What Makes “Weird” Life Weird?

Abstract In this article, I analyze the claim that alien life could be “weird”. I propose to distinguish between two types of astrobiological weirdness: a naturalistic and an epistemic one. Weirdness, naturalistically construed, is an attribute for astrobiological traits. Weirdness, epistemically construed, is an attribute for scientific hypotheses and theories about the nature of such traits.

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Publication Details

Journal
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
Published
2024-12-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1017/s1743921324002114
Primary Topic
Origins and Evolution of Life
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

What Makes “Weird” Life Weird?

Philipp Spillmann
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
Origins and Evolution of Life
article

What Makes “Weird” Life Weird?

Philipp Spillmann
article en

Abstract

Abstract In this article, I analyze the claim that alien life could be “weird”. I propose to distinguish between two types of astrobiological weirdness: a naturalistic and an epistemic one. Weirdness, naturalistically construed, is an attribute for astrobiological traits. Weirdness, epistemically construed, is an attribute for scientific hypotheses and theories about the nature of such traits.

Proceedings of the International Astronomical UnionVol. 20(S387)
Cambridge School (PT)
Openalex Percentile: Top 40%
Origins and Evolution of Life
DOISourceOpenAlex
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What Makes “Weird” Life Weird? — Philipp Spillmann · Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union (2024) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS