title: Theoretical foundation, goals, and methodology of a new science--biospherics
abstract: Scientific endeavor is motivated by mankind's needs, desires, and inherent nature to explore.  The history of scientific revolutions involves paradigmatic breakthroughs that uncover previously unknown perspectives by which a phenomenon can be viewed.  In this issue a noted scientist, Nickolai Pechurkin, gives a seminal brief on the theoretical foundation, goals, and methodology leading to a new science--biospherics.  While biospherics has so far eluded a simple definition, it is not something taken from "whole cloth."  Biospherics has many antecedents, but most noticeably arises from the global scale research and theory associated with the technological advances of the Space-Age.  The Space-Age also created the need for totally closed life-support systems which involve experimentation with artificial biospheres.
authors.affiliation: Closed Eco-Systems Technology Inc., Huntington, NY, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Shaffer
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D018534:Earth, Planet; D018504:Ecological Systems, Closed; D006801:Humans; D008021:Life Support Systems; D013026:Space Flight