"How does the environments in which cynobacteria live today compare with their past environments?"
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Question
Are astrobiology and astronomi the same?
I don't think there is any such word as "astronomi". If you mean "astronomy", then no, astrobiology and astronomy are not the same at all. Astronomy is the science of the universe (not including Earth), and astrobiology is the science of life in the universe, including Earth. The NASA Astrobiology Roadmap http://astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov/roadmap/ states that "Astrobiology is the study of the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. It requires fundamental concepts of life and habitable environments that will help us to recognize biospheres that might be quite different from our own. Astrobiology embraces the search for potentially inhabited planets beyond our Solar System, the exploration of Mars and the outer planets, laboratory and field investigations of the origins and early evolution of life, and studies of the potential of life to adapt to future challenges, both on Earth and in space. Interdisciplinary research is needed that combines molecular biology, ecology, planetary science, astronomy, information science, space exploration technologies, and related disciplines.
David Morrison
NAI Senior Scientist
April 29, 2005
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