A Planetary Perspective of Life

Author: Wong, Michael L.

Year: 2018

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisor: Yung, Yuk L.

Committee Members: Ingersoll, Andrew P.; Knutson, Heather A.; Ehlmann, Bethany L.; Blake, Geoffrey A.; Yung, Yuk L.

Option: Planetary Sciences

DOI: 10.7907/KVBE-HJ52

Abstract

Join me on my journey to Jupiter, Titan, Pluto, Earth, and Mars as I seek a deeper understanding of life through the lessons that I learn from each world. How should we define life? What does life do? Why does life exist, and how did it begin? And what do the answers to these questions mean for the prospect of life beyond Earth? No, you’re not going to get any spoilers here. Yes, you actually have to read the manuscript. I spent a lot of time weaving this story together, adding supplementary material to each chapter, connecting the dots between the five planetary bodies that I’ve chosen to tell this tale. There’s a lot in here besides just my published work, including two essays on the origin of life (presented in the Interlude) and two scientific works in progress (presented in the Prologue and the Epilogue). I encourage you to follow the wending tale of my graduate school career from start to finish as I build a planetary perspective of life that I now proudly present to you.

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