florida32601, USA. sbenner@ffame.org

|December 18, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study explores astrobiology

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Area of Science:

Astrobiology and the definition of life.
Philosophy of science and scientific practice.
Evolutionary biology and the search for extraterrestrial life.

Background:

Definitions of life are theory-laden and influence scientific practice.
The astrobiology community utilizes various definitions of life.
A prominent definition frames life as a self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze the 'theories of life' underpinning astrobiological definitions.
To investigate scientists' practical definitions of life in mission design.
To examine how biosignature beliefs evolve with new data and consider future definitions of life.

Main Methods:

Anthropological analysis of astrobiologists' practices and stated beliefs.
Examination of how observational data influence the concept of biosignatures.
Theoretical consideration of universal chemical structures supporting Darwinian evolution.

Main Results:

Scientists' practical definitions of life are often implicit in their mission designs.
Beliefs about biosignatures are dynamic and adapt to accumulating evidence.
The definition of life may need to encompass 'supra-Darwinian' evolution.

Conclusions:

Understanding implicit definitions of life is crucial for astrobiology.
Future definitions may need to accommodate non-terran and advanced evolutionary forms.
Identifying universal chemical structures could reveal universal biosignatures.