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Marcheselli2019.Pdf (2.760Mb) This thesis has been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree (e.g. PhD, MPhil, DClinPsychol) at the University of Edinburgh. Please note the following terms and conditions of use: This work is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, which are retained by the thesis author, unless otherwise stated. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Life as-we-don’t-know-it Research repertoires and the emergence of astrobiology. Valentina Marcheselli PhD in Science, Technology and Innovation Studies The University of Edinburgh 2018 Declaration I declare that this thesis has been composed by myself and that the work presented is my own, except where explicitly indicated otherwise in the text. This work has no been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. (Valentina Marcheselli) 1 Abstract This thesis presents an ethnographic study of the repertoires, sets of social and material practices, that scientists adopt to practice and promote the search for life in the universe, commonly known today under the disciplinary label of astrobiology. In particular, I take the expression “life as-we-don’t-know-it” as an entry point to look into the role of non- knowledge as a cultural resource in the opening of new spheres of inquiry. Throughout this thesis, I investigate the tensions and negotiations related to the definition of life, a central issue in astrobiology, and the way scientists are successfully shifting the boundaries of what is considered legitimate science to include the study of extra-terrestrial lifeforms. Unlike most previous work on the definition of life, this thesis does not formulate or support any definition and does not take a position on the question of to which disciplinary domain “life” legitimately belongs – on the contrary, it takes definitions and disciplines as social institutions with flexible boundaries. To explore these issues, I engaged in a multi-sited ethnographic study that brought me to the different locations in which astrobiologists’ activities take place, from conference venues to astronomical observatories, laboratories and field sites (such as underground caves and Icelandic volcanoes), following the lines of research that today form, at their intersections, the field of astrobiology. Life “as-we-don’t-know-it” soon emerged as a central theme in contemporary astrobiology. A commonly used phrase for extra-terrestrial and alien life, it summarizes and stands for the uncertainties and unknowns surrounding the definition of life and the design of life-detection experiments. These unknowns about life are not simply a void to be filled, but the result of a process of social construction, a collective achievement. This empirical account complements and challenges existing literature about scientific change and knowledge production by focusing on the construction of a collective agreement about not-knowing and its deployment as a specific research repertoire. The concept of repertoire is a useful thinking tool for the sociologist looking into astrobiology and its social dynamics because it does not describe change as fundamentally caused and shaped by theoretical developments. On the contrary, it both takes account of the material and institutional changes that accompany, ground or undermine the emergence of a research field and calls for consideration of the performative aspects of science. I conclude by arguing that the agreement on what constitutes life – familiar and alien, Earthly or otherworldly – is an ongoing negotiation between astrobiologists’ epistemic practices and what counts as a meaningful present and future for space exploration. This opens up a space for sociological inquiry about the particular social processes through which the emergence of astrobiology as a discipline requires collaborations to be established, allows for new interactions, and evokes previously unforeseen associations, thus constantly unsettling present imaginaries about the future. 2 Acknowledgments I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to Jane Calvert and Alice Street for their insightfulness, patience and motivation. They have been examples of how to be excellent academics and amazing people in what has sometimes seemed a complicated environment to navigate. Their continuous support and positivity have been truly invaluable during my PhD, and will be even more so in the next steps of my career: you have set a very high standard of awesomeness for me to aspire to! Thanks to my officemates (especially Mike Kattirtzi, Hung Nguyen, Chihwei Yeh, Daniel Thorpe, Sara Valencia and Sara Bea) and to the great STS community – what might have appeared to be random chats have in fact been an invaluable source of fun, inspiration and solace throughout this PhD journey. I would also like to express my appreciation and thanks to the Engineering Life group. A special thanks goes to Deborah Scott for her encouragement and for her example of enthusiasm and strength. A huge thanks to my husband for the love and unconditional support. Thanks for keeping my feet on the ground and accepting when my head is in the clouds. Thanks for saying, after any casual chat about your day, your research, teaching, articles, experiments, measures, proposals and crystal marvels, “yeah, science is social”. You have become, without even knowing it, a constructivist. I cannot express with words how grateful I am for the support of my loving family. Thanks to my always fantastic mother for her example of strength and positivity; you have equipped me to face any challenge and embrace any adventure in life. My sister Sara has the amazing power of always cheering me up – she reminds me not to take myself (or anybody else) too seriously and that life is too good not to fully enjoy it. A big thanks to “my tribe” – Tony, la Cicci, la Gabry, Baba, Nico, Tommy, Dina, Mario, Anna and Antonio – for their support and understanding, and for always showing me how to be the best version of myself. Thanks to my friends in Italy for celebrating every time I spent a weekend home. I am also deeply indebted to Lucy and Fra for being amazing friends who have always made me feel at home in Edinburgh. I feel so lucky for being part of such an amazing group of women – all different, all very special. 3 Table of contents Declaration .................................................................................................................................................... 1 Abstract .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Table of contents......................................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 Learning astrobiology, unlearning life ............................................................................................... 7 A new scientific revolution ..................................................................................................................... 9 Unearthing life .......................................................................................................................................... 11 Defining life ................................................................................................................................................ 12 Getting astrobiology off the ground ................................................................................................. 15 Non-knowledge and research repertoires in astrobiology .................................................... 18 Structure and overview of the thesis .............................................................................................. 20 Research questions .............................................................................................................................20 Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 21 Structure of the chapters: ................................................................................................................. 22 1. Methodology ............................................................................................................................................. 26 Following the scientists: multi-sited ethnography as a research approach.................... 26 Choice of methods and data collection ........................................................................................... 30 - Interface ethnography: participation in conferences and attendance at an astrobiology class. ...............................................................................................................................30
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