"XENObiologists, EXObiologists, ASTRObiologists, Or What?" Topic

So, what is the correct prefix for them people (and their other "ologist" cousins)?

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What's the diff???
Or is it just a matter of which sounds the coolest at the time?

IPX in B5 had some Xenoarchaeologists, right?
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Image from Ghosts of Mars apparently had some too:
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Dan
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The current scientific study into possibilities of extraterrestrial life (hampered somewhat by the derth of actual samples to study) is specifically astrobiology.

"Xeno" means foreign/strange/different and thus would make sense to use for scientists studying alien something. It's often used because authors and audiences seem to find it a k00l word. "Exo" means outside/external and I'm thinkin using that would be a bit of stretch.

On the subject of archeology, Ken McLeod's Newton's Wake presented the concept of "combat archeology" -- the relics weren't quite inert in that book, and the competition was also at least as militant as in Indiana Jones (-;)

I doubt that anyone will be a "xenobiologist" as such.

The study of earthly biology is so vast that no-one can study more than a fraction. If we find one life form we will find a whole ecosystem, which will be more than enough for one person. So any future student is likely to study one specific aspect of one specific group only.

To me Xenobiology is specifically forms not related to earthly DNA patterns.

Astrobiology is the small scale stuff found on small moons etc, not the big scale stuff.

Exobiology is biology not on earth. Which might include variants of formerly earth-bound species.

But these terms you use will only cover the fields generally, with lots of sub-branches – behavioural xenobiology, astrobiochemistry etc.

Astrobiology is actually a real subject, dealing as it does with the effect of space conditions on living creatures, such as humans, though that is often called astromedicine.

Xenobiology would cover most life outside the planet that the beings studying it come from – So an non-human studying Earth could be called a xenobiologist ( Even a xeno-xenobiologist : ) )

Exobiology would be a broad study of all life everwhere in the universe by any of the life forms in the universe. And yes, it would be a huge discipline that would encompass many different fields, just as ecology covers biochemistry and microbiology to chemistry and meteorology.

Alien kibble.

astrozoologists

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Sorry couldn't find pics of their uniform.

Cosmo- is another possible prefix if you're just looking for something different. We used to have a cosmochemist in the department.

When attending University for Biology graduation, in the early 80's of 20th century, my student mates and I used to muse with Exobiology -such name refering to non-earthly forms of life. This one was the name we were used to.

I remember that even some of us dared to publish in our Faculty's magazine a complete (joking) essay about the Alien's film starring beast physiology and ethology -if I'm not wrong, that film was first released by then.

Look at 1:30 into this clip:

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Seems like one of those Xeno-Exo-Astro expeditions.

Here's the artwork by John Eaves:

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Dan