The Biological Big Bang. Panspermia and the Origins of Life

Contents I. THE ORIGINS OF LIFE 1. Biological Cosmology and the Origins of Life in the Universe 2. The Imperatives of CosmicBiology 3. The Emergence of Life in the Universe at the Epoch of Dark Energy Domination 4. First Life in the Oceans of Primordial-Planets: The Biological Big Bang II. GENETICS 5. Genetic Gradualism and the ExtraTerrestrial Origin of Life 6. Extraterrestrial Origin of Life and Genetic Gradualism 7. How Universal is the Universal Genetic Code? A Question of ExtraTerrestrial Origins III. PANSPERMIA 8. Origins, Evolution, and Distribution of Life in the Cosmos: Panspermia, Genetics, Microbes, and Viral Visitors From the Stars. 9. Mechanisms for Panspermia 10. Microbial Survival Mechanisms and the Interplanetary Transfer of Life Through Space 11. TheForgottenHistoryofPanspermiaand Theories of Life From Space 12. Why Do Some People Reject Panspermia? 13. Musings on the Origin of Life and Panspermia 14. TheSpreadingofLifeThroughouttheUniverse IV. THE ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION OF LIFE ON EARTH 15. Life on Earth Came From Other Planets 16. TheFirstEarthlingsandtheGeneticSeedsofLife:Extra-Terrestrial Genes, and the Origin and Evolution of Genetic Life V. VIRUSES AND LIFE 17. TheOriginofEukaryotes:Archae,Bacteria,Virusesand Horizontal Gene Transfer .... 18. Viruses and Life: Can There Be One Without the Other? VI. VIRUSES, MICROBES & DISEASES FROM SPACE 19. Are Microbes Currently Arriving to Earth from Space? 20. Identification of Micro-Biofossils in Space Dust 21. Spectroscopic Evidence of Cosmic Life 22. Tunguska: Comets, Contagion and the Vernadskiy Mission to NEA 2005NB56 23. Comets and Contagion: Evolution and Diseases From Space VII. DIRECTED PANSPERMIA 24. Purposeful Panspermia: The Other Conquest of Space? Ethical Considerations 25. Seeding the Universe with Life: Securing Our Cosmological Future VIII. SEARCH FOR LIFE 26. Searching for life on Habitable Planets and Moons 27. Numerical Astrophysics, Numerical Astrobiology and the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Life . Silicon-Based, Ammonia-Based Life 29. Water Worlds, Naive Physics, Intelligent Life, and Alien Minds 30. Water Worlds and Oceans May be Common in the Universe 31. Extant Life on Mars: Resolving the Issues 32. Why Does Life Start, What Does It Do, Where Will It Be, And How Might We Find It? 33. Fossils of Cyanobacteria in CI1 Carbonaceous Meteorites: Implications to Life on Comets, Europa, and Enceladus