![]() |
Xenology An Introduction to the Scientific Study of Extraterrestrial Life, Intelligence, and Civilization First Edition © 1975-1979, 2008 Robert A. Freitas Jr. All Rights Reserved. |
(See larger cover art here)
Preferred Literature Citation for Xenology (First Edition):
Robert A. Freitas Jr., Xenology: An Introduction to the Scientific Study of Extraterrestrial Life, Intelligence, and Civilization, First Edition, Xenology Research Institute, Sacramento, CA, 1979; http://www.xenology.info/Xeno.htm
Capsule Summary of Xenology (First Edition):
Xenology: An Introduction to the Scientific Study of Extraterrestrial Life, Intelligence, and Civilization (First Edition, Xenology Research Institute, 1975-1979, 2008). Topics include the history of the idea of extraterrestrial life; comparative planetology, stars, and galaxies; xenobiology (definition/origin of life, exotic biochemistries, and possible alien bioenergetics, biomechanics, sensations, reproduction, and intelligence); extraterrestrial civilizations (energy sources, biotechnology, interstellar travel, alien weapons, planetary and stellar engineering, xenosociology, and extraterrestrial governments and culture); interstellar communication techniques; and the sociology, legal issues, and appropriate interaction protocols pertaining to first contact.
Xenology: An Introduction to the Scientific Study of Extraterrestrial Life, Intelligence, and Civilization
First Edition
© 1975-1979, 2008 Robert A. Freitas Jr. (CV) All Rights Reserved.
Table
of Contents
Preface
and Acknowledgements for the First Edition
Chapter 2.�
Extraterrestrial Life:� The
History of an Idea
2.1� Ancient Beginnings
2.2� The Long Interregnum
2.3� Plurality of Worlds and Divine Purpose
2.4� Science and Science Fiction
Chapter 3.�
The Aliens Among Us
3.1� Xenoarchaeology
���� 3.1.1� Extraterrestrial
Intervention in Biological Evolution
���� 3.1.2� Extraterrestrial
Cultural Intervention
���� 3.1.3� Extraterrestrial Artifacts and Manifestations ..... Local Copy (HTML)
3.2� Ufology
���� 3.2.1� Why
Believe in UFOs?
���� 3.2.2� The
Evidence for UFOs
���� 3.2.3� The UFO Game ..... Local Copy (HTML)
3.3� The Resident Aliens
Chapter 4.�
Xenology:� The Context of the
Universe
4.1� The Universe
4.2� Galaxies
4.3� The Milky Way Galaxy
4.4� The Stars
Chapter 5.�
General and Comparative Planetology
5.1� Planetary Evolution
5.2� Thalassogens
5.3� Planetary Atmospheres
5.4� Planetary Meteorology and Astrogeology
���� 5.4.1� Climate
and Weather
���� 5.4.2� Sky Colors ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 5.4.3� Astrogeology ..... Local Copy (HTML)
5.5� Planetary Habitability
6.1� Chronology
6.2� What Is Life?
���� 6.2.1� The
Traditional Answer
���� 6.2.2� Organization ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 6.2.3� Towards a Definition of Life ..... Local Copy (HTML)
7.1� Historical Views on the Origin of Life
7.2� Cosmochemical Evolution
7.3� Early Chemical Evolution on Earth
���� 7.3.1� Prebiotic
Synthesis
7.4� Proteins and Cells
7.5� Nucleic Acids and DNA
7.6� Early Biological Systems
8.1� The Argument for Diversity
���� 8.1.1� Temperature
Chauvinism
8.2� Alternative Biochemistries
���� 8.2.1� The
Limits of Carbon Aqueous
���� 8.2.2� Alternatives to Water ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 8.2.3� Alternatives to Carbon ..... Local Copy (HTML)
8.3� Exotic Lifeforms
Chapter 10.�
Alien Bioenergetics
10.1� Finding the Energy to Live
10.2� Photosynthesis
10.3� Animal Metabolism and Respiration
10.4� Alien Blood
10.5� Thermoregulation
11.1� Specialization and Symmetry
11.2� Xenobiomechanics
���� 11.2.1�
The Challenge of Gravity
���� 11.2.2� Meeting the Challenge:� Skeletons ..... Local Copy (HTML)
11.3� Alien Locomotion
���� 11.3.1�
Aquatic Locomotion
���� 11.3.2� Travel by Land ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 11.3.3� Avian Propulsion ..... Local Copy (HTML)
12.1� Is Sex Necessary?
12.2� The Bisexual Universe
���� 12.2.1�
Intersexuality
���� 12.2.2� Optional Sex ..... Local Copy (HTML)
12.3� Alien Sex Practices
���� 12.3.1�
Alien Orgasms
12.4� Xenogamy
Chapter 13.�
Sensations
13.1� Tactile Senses
13.2� Olfaction
13.3� Acoustical Senses
���� 13.3.1�
Two-Dimensional Sound
���� 13.3.2� Three-Dimensional Sound ..... Local Copy (HTML)
13.4� Electrical and Magnetic Senses
13.5� Vision
���� 13.5.1�
Visible Vision
���� 13.5.2� Infrared Vision ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 13.5.3� Radio Vision ..... Local Copy (HTML)
13.6� Alien Senses
Chapter 14.�
Extraterrestrial Intelligence
14.1� Evolution of Intelligence
���� 14.1.1�
In the Beginning
���� 14.1.2� The Triune Brain ..... Local Copy (HTML)
14.2� Juvenile Extraterrestrial Intelligences
���� 14.2.1�
Genetic Sentience
���� 14.2.2� Brain Sentience ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 14.2.3� Communal Sentience ..... Local Copy (HTML)
14.3� Alien Consciousness and the Sentience Quotient
PART THREE:� Extraterrestrial Civilizations
15.1� Type I Civilizations:�
Planetary Cultures
15.2� Type II Civilizations:�
Stellar Cultures
15.3� Type III Civilizations:�
Galactic Cultures
15.4� Type IV Civilizations:�
Universal Cultures
16.1� Bioneering
���� 16.1.1�
Intelligence Amplification
���� 16.1.2�
Genetic Surgery
���� 16.1.3� Genetic Hybrids and Synthetic Genes ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 16.1.4�
Ectogenesis and Cloning
16.2� Immortality
���� 16.2.1�
Xenogerontology
���� 16.2.2�
The Limits of Immortality
16.3� Androids and Cyborgs
���� 16.3.1�
Androids and Organleggers
���� 16.3.2�
The Bionic Alien
���� 16.3.3� Enter the Robot? (aka. Uploading) ..... Local Copy (HTML)
16.4� Machine Life
���� 16.4.1�
Artificial Intelligence
���� 16.4.2�
Robots and Robotics
���� 16.4.3� Machine Evolution ..... Local Copy (HTML)
Chapter 17.�
Interstellar Voyaging
17.1� Communication vs. Transportation
17.2� Relativistic Starflight
17.3� Conventional Interstellar Propulsion Systems
���� 17.3.1� Nuclear Pulse Propulsion ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 17.3.2�
Controlled Fusion Rocket
���� 17.3.3�
Interstellar Ramjet
���� 17.3.4�
Beamed Power Laser Propulsion
���� 17.3.5� Total Conversion Drives ..... Local Copy (HTML)
17.4� Exotic Propulsion Systems
���� 17.4.1� Gravity Catapults ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 17.4.2�
Antigravity and Reactionless Field Drives
���� 17.4.3�
Tachyon Starships
���� 17.4.4�
Momentum Interconversion Drives
���� 17.4.5�
Statistical Transport
���� 17.4.6�
Black Holes and Space Warps
���� 17.4.7� Teleportation and Transporter Beams ..... Local Copy (HTML)
17.5� Time Travel
17.6� Interstellar Navigation
17.7� Generation Ships and Suspended Animation
18.1� Chemical, Biochemical, and Biological Weaponry
18.2� Bionic Weaponry
18.3� Sonic Weapons
18.4� Photonic Radiative Weaponry
18.5� Particulate Radiative Weaponry
18.6� Nuclear Explosives
18.7� Climate Modification and High Technology Weapons
18.8� The Ultimate Weapon
Chapter 19.�
Planetary Engineering and Galactic High Technology
19.1� Alien Materials Technology
���� 19.1.1� New Forms of Matter ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 19.1.2�
Energy Storage and Mining Techniques
19.2� Extraterrestrial Habitat Engineering
���� 19.2.1� Terraforming ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 19.2.2�
Space Habitats
���� 19.2.3�
Planet Moving and Star Mining
���� 19.2.4�
Large Scale Biospheric Engineering
���� 19.2.5�
Galactic Megastructures
20.1� Biological Evolution
���� 20.1.1�
Evolution Rates
20.2� Xenopsychology
���� 20.2.1�
Energy Ecology
���� 20.2.2�
Competition and Aggression
���� 20.2.3� Universal Emotions ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 20.2.4�
Xenophobia
20.3� Early Technological Civilizations
���� 20.3.1�
Telluric Civilizations
���� 20.3.2� Aquatic Civilizations ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 20.3.3� Avian Civilizations ..... Local Copy (HTML)
20.4� Alien Social Systems
���� 20.4.1�
Models for Extraterrestrial Societies
21.1� Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Government
���� 21.1.1�
Governance Scales
21.2� Alien Political Organizations:�
Xenopolitical
���� 21.2.1�
Sentience
���� 21.2.2�
Dispersion
���� 21.2.3� Size ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 21.2.4� Heritage ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 21.2.5�
Xenopolitics:� Tentative Conclusions
21.3� Extraterrestrial Organizational Cybernetics
���� 21.3.1�
System Complexity
���� 21.3.2� System Structure ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 21.3.3� System Stability ..... Local Copy (HTML)
21.4� Strategic Galactography
���� 21.4.1�
The Economic Viability of Interstellar Cargo Transport
���� 21.4.2� Galactic Trade Routes ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 21.4.3� Interstellar War ..... Local Copy (HTML)
22.1� Alien Religion
22.2� Alien Ritual
���� 22.2.1�
Religious Rites
���� 22.2.2�
Extraterrestrial Cults
22.3� Ethics and Law..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 22.3.1�
Extraterrestrial Ethics
���� 22.3.2�
Legal Universals
���� 22.3.3� Xenopenology ..... Local Copy (HTML)
22.4� Philosophy and Knowledge
���� 22.4.1�
Alien Logic
���� 22.4.2� Time, Language, and Space ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 22.4.3� Science and Paradigmology ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 22.4.4�
Xenoeschatology
22.5� Extraterrestrial Aesthetics
���� 22.5.1�
Xenomusicology
���� 22.5.2� Alien Painting and Surface Arts ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 22.5.3� Dance and Sports ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 22.5.4�
Alien Sculpture and Architecture
23.1� Theoretical Galactic Demography
���� 23.1.1�
The Drake Equation
23.2� Observational Galactic Demography ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 23.2.1�
Direct Observation of Alien Planets
24.1� The Cosmic Miracle
���� 24.1.1�
Eavesdropping
24.2� Extraterrestrial Signaling
���� 24.2.1�
Alternative Channels:� HEPs,
Neutrinos, Gravitons and Tachyons
���� 24.2.2�
Electromagnetic Waves and Frequency Selection
���� 24.2.3� Acquisition and Artificiality Criteria ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 24.2.4� Alien Message Contents ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 24.2.5�
SETI:� Yesterday and Today
24.3� Extraterrestrial Starprobes and Artifacts
���� 24.3.1�
Why Probes are Better
���� 24.3.2� Mission Profile ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 24.3.3� The Nature of Alien Artifacts ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 24.3.4� Project Daedalus ..... Local Copy (HTML)
25.1� First Contact and Metalaw
���� 25.1.1�
Basic Metalaw
���� 25.1.2�
Fasan's Metalaws
���� 25.1.3�
Universal Thermoethical Principles of First Contact
25.2� The Character of First Contact ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 25.2.1�
Mass-Energy Scales of Contact
���� 25.2.2�
Information-Rate Scales of Contact
���� 25.2.3� Generalized First Contact Taxonomy ..... Local Copy (HTML)
25.3� First Contact Protocols and Elementary Astropolitics
���� 25.3.1�
Encounters Between Equals:� The
0/0 Contact
���� 25.3.2� Gods and Primitives:� The 11/0 Contact ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 25.3.3� Trees and Humans:� The 0/10 Contact ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 25.3.4�
Higher-Order Contacts
26.1� Military and Political Response
���� 26.1.1�
Remote Contact
���� 26.1.2�
Direct Contact
���� 26.1.3�
Surprise Contact
26.2� Public Reaction and the Press ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 26.2.1�
Rumor and Credibility
���� 26.2.2�
Panic and Mass Hysteria
26.3� Legal Issues of First Contact
���� 26.3.1�
Alien Animals
���� 26.3.2� Legal Standards of Personhood ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 26.3.3� Extraterrestrial Persons ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 26.3.4� Aliens and American Law ..... Local Copy (HTML)
26.4� Human Sociocultural Response
���� 26.4.1�
The Acculturation of Humanity
���� 26.4.2� Social Impact of First Contact ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 26.4.3� The Religious Response ..... Local Copy (HTML)
���� 26.4.4�
Impact on Science and Technology
Appendix A.� What To Do If You Encounter Alien Beings or Their Craft ..... Local Copy (HTML)
Appendix B.� Conferences, Symposia, and Red-Letter Dates through 1979 ..... Local Copy (HTML)
REFERENCES
* Not available
Xenology (First Edition), last updated on 14 March 2018
since
6 December 2008