Book Description
Long recognized as the "Gold Standard" text for astrobiology courses, The Search for Life in the Universe now appears in a completely revised and updated Third Edition. This book engages students in astronomy by presenting a great, unsolved mystery: How likely is life beyond earth, and how can we find it if it exists? The text covers the fundamentals of astronomy and astrophysics, including the discovery of more than 55 planets around other stars, and also provides an overview of biology, geology, evolution, and the possibilities of interstellar travel and communication. Written for readers with no background in mathematics, the book includes 24 color insert pages and brilliantly rendered illustrations by Jon Lomberg.
Customer Reviews:
Jack Kennedy.......2006-02-27
This book is used as a text by the University of North Dakota Space Studies program where I was exposed to its content. It is an excellent book filled with the recent nuggets of information about the search for life in the universe. It is an excellent guide to understanding the cosmos in galatic and down-to-Earth terms. This book can be read for pure pleasure as well as for general knowledge of astrobilogy and astronomy.
Excellent Overview.......2003-11-07
The new edition of this book still is by far the most comprehensive introduction to Bioastronomy, touching almost every branch of science along the exciting path it follows. Remaining firmly grounded in science it shows that reality is so fantastic that it is in no way necessary to fantasize up facts and fictions. Science still is one of the greatest adventures of mankind, and the search for life in space is one of its most stimulating branches. It also is a good motivation for young college students from other subjects to further their knowledge in science - which is necessary because we live in a science dominated world.
Stefan Thiesen www.bioastronomie.de
Great for people interested in SETI ..........2001-02-27
The book deals with everything from the formation of stars and planets, to how life formed, to even the best ways to search for life and the odds of life being on other planets. It goes step by step, is easy to understand and even has review questions at the end of each chapter (along with a summary). Lots of photos, some in color, along with figures and tables to help explain and give more details. Great for people who want to understand the reasons people are searching for life on other planets, but also great for just understand the science of life on our planet too. All that and humor too.
The search for life in the spotlight........2000-09-04
This book really explaines in simple language how scientists work on this search. It is written in a way that keeps your interest on top all the way.
Book Description
In The Search for Life on Other Planets, Jakosky offers a scientific foundation for thinking there may be life elsewhere in the Universe. Using the early history of the Earth and the conditions that would allow life to exist, he creates a sound, scientific foundation for the possibility of life on planets other than our own. Jakosky integrates the mechanics of planets and recent findings from our planetary exploration program to create a rich and accessible look at the likelihood of extraterrestrials and the possibility of life on other planets. His prose is authoritative but avoids technical jargon and is well illustrated throughout. For all those interested in understanding the scientific evidence for and likelihood of extraterrestrial life, this is the most comprehensive and readable book to date. Bruce Jakosky is active in spacecraft observations, and has been involved with the Viking, Solar Mesosphere Explorer, Clementine, Mars Observer, and Mars Global Surveyor missions. Currently, he teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in terrestrial and planetary geology at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent introduction to a rapidly advancing field.......2000-03-01
Bruce Jakosky has done an excellent job of pulling together recent thinking from many of the different disciplines that contribute to looking for life on other planets. It would be extremely difficult to find another book that does as good a job at discussing such up-to-date material at an introductory level without sacrificing too much depth. The material in this book should be understandable to advanced undergraduates in biology, geology, chemistry, or physics. It is probably best read by skipping from topic to topic rather than straight through from cover to cover. The "Additional Reading" section at the end provides very good references for more advanced discussions. Overall, I found "The Search for Life on Other Planets" to be an extremely helpful introduction and a good launching board for further reading.
An impressive treatment of a fascinating topic.......1999-04-21
Bruce Jakosky has made a marvelous contribution to a subject that will inevitably command increasing attention. His book is well organized, it is well written and the many photos and diagrams add significantly to its value. His explanations of relevant topics are clear whether they involve the fields of geology, chemistry, biology or astronomy. All in all, he does a great job in presenting an objective assessment of the likelihood of finding life within our solar system. Highly readable and it's well worth it.
A strong endorsement for the SETI program........1998-11-29
Mr. Jakosky has presented his optimistic view for life on other planets, not just life, but intelligent life. His conclusions are in contrast to those reached by Stuart Ross Taylor's "Destiny or Chance: Our Solar System and its Place in the Cosmos". He has gone into a more exhaustive investigation of the creation of Earth and subsequent life than Taylor did in his book. However, I found it somewhat laborious to plow thru, tending to skip some passages. For anyone with an interest in the subject, I would recommend both books.
Book Description
Human beings have always looked at the heavens and asked: Are we alone? Is there life elsewhere in the universe? What is that life like? Unfortunately, people can't actually travel to other solar systems. Even the closest stars are too far away to visit. Today, astrophysicists such as Jill Tarter are looking for other ways to search for extraterrestrial life. Jill is the director of Project Phoenix at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California. SETI stands for "Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence." Twice a year, Jill and her team travel to the mountains of Puerto Rico where they use the world's largest radio telescope to examine nearby stars. They search the sky, listening for radio signals that, if found and verified, would provide strong evidence that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe. Author Ellen Jackson and photographer Nic Bishop introduce us to a dedicated scientist and her thrilling, rigorous, and awe-inspiring work in the field.
Average customer rating:
- Still the best general introduction to SETI
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We Are Not Alone: The Continuing Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Revised Edition
Walter Sullivan
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
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ASIN: 0525936742 |
Customer Reviews:
Still the best general introduction to SETI.......2003-11-19
Science journalist Walter Sullivan of the New York Times published the first version of this book in 1964, when the radio astronomy search for extraterrestrial intelligence was new. Thirty years later, he updated and broadened the story. Even though the second version is now nine years old, it still is the best general introduction for anyone new to SETI.
Sullivan sets the stage with chapters describing how earlier conceptions of the universe were revised, giving us basic information about modern scientific views of stars and planetary systems. He touches on the origin of life, how organic materials might be spread through space, and the search for life on Mars. He describes the Drake formula for determining the probability of extraterrestrial life, and the modern radio astronomy search for extraterrestrial signals. Sullivan addresses the possibility of interstellar flight and discusses the Fermi Paradox. He briefly describes the UFO phenomenon, concluding that there is no convincing evidence that we have been visited. Sullivan's final chapter presents some of the speculations about the consequences of contact with ETI. The writing is clear and non-technical. The book includes a few diagrams and some black and white photographs.
Book Description
In the jungle of Puerto Rico, next to a giant aluminum telescope bowl, we meet astronomers Peter Backus and Jill Tarter of the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program. This research program is determined to find evidence of extraterrestrial life by searching for its radio signals. They hope to catch radio waves created by some kind of life far out in space. These scientists love their work: "Arriving in the control room, Jill puts on a tape of her favorite samba music by a group called Viva Brazil. Others in the room stay seated and propel themselves on their wheeled office chairs from workstation to workstation, but Jill usually gets up and sambas across the floor." In this rare combination of engaging narrative and factual information, Gloria Skurzynski uses techniques she's developed as a fiction writer to energize her science writing. This book not only brings the reader into the world of extra-terrestrial science, but is also very much about the hopes and dreams of real people. She lends a strong personal voice to the narrative, drawing the reader deep into the world of extraterrestrial study. Humans have always been fascinated with extraterrestrial life, and the book traces that interest, including the origination of the term "flying saucer." Sloan also explains why scientists don't buy it. "There's been no hard evidence, not a single artifact left behind-a lost boot, or a shred of whatever material the UFO was made of, or even a flake of alien skin." But not believing in flying saucers doesn't mean scientists don't believe in extraterrestrial life. They look for it using telescopes, space missions, and planet explorations. They study extremophiles, organisms that live in extreme environments on Earth, in the hopes that they will lead us to a better understanding of how life may exist in space. Really, what could be out there? This book visits scientists across the globe who are trying to find out, from Puerto Rico to California, from Socorro, New Mexico to Chile, Finland, Spain, and Hawaii. And, what's on tap for the future of extraterrestrial study? Researchers study hydrothermal vents deep under the sea, create super-sensitive radio telescopes, and scour the highest lake in the world. Extremely well written, filled with little-known facts, and often quite humorous, this book brings to life a subject that children are intrigued by. Our time is truly a fascinating moment in scientific exploration, and this book will help anyone get a jump on the search for E.T. Who knows? Maybe there's an alien as close as next-door¨a next-door planet, that is!
Book Description
Peter Ward is a distinguished professor, scientist, and author whose earlier book Rare Earth, with its dim view of the possibilities of complex life beyond our planet, created a rift in the science community so controversial he was featured on the front page of The New York Times. With Life as We Do Not Know It, Ward again challenges our notions of extraterrestrial life with a significantly revised look at life in the universe and a novel hypothesis about the origins of life on Earth.
A principal investigator for the NASA Astrobiology Institute, which funds a program to study “life as we do not know it”—investigating the possibility of life on other planets or, more controversial, creating non-DNA life in the laboratory—Peter Ward presents the latest data on the range of life that are scientifically possible on Earth and beyond. Authoritative and eye opening, Life as We Do Not Know It is sure to provoke wonder and heated debate among both professional researchers and lay readers alike.
Customer Reviews:
Controversial and worthwhile but somewhat quixotic.......2007-06-25
Two of the three deep questions about life, "What is life and how should it be defined?" are addressed in this book along with "Where might life be found?" Peter Ward and his colleague Don Brownlee addressed the third deep question, "Does life tend to evolve into intelligent life?" in their controversial book Rare Earth and came to the unpopular conclusion that intelligent life is very rare, and that overwhelmingly the vast preponderance of life in the universe is microbial. Here Ward concentrates on the possibility of microbial life in the solar system.
Let's look at Professor Ward's goals in writing this book as presented in the preface. His first goal is "to bring the public up to date on the progress in...astrobiology..."
Understandably Ward does not venture beyond the friendly (or not so friendly) confines of the solar system. Influenced as we all are by the recent discoveries of extremophiles in unlikely places on earth, Ward waxes hopeful about the possibility of microbial life under the surface of Mars, is less enthusiastic about life in the ocean under the ice cap of Europa, is pessimistic about life in the Venusian atmosphere, and is almost wildly excited about the possibility of life on the far-off Saturn moon, Titan, where he believes life could be especially exotic.
Interestingly enough Ward thinks there is alien life on earth yet to be discovered, possibly descendants of ancient RNA life. He classifies viruses as being alive and concludes, somewhat whimsically, that alien life does exist on earth since viruses are not included in the family tree of life as defined by most biologists. (One notes in passing that Richard Dawkins's recent tome The Ancestor's Tale does not include any viruses.)
I was uplifted and mostly convinced from Ward's analysis that life does indeed exist on Mars. (Yes!) Ward claims that some scientists now consider it a given, and he even hints darkly that NASA knows this (p. 189) but is keeping mum until they can present a stronger case to the public.
His second goal is "to redefine...life...." Here I am confident that other scientists will find both his grasp and reach exceeded, but I suspect his attempt to reclassify the tree of life will be a harbinger of reclassifications to come. It is here that he is at his most quixotic.
His third goal is "a rational look at what alien life might be like." He looks at life based on something other than DNA and the familiar twenty amino acids. He looks at silicone life. He looks at how life might have originated, going from "warm ponds" to clay substrates to hydrothermal vents to artificially created life.
This leads him to his fourth goal which is to speculate on how likely it is that life could arise and exist in the extreme environments elsewhere in the solar system based on the latest information. I found this part of the book intriguing and optimistic.
Ward urges us to send manned missions to both Mars and Titan because he believes that only space boots on the ground and instruments in gloved hands can best find the aliens he believes live there. Ward also makes the excellent point that only on the relatively unchanging surfaces of the moon and Mars we are likely to find evidence of early life on earth! This is because chunks of our planet flew into space and landed on the moon and Mars from a time not preserved in the geological record on earth because of weathering, etc. He even suggests that fossils of microbial life could exist in earth rocks on the moon and Mars.
There are some minuses in this book. It is not as well written or edited as his previous works. Sometimes it is the case that once a writer becomes as successful as Ward has become, editors are afraid to actually edit, and the writer himself does not read the proofs as carefully as he might. Too bad.
Another minus is his confused expression about the allocation of public funds for SETI as opposed to funds for exploring the solar system. I think Ward ought to say unequivocally that the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and the exploration of the solar system are both worthy projects that ought to receive strong support from the public. On pages 238-239 Ward actually makes fun of how humanity would benefit from a signal from intelligent extraterrestrial life. What he fails to appreciate is the deep philosophic and religious implications of such a signal. He also fails to realize that even though it may take anywhere from nine to fifty to a hundred years or more, depending on where the signal is coming from, for a stream of information to flow our way, that is still a wondrous prospect for humanity. Ward seems blithely unaware that contact of any kind from an extraterrestrial civilization would be one of the greatest events in human history. His conclusion that after such a signal we would discover that "nothing has changed" is...well, I hate to use the word "stupid" but in this case I think it really does apply.
I also didn't care for Ward's little story (pp. 236-237) about trying to give a copy of his book Rare Earth to Microsoft billionaire John Allen only to be embarrassed by SETI scientist Jill Tartar's understandable reaction. Nor did I like his making fun of Carl Sagan's now obviously unwarranted enthusiasm for macroscopic Martian life (pp. 176-179) and his later obsequious praise of the popular scientist (e.g., p. 233).
This is one of those books--Ward's 13th--that historians love because it unintentionally reveals so much about its author and his times. It's a bit breezy, a bit arrogant, and a bit quixotic, but this somewhat brazen report from the infancy of astrobiology is nonetheless an interesting and worthwhile effort.
Imagination As He Does Not Know It.......2007-01-17
One might be surprised that serious scientists have been studying the possibilities of life beyond Earth, and there is plenty of evidence that alien life is indeed plausible, but probably won't look like science fiction archetypes. There are also quite believable chances of life, in some form, being found in the current locations of choice in our solar system - Mars, Europa, and especially Titan. This book presents some very intriguing up-to-date knowledge, but in an awkward presentation that is loaded with self-aggrandizement. Plenty of other reviewers here have commented on the strengths and weaknesses of particular aspects of Peter Ward's scientific statements, so I will discuss the style and writing of the book overall. Unfortunately, there is trouble in that department which badly diminishes the effectiveness of Ward's science, regardless of its plausibility.
This book was probably written because Ward would be unable to get many of his pet theories through the peer reviewing process in the leading scientific journals, especially his attempts for immortality through the creation of entire new categories of taxonomy, among other fanciful thought experiments. (Also, no work in which a scientist talks about himself and his friends so much would ever make it into a serious journal.) Ward has a real weakness for dismissing other researchers' theories with less investigation than he demands from others who look at his own theories, and he has a pretty condescending point of view towards proponents of other realms of thought, such as "animal rights crazies" or Gaians who are guilty of "extreme nonsense." In effect, Ward criticizes speculation and scientific imagination in others, while advancing his own thought experiments which are highly speculative and imaginative, such as calling viruses "alien" or drawing up completely new orders of potential life on Titan. Most disappointingly, Ward generally slams the use of imagination by other scientists and thinkers, but refuses to admit that his own theories, while certainly built upon plausible science, are also influenced by a certain amount of imagination. Thus, interesting science is discussed in a book that becomes rather difficult to take seriously. [~doomsdayer520~]
Thought-provoking on what all may constitute life, BUT with unwarranted sweeping generalizations elsewhere.......2006-07-07
Ward is at his best when making statements that are based on the best and latest studies in molecular biology, evolutionary biology and related fields, such as classifying viruses as living.
He's about as good when conjecturing that in other ways, we may have too limited a view of what constitutes life here on Earth.
He combines this with his paleontologist's knowledge of geography to say that we ... especially "we" being folks like NASA, SETI, etc., may have way too narrow of a view of what constitutes life on other planets, and just what "alien" life may involve.
But, from here, he goes into the unwarranted generalizations.
First, even allowing for the diversity of alien types of life, I think he is unempirically and irrationally optimistic about the existence of life elsewhere in our solar system. The amount of methane on Mars or Titan may be due neither to extant life nor volcanism, contrary to his possibly false dichotomy, for example.
Also, his souped-up overhaul of cladistics, with new classification levels above that of kingdom, have a bit of horn-tooting at times.
From these two observations, it's not too far to Point C, as in, "Look at me! I'm on the cutting edge of astrobiology!"
And, along with other reviewers, I'd have to agree with observations on the paucity of footnotes. Frankly, this seems connected with Point C.
Finally, as a paleontologist, he has some non sequiturs about manned space exploration. He seems to blithely assume that humans can survive longer solar system trips, dodging bullets of cosmic radiation. However, recent research has indicated even a manned trip to Mars could be fraught with peril, not to mention his lusted-after visit to Titan.
I was on the borderline of a fourth star, based on the good points, but I'm sure that someone else will come on with a more sober, and more in-depth, coverage of this fascinating topic soon enough.
A thorough study of the issue.......2006-06-24
"Life as We Do Not Know It" is a truly entertaining book, and it's definitely thorough in it's perspective and presentation.
I really enjoyed Ward and Brownlee's book "Rare Earth," published in 2003. I felt it brought a little sober balance into the whole search for extraterrestrial life thing. So often with a truly enchanting perspective, like that of the SETI people, everyone gets so charmed by the popular concept that few are willing to raise a dissenting voice even if it is realistic. After all, who wouldn't like to find ET out there? And with as disarming a spokesperson as the late Carl Sagan to push for it, who would be so bold as to point out difficulties. If Ward's description in his more recent book, "Life as We Do Not Know It" of his cool if not down right rude reception by a SETI administrator at a dinner party cum science meeting is true, one can certainly see why those with a nay-say keep a low profile. That's too bad, too, because far more can be achieved with a more modest means by facing reality than by grand illusions.
Admittedly the public's--or their political representatives'--unwillingness to part with funds for scientific projects unless they generate popular enthusiasm is much to blame for this single sided point of view. Suddenly science, especially space science, ends up a sort of traveling road show, with NASA in competition with other purveyors of big budget science for funds.
I can't decide if Ward has joined "The Dark Side" with his new book or is genuinely this enthusiastic about discovering life on other planets. Certainly his presently taking part in NASA's study of life on planet earth and of the implications for its occurrence elsewhere might tend to bias his point of view a little. This noted, however, Ward's new work certainly gives a thorough discussion of what we know of the origins of life on our own planet, particularly that of our extremeophiles. He discusses the many possibilities with respect to how life arose, when it did, and under what types of conditions it survived and thrived.
More recent studies of deep earth organisms and of thermophiles living around the mid-ocean ridges that circumscribe the globe like big zippers, has lead to a more optimistic view of the toughness of life. Those first little critters who set our bio-world going were tenacious if nothing else. From these "ancestors" of earth life as we know it today, the author projects the likelihood that similar--or very alien--life might have arisen in the past on other planets given similar conditions. He uses the planets Mars and Venus and the moons Europa, Titan and Triton as his most likely venues for past life, and gives odds on whether life might exist still on Europa or Titan. He also presents the possibility of life on Venus--much as Sagan did for Jupitor and Saturn in his book Cosmos in the 1970s--floating in the gaseous clouds. He also discusses the long discredited notion of Panspermia, now once again a popular idea, which suggests that life, or at least its constitutents, may be ubiquitous in the cosmos. At least within given solar systems it might simply hop from planet to planet seeding all of them. Under the proper conditions, the theory suggests that life emerges and evolves to suit the environment of the seeded planet. Who knows? Certainly we never will unless we make an effort to search our neighboring planets.
An interesting book, and very worth while reading.
Terroans and Viruses and Aliens, Oh My!.......2006-05-19
Have you always suspected that Star Trek's "beings of pure energy" were in fact pure bunk? After reading this book, you'll understand why you were probably right.
Life as We Do Not Know It is a courageous exploration of some of the latest ideas in astrobiology, and a vehicle for Peter Ward to push some of his fairly ground-shaking ideas--mainly about reimagining the tree of life. Reading his book has solidified some of my own reached opinions regarding life, especially how common it is in the universe (hint: there may be as many trees of life in the universe as there are stars).
Get ready for a new level of hierarchy, as Ward introduces Dominion Terroa, Dominion Ribosa and others, above the currently accepted highest level domains. Terroa contains all three known domains of earth life: archaea, bacteria, and eukaryota. Ribosa contains viruses, which Ward convincinlgy argues should be considered living, and the (probably) extinct cellular RNA life.
He goes on to apply these new concepts to the flood of new information recently coming in from the solar system. Mars, Europa and Titan get special treatment, with brand new perspectives and a few surprises for this well-read science and astronomy buff.
Much of the book was peppered with inexcusable grammatical errors and omissions, sometimes seeming to come as often as every page. There were two or three sharp and unexpected barbs aimed at President George W. Bush, dropped in whenever the text ventured near enough, which might bother some readers. But not this one. None of these things detracted from the book in a serious way, and I doubt you could find a more enlightening, current, and grounded book on astrobiology and the origin of life.
Average customer rating:
- A readable basic introduction at the high school level
- General scientific introduction to the search for alien life
- Easy to read, balanced and highly recommended
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Alien Life: The Search for Extraterrestrials and Beyond
Barry Parker
Manufacturer: Basic Books
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Contact with Alien Civilizations: Our Hopes and Fears about Encountering Extraterrestrials
ASIN: 0738208817 |
Book Description
A wonderful overview of our search for signs of intelligent life in the universe.
"Parker has done an outstanding job of pulling together the current scientific understanding of life on Earth and the possibilities of life elsewhere." --Christopher P. McKay, Research Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center
Customer Reviews:
A readable basic introduction at the high school level.......2003-09-08
People looking for a simple introduction to the question of extraterrestrial life will find this book easy to read. Physics professor Parker begins with basic descriptions of life on Earth. He then devotes three chapters to Mars, including the possible existence of microfossils in a chunk of Mars that hit the Earth as a meteorite. Parker moves on to extrasolar planets and the radio search for extraterrestrial intelligence. After touching on interstellar flight, he closes with a discussion of the claim that Earth has been visited by aliens. All this adds up to a broad brush overview, leaving out most of the detailed arguments associated with this question. The writing, which avoids equations and elaborate statistics, seems to be aimed at the high school level. Some of the black and white illustrations, particularly the caricatures of scientists, are surprisingly crude.
General scientific introduction to the search for alien life.......1999-03-15
This book treats the topics of alien lives which usually appear only in science fiction novels. Contrary to the conventionality, the auther dares to challange this topic using the various aspects of scientific knowledges. Because there are virtually no evidence for the alien lives, these scientific knowledges are not fully utilized for solving the puzzles of alien lives or the related topics such as UFOs. However, this book teaches us the present state of scientific knowledges and the methods how to use them. This book is especially recommendable for young amateur astronomers or students who wish to be scentists in future.
Easy to read, balanced and highly recommended.......1998-11-23
Alien Life is an easy-to-understand survey of alien life. It goes from the biochemical origin of life on earth to possible Mars microfossils to the Drake formula to SETI to spaceflight to other suns with some discussion (dismissive but respectful) of UFOs. Parker is a scientist (Professor of Physics and Astronomy) but can write like a journalist; so the book is authoritative yet so well written that it almost breezes along in places. The whole presentation is very evenhanded. I like that. Too often I have purchased books that were peddling one point of view and shading the evidence without me knowing it until later. Not here though. Parker discusses pros and cons of several points of view, keeping the discussion balanced while making it all lively and interesting. Highly recommended.
Book Description
Are we alone in the universe? As humans, are we unique or are we part of a cosmic society? What is life's future on Earth and beyond? How does life begin and develop? These are age-old questions that have inspired wonder and controversy ever since the first people looked up into the sky. With today's technology, however, we are closer than ever to finding the answers. Astrobiology is the relatively new, but fast growing scientific discipline that involves trying to understand the origin, evolution, and distribution of life within the universe. It is also one of the few scientific disciplines that attracts the public's intense curiosity and attention. This interest stems largely from the deep personal meaning that the possible existence of extraterrestrial life has for so many. Whether this meaning relates to addressing the "Big Questions" of our existence, the possibility of making contact with alien beings, or the potential impact on our understanding of religion, there is no doubt that the public is firmly vested in finding answers. In this broadly accessible introduction to the field, Bruce Jakosky looks at the search for life in the universe not only from a scientific perspective, but also from a distinctly social one. In lucid and engaging prose, he addresses topics including the contradiction between the public's fascination and the meager dialogue that exists between those within the scientific community and those outside of it, NASA's public relations campaign, and what has become some of the most impassioned political wrangling ever seen in government science funding.
Customer Reviews:
Examines the search for extraterrestrial life from a scientific AND social perspective .......2007-07-07
XXXXX
"My goal [for this book]...is to explore...philosophical and societal issues in astrobiology [the branch of biology that investigates the existence of living organisms on planets other than Earth], to encourage members of the scientific community to do so themselves, and to begin a multidimensional dialogue between astrobiologists, people from other disciplines such as the humanities, and the public. The issues at the heart of this discussion deal with the nature of science as an intellectual endeavor and how the science of astrobiology is carried out, the parallel question of why we do science (why the public values it and why the federal government supports it, the philosophical and societal significance of finding (or of searching for and not finding) it, and the theological and religious implications of the potential for life elsewhere."
The above is taken from the preface of this extremely interesting and slim book by Dr. Bruce Jakosky, Associate Director of Science in the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado (at Boulder).
This book asks a lot of questions and tries to answer those questions.
Here is the main theme of each of its chapters:
Chapter (1): Asks scientific questions and answers them. For example, what is it about the nature of life on Earth that suggests that there could be life elsewhere? What processes are responsible for producing the present architecture of our solar system? How did these same processes play out in other planetary systems and thus what is the potential for life beyond our solar system?
(2): Explores the question, "What is life?" This is a difficult question to answer but this chapter does a good job in answering it.
(3): Discusses the question, "Is astrobiology a science?" (The author defines astrobiology as "a discipline that involves trying to understand the origin, evolution, and distribution of life within the universe.") Explains how science works in general and what science is.
(4): In this chapter, the nature of what is called "historical science" is explored along with examples taken from recent astrobiological thought.
(5): Why we do science is discussed in this chapter. This topic touches on a variety of key issues. Examples include the roles of basic science versus applied science, personal and societal motivations for science, the role of astrobiology in the process of exploring the universe, and the role that this exploration plays in our society.
(6): "Would the discovery of life [including intelligent life] elsewhere have an impact on religion?" The answer to this question has important implications for how society deals with the relationship between religion and science.
(7): "Astrobiology...touches in significant ways on the larger society. [Astrobiologists] do research that touches on issues with strong intellectual and emotional connections to the public." This chapter explores some of these connections. Also looks at how scientists expend little effort to discuss their work as it relates to society and what can be done about this.
This is, in my view, a unique, well-written, and engaging book that examines the philosophical and societal issues in science in general and in astrobiology in particular.
Finally, I found that there were two omissions in this book:
(i) This book contains no pictures! Pictures, I feel, would have added to this book and perhaps reduced its wordiness. (By the way, the strange picture on the book's cover (dispalayed above by Amazon) has the title of "DNA Galaxy.")
(ii) As mentioned, this book also discusses the possibility of finding intelligent life elsewhere. Thus, I was perplexed that there was no mention of the SETI Institute. (SETI stands for "Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence.") The scientists at this institute have been searching for over twenty years. I thought not mentioning some of the work of this institute was a major oversight.
In conclusion, this is a rare book that blends science, society, and the emerging discipline of astrobiology. I leave you with this book's final sentence:
"Understanding the universe and the potential and actual distribution of life within it will illuminate our own existence here on Earth and help us to comprehend our own species, our own society, and our own individual lives."
(first published 2006; preface; introduction; 7 chapters; main narrative 140 pages; references and additional reading; index; about the author)
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A serious, scholarly, non-metaphysical discussion of life in outer space........2006-11-05
Written by Professor Bruce Jakosky, who has been involved in several space missions including the upcoming Mars Science Laboratory rover, Science, Society and the Search for Life in the Universe introduces readers to the field of astrobiology - the fairly new but rapidly growing discipline of striving to understand the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe. Chapters address the questions of "Is there life elsewhere?" "What is life?" and "Why do we do science?" as well as the intersection between issues of astrobiology, science, and religion. Accessible to lay readers and scholars alike, Science, Society and the Search for Life in the Universe stresses the importance of adherence to the highest-level quality scientific principles above all, in the quest for greater understanding. Highly recommended for anyone genuinely interested in a serious, scholarly, non-metaphysical discussion of life in outer space.
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Are We Alone in the Cosmos? The Search for Alien Contact in the New Millenium
Manufacturer: I Books
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ASIN: 0671038923 |
Book Description
THE WORLD'S LEADING SCIENTISTS CONFRONT THE ULTIMATE QUESTION: ARE WE ALONE IN THE COSMOS?
Featuring Essays by: Philip Morrison, Arthur C. Clarke, Donald Goldsmith, Frank Drake, Bruce Campbell, and Ben Bova.
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Never before has so much time and concetrated effort been spent by so many scientists and writers in pursuit of the answer to this fundamental question. In this extraordinary work, major scientists involved in the Search for extraterrestrial intelligence known as SETI explain their work and reveal their thoughts. Joining them are some of the best speculative thinkers, from Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov to Gregory Benford, who address the major philosophical questions involved.
Includes new essay by Dr. Donald Goldsmith, author of The Hunt for Life on Mars, and The Ultimate Einstein, on the new personal computer search for alien contact via the internet, and how you can partake in it.
You can share your thoughts about the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence in the new ibooks vitual readers group at www.ibooksinc.com
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GREAT READ.......2000-02-22
This is a great book. It is not an interconnected novel. It is a collection of essays from famous scientists and writers. Read this book in any order you want!
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- Not as easy as you might think
- Looking for life on Mars
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The Search for Life on Mars
Malcolm Walters ,
M. R. Walter , and
Malcolm Walter
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Red Mars (Mars Trilogy)
ASIN: 073820367X |
Amazon.com
Who's afraid of little green men these days? We've got more pressing (and realistic) worries now, but recent evidence points to the red planet as a possible source of living matter, so while we might not have to worry about the war of the worlds, it does behoove us to be neighborly and check it out. Astrobiologist Malcolm Walter wrote The Search for Life on Mars to explain what we know and what's at stake in this interplanetary reconnaissance mission. His writing is relaxed and personal; he shares his early experiences observing the space program with the readers and builds in us a sense of the magic felt by the pioneers in extraterrestrial exploration. He goes on to describe our current state of knowledge--and ignorance--about life elsewhere and on Mars in particular, then explains what we're currently doing to investigate and why.
The fabled "Martian meteorite" renewed interest in both Mars and the search for alien life, and Walters tells us its history and probable origin, though much still remains unknown. The excitement of working with NASA comes through in his writing about his own work; it's fascinating to read of space research divorced from the old context of nationalistic pride. Walters ends the book with a beautiful, lucid description of what the first Martian explorers will see, and argues gently for the importance and relevance of this work to our lives and those of our descendents. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
A timely and provocative account of one of the most thrilling topics in science today-the search for life on Mars--and how it may ultimately lead us to the origins of life in the universe.
Hidden beneath the sterile surface of Earth's neighboring planet may be the keys to unlocking the origins of life in the universe. An expert on extreme-life environments, Malcolm Walter argues that the best place to find evidence of life on Mars is out of reach of telescopes and space probes--it's in the rocks and subsurface water of the Red Planet. In this engaging and authoritative book, Walter unveils his dramatic plan-already adopted by NASA--for finding these elusive traces of life.
Customer Reviews:
Not as easy as you might think.......2001-05-26
This book is a little like "Here be Dragons," (Koerner, LeVay, Oxford University Press, 2000) and "Rare Earth," (Ward, Brownlee, Copernicus, 2000) except that it is more focused and specific than the others. While Koerner, LeVay, Ward, and Brownlee consider the possibility that life exists outside the solar system, Walter limits the scope of his book to the question of whether microbes exist, or once existed, on Mars.
Life outside of earth has never been unambiguously observed and verified. Consequently, discussions about the possibility of life beyond earth inevitably begin with thoughts about how life originated here. There seems to be an emerging sense that life is the result of a universe that is naturally self-organizing (Stuart Kauffman is in this camp. See his book "At Home in the Universe, Oxford University Press, 1995). According to this point of view, life is all but certain to arise on any planet having the basic chemicals and physical conditions found on earth 4 billion years ago. Given this hypothesis - that life arises quickly and naturally in the proper environment - it's natural to ask if any other planets in the solar system have (or had) the necessary ingredients. If they did, we should look to see if life evolved there. Since there is growing evidence that Mars had a distant past with some of these conditions, it seems more and more important that we look for life on Mars. Finding evidence of life there would buttress the concept that life readily evolves given the proper environment. Obviously, if that's the case, it holds enormous consequences for modern science.
Walter has a nice chapter on the tree of life, and describes recent information showing that "all the lowest branches of the tree are occupied by hyperthermophiles." The discovery that life exists on earth under extreme conditions (like those of deep-sea thermal vents) has increased the hope among scientists that it might also have evolved and flourished on Mars many thousands of millions of years ago. He also shows how genetic transfer between species happens today, and was probably common among our earliest ancestors, so that the whole concept of a "tree of life" becomes somewhat tangled during the earliest stages of the evolution of life. Instead of a tree, the topology looks more like a web, with the roots of the tree (consisting of Bacteria, Eucarya, and Archaea) rising out of this web.
The expectation of finding evidence of life on Mars depends on the type of environment that Mars supported in the distant past, and the circumstances under which life arose on earth. It also depends on how easy it is to ascertain the evidence of fossilized ancient microbial life. It turns out that identifying evidence of microbes in very old rocks is a pretty hard thing to do. To illustrate this, Walter describes the difficulty of identifying stromatolites in ancient rocks. This was new information for me, and a real insight into the nuts and bolts of making these sorts of identifications. I'd thought that stromatolites were easy to identify, but in the very oldest rocks, they're not. When identifying stromatolites in rocks 3000 million years old, there can be (and often is) a great deal of controversy regarding the conclusion. Walter's point in making this so clear is that stromatolites are large colonies of microbes, yet even they are not unambiguously identified in the oldest rocks. The problem of identifying evidence for individual microbes in rocks 3000 to 3500 million years old is even tougher. The point being that even with Martian rocks in our hands, it's not going to be easy to affirmatively state whether there is evidence of ancient life on Mars.
To drill the point home, Walter points to the fact that we do have chunks of Martian rocks on hand, in the form of bits and pieces that have been blasted off the Martian surface by meteorite impacts. Walter describes in detail the scientific examination of some of these rocks, and one, in particular, identified as ALH84001. This meteorite made world news when a team of scientists reported finding evidence of ancient microbes buried inside it. Walter describes the initial reports, the objections, and the eventual state of limbo in which these conclusions came to rest. This helps set the tone for expectations regarding the difficulty against which such analysis will proceed even when we manage to return samples from the Martian surface using spacecraft.
In describing how scientists make conclusion about the presence of microbes in ancient rocks, Walter does a real service by illustrating the importance of convergent evidence. Identifying ancient microbes involves more than one type of observation. It involves many types of converging data, including visible observations of deposits in rocks, the types of rocks involved, and things like carbon isotope ratios (not to be confused with carbon 14, which decays far to quickly for analysis in 3000-million-year-old rocks). Along these lines, I noticed a recent article in Photonics Spectra (May 2001) describing the use of Raman imaging to identify microfossils - another tool, in the search for the ancient life on earth, and possibly on Mars.
The book ends with some very informative discussions about proposals for future landing sites on Mars, for sample analysis and/or return.
This is a very informative book, with useful insights into the way science works, complete with several pages of color plates, a useable index, and short list of further reading material. If you are interested in what NASA does, and how the scientific search for life on Mars is (and will be) carried out, I think you will like it. I certainly did.
Looking for life on Mars.......2000-04-10
Malcolm Walter has written a fascinating guide to where we should look for current or past life on Mars. As a non-scientist I was not quite sure what to expect in buying this book, but what I found was a thoughtful discussion of how one scientist would explore the red planet for signs of life. Walter gives a short, understandable review of the scientific discoveries to date from the past NASA missions as a prelude to what to expect in the future. However, his background is in palaeobiology on Earth, which I learned is the study of fossilied life. Having absolutely no knowledge of this field myself, I sometimes felt a little lost in his technical discussions and wasn't always sure that I wanted to know as much as he told me about microbe fossils on Earth. Nevertheless, the thrust of his arguments and points he made were all clear. The heart of his case is that there is a lot we can learn from palaeobiology on Earth that should inform how we search for life, which may very well only be fossilized former life, on Mars. The importance future extensive scientific exploration for signs of past or present life on Mars is also well made. Overall, this short book (170 pages including the index) is worth the the time, and for a layman the effort, for anyone who has even a passing interest in this subject.
Books:
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- The Stargate Conspiracy: The Truth about Extraterrestrial life and the Mysteries of Ancient Egypt
- The Transit of Venus
- The Transit of Venus
- The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, the Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next
- The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
- The View from the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos
- The View from the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos
- Tropica: Color Cyclopedia of Exotic Plants and Trees for Warm-Region Horticulture in Cool Climate the Summer Garden or Sheltered Indoors
- What's Your Dosha, Baby?: Discover the Vedic Way for Compatibility in Life and Love
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Search for Life on Other Planets
