{
  "abstract": "Astrobiology occupies an unusual position within the philosophy of science. Confronted with the n = 1 problem - having only a single example of life to study - it attempts to investigate life beyond Earth while relying entirely on Earth's biosphere as its reference point, a constraint that creates unique epistemic challenges. Unlike traditional sciences with clear predictive frameworks, astrobiology operates as what we might call a transient science: a discipline functioning without foundational certainties, relying predominantly on abductive reasoning, and confronting hypotheses that may remain untestable for decades. It is, in essence, a science of absence - of evidence, certainty, and analogy - where progress lies in refining conceptual and experimental tools to recognize unfamiliar forms of life. This positions astrobiology alongside emerging fields like artificial intelligence and cognitive science within a broader transformation of how scientific knowledge is constructed when dealing with phenomena that transcend direct empirical access.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "Journal reference: In: Steven J. Dick, Astronomy and Philosophy: Conceptual and Methodological Foundations and Challenges, 2026. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press",
  "arxiv": "2608.17728",
  "author_total": 1,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Kristina Šekrst"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e5b24gkh11at9.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2608.17728",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "e5b24gkh11at9",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.17728",
  "language": null,
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  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "astro-ph.EP"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.hist-ph"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.17728",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-21",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e5b24gkh11at9.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:23:19Z",
      "native_id": "2608.17728",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.17728"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "arxiv:astro-ph.EP",
      "subfield": "planetary"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.hist-ph",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Astrobiology and the Transformation of Scientific Epistemology",
  "title_text": "Astrobiology and the Transformation of Scientific Epistemology",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:23:19Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e5b24gkh11at9",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}