BIROn - Birkbeck Institutional Research Online

    Widening perspectives: the intellectual and social benefits of Astrobiology, Big History, and the exploration of space

    Crawford, Ian (2019) Widening perspectives: the intellectual and social benefits of Astrobiology, Big History, and the exploration of space. Journal of Big History 3 (3), pp. 205-224. ISSN 2475-3610.

    [img]
    Preview
    Text
    JBH_paper_final.pdf - Published Version of Record
    Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.

    Download (894kB) | Preview

    Abstract

    Astrobiology is the field of science devoted to searching for life elsewhere in the Universe. It is inherently interdisciplinary, integrating results from multiple fields of science, and in this respect has strong synergies with 'big history'. I argue that big history and astrobiology are both acting to widen human perspectives in intellectually and socially beneficial directions, especially by enhancing public awareness of cosmic and evolutionary worldviews. I will further argue that these perspectives have important implications for the social and political organisation of humanity, including the eventual political unification of our planet. Astrobiology and big history are also concerned with the future of humanity, and I will argue that this future will be culturally and intellectually enriched if it includes the exploration of the universe around us.

    Metadata

    Item Type: Article
    School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science > School of Natural Sciences
    Research Centres and Institutes: Planetary Sciences, Centre for (CPS)
    Depositing User: Ian Crawford
    Date Deposited: 18 Jun 2019 07:31
    Last Modified: 02 Aug 2023 17:51
    URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/27854

    Statistics

    Activity Overview
    6 month trend
    257Downloads
    6 month trend
    232Hits

    Additional statistics are available via IRStats2.

    Archive Staff Only (login required)

    Edit/View Item Edit/View Item