Biological Sciences in Space
Online ISSN : 1349-967X
Print ISSN : 0914-9201
ISSN-L : 0914-9201
Considerations of Life in the Universe in the Light of Ecology
Akira Ashida
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1992 Volume 6 Issue 1 Pages 57-65

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Abstract

Ecology is important for considerations of behavior of living things, because they have evolved through interactions with their surroundings.It is pointed out that Drake's equation includes speculation for numbers of ecologies for microorganisms, lower living things and intelligent lives. Generalization of the equation, done applying it to Earth, brings a solution of more than one, which gives meaningful relationships between parameters. Key to solve the Drake's equation is to speculate length of civilization constructed by intelligent life. As problems relating to civilization crisis of humankind, environmental disruption, evolution of brain, life style cultures are discussed from a viewpoint of ecology including life style. Earth type living things are considered to be a solution as a carbon type life born in the natural history of Earth. Robots controlled by computers are discussed as a silicon type Iiving things, which is considered to be another possible type of life than the carbon type. The carbon type life is a fluid type with ion behavior phenomena, on the other hand, the silicon type is a solid type with electron behavior phenomena. Robots, carbon type life, are strong in mental aspect and severe environment like extraterrestrial space. SETI by using spacecrafts with onboard robots is proposed as a possible and effective method, because it is expected that intelligent robots can perform sophisticated activities as human does.

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© 1992 by Japanese Society for Biological Sciences in Space
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