JOURNAL ARTICLE

Biosignature, Technosignature, Event: Deconstruction, Astrobiology, and the Search for a Wholly Other Origin.

  • Published In: Derrida Today, 2023, v. 16, n. 2. P. 114 1 of 3

  • Database: Humanities Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Mastrogiovanni, Armando M. 3 of 3

Abstract

Here I pursue a deconstructive reading of astrobiology, the emerging science dedicated to a double quest: solving the mystery of life's origin and discovering life beyond Earth. Astrobiology, I argue, is organized as a response to the aporetic formulation assumed by the origin of life in modern molecular biology, where (as Derrida's argues in Life Death) it becomes the origin of textuality. Because all Earth life shares a single genetic code, astrobiologists are seeking a second; hoping that a sort of multi-planetary comparative genomics may reveal the secret to life's origin. But the aporia repeats in the figure of the biosignature, the trace of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Derrida Today. 2023/11, Vol. 16, Issue 2, p114
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Biology
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:17548500
  • DOI:10.3366/drt.2023.0312
  • Accession Number:173153278
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Derrida Today is the property of Edinburgh University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.