商品描述
The first of its kind, this book is a collection of memoirs that describe the lives - not just the science - of some of the people who have advanced our understanding of the conditions for life on Earth and in the universe. Astrobiology became a mainstream topic with the announcement in 1996 that fossilized life had been found in Martian meteorite ALH84001 and that claim has since been discredited. Nonetheless, following the 1992 announcement of the discovery of planets orbiting around a pulsar, it reinvigorated investigations and debate about conditions required for the origin(s) of life on Earth and the possibility of life elsewhere.
Scientists from a variety of career stages and disciplines have shared their stories of passion and persistence, as they pave their various educational and scientific career paths and continue to search for answers to some of the biggest questions we have about life on Earth:
● What happened in the microseconds after the Big Bang?
● How did life form on Earth?
● What conditions are hospitable to life elsewhere?
● How do stars affect their planets?
● What is the future of life on Earth?
To understand these big questions, scientists in this book describe focusing on one subject deeply while finding connections across disciplines, an inherent trait of astrobiology. Personal experiences, including struggles, have enhanced their research trajectories.
The diversity of topics, perspectives, career stages, and career paths and placements provided by the authors is an appealing read for people who are interested in learning more about the multifaceted field of astrobiology. As such, it can be an important resource for the next generation of scientific investigators and educators.
Key features:
- The book honours the people (both living and deceased) who made significant contributions to their fields of study, which influence our current understanding of life on and beyond Earth.
- The book is a reference for early career scientific investigators and educators to help them learn about the various possible career paths and fields, as well as about some of the successes and challenges that might be experienced as they navigate their own career trajectories.
- The level of writing is for the inquisitive person interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), from beginner to expert.
商品描述(中文翻譯)
本書開創先例，收錄一系列回憶錄，描述一些推進我們對地球及宇宙生命條件之理解的人物生平，而不僅是他們所從事的科學研究。1996 年，科學家宣布在火星隕石 ALH84001 中發現了生命化石，使天體生物學成為主流議題；然而，這項主張後來已被否定。儘管如此，1992 年宣布發現繞行脈衝星的行星後，相關研究與辯論重新受到激發，促使人們深入探討地球生命起源所需的條件，以及其他地方存在生命的可能性。
來自不同職涯階段與學科領域的科學家，分享了他們對研究的熱情與堅持。他們各自開拓教育與科學研究的職涯道路，持續尋找人類對地球生命所提出的一些重大問題之答案：
● 大爆炸後的微秒內發生了什麼事？
● 生命是如何在地球上形成的？
● 其他地方需要具備什麼條件才適合生命存在？
● 恆星如何影響其行星？
● 地球生命的未來會是什麼？
為了理解這些重大問題，本書中的科學家描述了如何深入專注於單一主題，同時在不同學科之間尋找關聯；這正是天體生物學的內在特質。包含種種困境在內的個人經歷，也使他們的研究歷程更加豐富。
作者所提供的主題、觀點、職涯階段，以及職涯道路與任職經驗都相當多元，對於有興趣進一步了解天體生物學多面向特質的讀者而言，本書是一部引人入勝的讀物。因此，本書也能成為下一代科學研究者與教育工作者的重要資源。
主要特色：
- 本書向那些對各自研究領域做出重大貢獻的人致敬，包括在世與已故人士；這些貢獻影響了我們目前對地球上及地球以外生命的理解。
- 本書可作為職涯初期科學研究者與教育工作者的參考資料，協助他們了解各種可能的職涯道路與研究領域，以及在規劃自身職涯發展時可能遇到的成功與挑戰。
- 本書的寫作程度適合對科學、技術、工程與數學（STEM）感到好奇並有興趣的讀者，從初學者到專家皆適用。
作者簡介
Nicolle E. B. Zellner is the H. & Grace A. Dow Trustees' Professor in the Sciences and a Professor of Physics at Albion College in Michigan. She has also served as NASA Program Scientist in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters. Supported by the NSF and NASA, Dr. Zellner's research interests focus on understanding the impact history of the Earth-Moon system and how those impacts affected the conditions for life on Earth. Over the course of her career, she has taught thousands of students and mentored dozens of student research partners. As a woman in science, she advocates for those approaches and practices that support workforce development in the STEM fields. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a recipient of the Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication.
作者簡介(中文翻譯)
Nicolle E. B. Zellner 是 Michigan 州 Albion College 的 H. & Grace A. Dow Trustees' 科學講座教授兼物理學教授。她也曾在 NASA 總部的行星科學部門擔任 NASA 計畫科學家。在 NSF 和 NASA 的支持下，Zellner 博士的研究興趣著重於了解地球—月球系統的撞擊歷史，以及這些撞擊如何影響地球上的生命條件。在其職業生涯中，她曾教授數千名學生，並指導數十位學生研究夥伴。身為科學界女性，她致力於倡導能支持 STEM 領域人才培育的方式與實務。她是 American Association for the Advancement of Science 的會士，也是 Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication 得主。
