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Semiotics of Biosignatures

Dunér, David LU orcid (2018) In Southern Semiotic Review p.47-63
Abstract
This article examines the interpretation of biosignatures, the signs of life that could be
detected in outer space. In astrobiology biosignatures could be of various kinds, fossils, molecules, traces, artefacts, structures, electromagnetic waves, etc. The purpose of this article is to bring some semiotic order in this seemingly chaotic variation of signs. It turns out that the semiotic function of these signs varies a lot, and each has their own epistemological problems and semiotic peculiarities. The article put forward a semiotics of biosignatures, i.e., how we, as interpreters, establish connections between things, between the expression (the biosignature) and the content (the living organism) in various forms of semiosis, as icons,... (More)
This article examines the interpretation of biosignatures, the signs of life that could be
detected in outer space. In astrobiology biosignatures could be of various kinds, fossils, molecules, traces, artefacts, structures, electromagnetic waves, etc. The purpose of this article is to bring some semiotic order in this seemingly chaotic variation of signs. It turns out that the semiotic function of these signs varies a lot, and each has their own epistemological problems and semiotic peculiarities. The article put forward a semiotics of biosignatures, i.e., how we, as interpreters, establish connections between things, between the expression (the biosignature) and the content (the living organism) in various forms of semiosis, as icons, indices, and symbols of life. In all, it is about how we get access to the world, and how we interpret and understand it, for achieving a wellgrounded knowledge about the living Universe. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
alternative title
Livstecknens semiotik
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Semiotik, Biosignaturer, astrobiologi, kognitiv semiotik
in
Southern Semiotic Review
issue
9
pages
17 pages
publisher
Playscript
ISSN
2202-2783
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b3f3050e-a661-467a-9cad-3f75a57893b6
alternative location
http://www.southernsemioticreview.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/SSR-20181-Issue-9_04-paper.pdf
date added to LUP
2018-12-07 21:37:08
date last changed
2025-04-04 15:30:45
@article{b3f3050e-a661-467a-9cad-3f75a57893b6,
  abstract     = {{This article examines the interpretation of biosignatures, the signs of life that could be<br/>detected in outer space. In astrobiology biosignatures could be of various kinds, fossils, molecules, traces, artefacts, structures, electromagnetic waves, etc. The purpose of this article is to bring some semiotic order in this seemingly chaotic variation of signs. It turns out that the semiotic function of these signs varies a lot, and each has their own epistemological problems and semiotic peculiarities. The article put forward a semiotics of biosignatures, i.e., how we, as interpreters, establish connections between things, between the expression (the biosignature) and the content (the living organism) in various forms of semiosis, as icons, indices, and symbols of life. In all, it is about how we get access to the world, and how we interpret and understand it, for achieving a wellgrounded knowledge about the living Universe.}},
  author       = {{Dunér, David}},
  issn         = {{2202-2783}},
  keywords     = {{Semiotik; Biosignaturer; astrobiologi; kognitiv semiotik}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  pages        = {{47--63}},
  publisher    = {{Playscript}},
  series       = {{Southern Semiotic Review}},
  title        = {{Semiotics of Biosignatures}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/206592166/Dune_r.Semiotics_of_Biosignatures.pdf}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}