The catalyst for the unified research program of cosmic evolution—and for the birth of a new scientific discipline—was the Space Age. No one would claim that a field of extraterrestrial life studies, or cosmic evolution, existed in the firs…The extent to which NASA had served as the chief patron of cosmic biological evolution is evident in its sponsorship of many of the major conferences on extraterrestrial life, although the Academies of Science of the United States and the U…19. On Shapley’s uses of cosmic evolution see JoAnn Palmeri, chapter 15 in this volume, and her dissertation, “An Astronomer Beyond the Observatory: Harlow Shapley as Prophet of Science,” (University of Oklahoma, 2000).
20. While Sagan’s v…
Joshua Lederberg
scientist · 3 mentions across 1 reading
In this course
Joshua Lederberg was a molecular biologist whose work on genetic recombination and microbial genetics made him a central figure in NASA's exobiology program during the Space Age. The course readings position him as a key architect of cosmic evolution as a unified scientific discipline, particularly through his role in establishing extraterrestrial life studies as a legitimate research field under NASA patronage. His scientific authority lent credibility to questions about life beyond Earth at the moment when space exploration made such inquiry institutionally viable.
Mentioned in 1 reading
Appears alongside
People mentioned in the same passages — sorted by co-occurrence weight.