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This digital document is an article from Daedalus, published by American Academy of Arts and Sciences on June 22, 2004. The length of the article is 2025 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: On the search for extrasolar planets.
Author: Alan P. Boss
Publication: Daedalus (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2004
Publisher: American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Volume: 133Issue: 3Page: 116(4)

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This digital document is an article from World of Earth Science, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 2024 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.A comprehensive guide to the concepts, theories, discoveries, pioneers, and issues relating to topics in earth science. Its encyclopedic approach offers entries that are written in easy to understand language. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Water: Science and Issues, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1478 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Integrates key concepts, current issues, traditional and emerging research, and major legislation in three subject areas: fresh water, marine waters, and policy and management. These topics are complemented by historical overviews, biographical sketches, and career information. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Macmillan Reference USA Science Library: Space Sciences, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 2998 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.From the history of space exploration to the future of space business, this set offers a broad survey of the space sciences. Includes biographies of scientists and the space-related job market. ... Read more

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The “Gale Encyclopedia of Science” is written at a level somewhere between the introductory sources and the highly technical texts currently available. This six-volume set covers all major areas of science and engineering, as well as mathematics and the medical and health sciences, while providing a comprehensive overview of current scientific knowledge and technology. Alphabetically arranged entries provide a user-friendly format that makes the broad scope of information easy to access and decipher. Entries typically describe scientific concepts, provide overviews of scientific areas and, in some cases, define terms.

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To many people, the main question about extraterrestrial life is whether it exists. But to the scientific community, that question has already been answered: it does, and within our solar system. The new science of astrobiology is already being practiced at NASA's Astrobiology Institute and the University of Washington's new Department of Astrobiology.

Life Everywhere is the first book to lay out what the new science of astrobiology is all about. It asks the fascinating questions researchers in astrobiology are asking themselves: What is life? How does it originate? How often does life survive once it arises? How does evolution work? And what determines whether complex or intelligent life will emerge from more primitive forms? Informed by interviews with most of the top people in this nascent field, this book introduces readers to one of the most important scientific developments of the next century.Amazon.com Review
Are we alone? As the search for extraterrestrial intelligence comes moreand more into the mainstream, scientists like David Darling step up toexplain what we know and what's possible. His book Life Everywhereexplores the history and current state of the field called, perhaps unfortunately, astrobiology. Devoted neither to organisms skimming the sun's surface nor to possible signs of intelligence among celebrities--though not explicitly rejecting these phenomena--astrobiology is concerned with the basic questions of life: What is a living organism? Is it common, or likely, elsewhere in the universe? Is it worth trying to communicate across light years? Darling, an astronomer and science journalist, has a knack for explaining complexities and fine details that carries his prose forward where other authors have foundered; the reader is swept up in the enthusiasm of the researchers Darling describes. Writing of the astronomical search for signs of life far off in the galaxy, he captures the thrill of this work:

Their efforts will revolutionize astrobiology, more so perhaps thanspacecraft parachuting down out of the orange sky of Titan or roving therock-strewn deserts of Mars. The world-shaking headlines of the nexttwenty years will likely come from giant instruments, on the ground and inEarth orbit, gazing with far sight at the planetary systems of other stars.

Since most research germane to the field has been done here on Earth,Darling explores such hot topics as heat vents and other geothermalmini-biomes, meteoritic dissection, and, of course, SETI's radio telescopearrays. Mars, Venus, and the moons of the outer planets are all majorcharacters, and their stories will reinvigorate most readers' excitementabout the prospects of having neighbors just down the cosmic street. Ending with a set of hypotheses and brief explorations of their ramifications if shown to be true, Life Everywhere is an outstanding and thought-provoking look at what could ultimately be the most world-shaking research ever conducted. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Good, but becoming dated.
Life Everywhere was undoubtedly a much more groundbreaking book when it was published in 2001 than it is today. On the one hand, many of the ideas about the probable inevitability of extraterrestrial life which Darling was popularizing still seem to be in vogue today. Most likely, extraterrestrial life will be found to be carbon-and-water based on an earth-sized planet located around a star similar to our sun and located within a distance from it known as the habitable zone. A large moon and a Jupiter-sized planet within that solar system would greatly facilitate matters in a favorable way for life to arise. But cases can be made for exceptions to all these conditions. One thing that really dates this book however is a section near the end where the author looks forward to the advances in knowledge which we will gain by space missions in 2004, 2006, etc. I haven't been a follower of astrobiology up until recently, but I don't think these missions have revealed anything earthshaking or I would have heard about it. One discovery that has been momentous, of course, is the recently announced(April 21st, 2009)finding of an earth-sized planet 20 light-years away. It seems likely there are more to come, and that there will be a new crop of astrobiology books, inspired by this discovery, to come also. Another book on the subject of extraterrestrial life which is much more recent than Life Everywhere, is one called Beyond UFO's: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life and Its Astonishing Implications for our Future, by Jeffrey Bennett. Don't let the sensational sounding title fool you. This book was written by a scientifically trained writer of an astrobiology textbook and is endorsed by scientists in the field. In my opinion, besides being more recent, it provides more detail and a more systematic and comprehensive view of the field, although, of course, it predates discovery of the earth-size planet. Bennett, like Darling, also takes some time out to lecture a bit about the negative effects on science of creationism and intelligent design. This seems to be standard procedure in popular science books these days, and I'm not personally convinced these warning labels are warranted. Be that as it may, both books are good, but if I had to choose between the two, I would pick the Bennett book.

Nice change of perspective from "Rare Earth"
I think this is a good book to read after reading "Rare Earth".The writing style is definately more casual and as if you are inside the mind of Darling, compared to the more "here's the information" style of other books. It took a while to get used to it, but in the end it was a nice change to have that type of commentary.

The book does a good job of covering the various areas of astrobiology, however, I think Rare Earth probably does a better job in talking about a few things. This is one reason why I recommend reading Rare Earth first. The other reason obviously being the critique of the Rare Earth hypothesis, and one section that totally rips apart Guillermo Gonzalez's "hidden agenda" as he calls it. The two books are kind of like listening to a debate, and both seem to have good arguments in some place but slightly unreasonable arguments in other places. Overall it gives you a good feel for where we stand today in our knowledge and what we can reasonably assume about the possibility of life elsewhere (microbial or complex).

At times I did feel like Darling was being a bit unfair to the Rare Earth authors - attacking them or the book a bit too much. But in the end he settled down.

Overall a good book that complements Rare Earth well.

Includes a blistering critique of the "rare earth" hypothesis
Two things have happened in recent years to persuade most scientists that life beyond earth is not just possible, but likely.Indeed some people, including myself, believe there is, as the title of David Darling's book has it, "Life Everywhere."

Well, not in the center of the sun or on the surface of a neutron star--at least not life as we know it.

"Life as we know it."This is an important phrase that comes up again and again in discussions about astrobiology."Life as we know it" means life with a carbon base and liquid water.David Darling considers silicone-based life and even life forms so bizarre that we wouldn't recognize them if we saw them, but basically he sticks with life as we know it in this very interesting answer to those who think that life in the universe is rare.

The two things:

(1) The discovery of extremophiles, bacteria that live in sulfurous hot springs, deep inside the earth, and at the bottom of deep oceans.Instead of deriving their energy from the sun, they are able to use heat coming from within the earth to metabolize.

(2) The discovery of scores of planets (albeit not earth-sized planets--yet) revolving around other stars.

What the first discovery means is that life doesn't have to exist or begin in conditions such as there are or have been on the surface of the earth, but can thrive in places previous thought hostile to life.That opens up a whole lot of the universe to life including parts of our solar system previously thought inimical to life, such as in an ocean under the icy crust of Europa or beneath the inhospitable surface of Mars.And the fact that planets are now clearly plentiful means that there are numerous places for life to develop.

Darling, who is an unusually lucid writer and a man who gets to the bottom of things, begins with the nitty-gritty problem of just how to define life.If you haven't been introduced to this strangely knotty problem, this book may open your eyes.Do we consider reproduction, metabolism, growth, etc. in our definition?And which of these elements are essential and which are not?The postmodern definition now preferred by most people I have read is "undergoes Darwinian evolution."Is that adequate?Is that the essence?Darling puts all the cards on the table and lets you decide.

Next Darling recapitulates ideas about how life began.The main new idea is that life may be an inevitable consequence of the nature of matter and energy.It appears that matter is self-organizing.Darling reviews the ideas of how lifeless matter might replicate and how cells might develop from various molecules and water.These "leaky membranes" could be the precursors of the first biological cells. (p. 40)

He goes on to make the case for a universe with abundant life.But along the way he presents a blistering critique of Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe (2000) by Peter D. Ward and Donald Brownlee, in which it is argued that the circumstances that allow life are rare and that those circumstances as seen on earth are unlikely to be replicated anywhere else.Darling not only utterly destroys their argument, point by point, but even shows that part of the reason that it was advanced was because they were under the influence of one Guillermo Gonzalez, professor of astronomy at the University of Washington, who is also a creationist with the usual supernatural agenda.

This was bombshell to me.But Darling shows that nearly every argument that Gonzalez makes is designed (pun intended) to discredit the idea that there is life anywhere but on earth.On page 112, Darling refers to an article entitled "Live Here or Nowhere" co-authored by Gonzalez for a publication called "Connections" published by Reasons to Believe, Inc. of Pasadena, California, whose mission is "to communicate the uniquely factual basis for belief in the Bible."The article concludes, "The fact that the sun's location is fine-tuned to permit the possibility of life--and even more precisely fine-tuned to keep the location fixed in that unique spot where life is possible--powerfully suggests divine design."

A couple more points:

First, Darling argues that life forms on other worlds, however dissimilar their chemistry, are likely to be familiar to us in the sense that if there is an atmosphere, some will have wings, and if there is an ocean, some with have fins, if there is a solid ground to walk upon, some will walk and run, and if there is light to see, some with have eyes.This idea of "convergence" is dictated by the laws of physics which requires evolutionary adaptations to take forms that work efficiently within certain environments.Of course if the life forms we eventually discover exist in great dust clouds, their adaptations may be very dissimilar and surprising.Even on solid ground here on earth some run and some hop, some crawl and some slither.

Second, since it is now known that bacteria spores can exist more or less indefinitely (some have been revitalized after hundreds of millions of years of dormancy: see page 150), the once discredited idea of panspermia, namely that life originated elsewhere in the universe and arrived here as spores, has been rejuvenated.Personally, I've always liked this idea championed by Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe; however this book has convinced me that life could arrive from without or develop from within.Either way (or both) seem likely to me.

Is extraterrestrial life widespread?
This book is actually in the form of a long essay defending the hypothesis that life, at least in microbial form, is widespread in the Galaxy.

The author starts by trying to define life.Is it replication?Evolution?Metabolism?Next, he discusses the question of the atmosphere of the early Earth.A reducing atmosphere might produce complex organic molecules in some warm little pond.But the Earth is unlikely to have had such an atmosphere then.That leads to the question of where life originated.Near ocean vents, or on (or just under) the ocean floor?And when life originated.Over 4 billion years ago?When the Earth was still being bombarded by bolides?

The author then discusses meteorites, along with the possibilities for them having brought organic molecules (or even life) to Earth.After that, there's some material on extrasolar planets, including "hot Jupiters," which may migrate right through a stellar system, wiping out all the rest of the planets in it.

A very interesting section is Darling's critique of Ward and Brownlee's book, "Rare Earth."That book contains the view that although microbial life is probably widespread on other worlds, multicellular life (and especially intelligent life) will prove to be rare.Actually, that view, while a minority one, is unremarkable.After all, there is good evidence that unicellular life originated rather quickly on Earth while multicellular life took quite a bit longer.But Ward and Brownlee go further than that, claiming that several things about Earth are special and unusual: the Moon, the exact spacing between catastrophic events, being in the right part of the "habitable zone," having Jupiter to shield it from heavier bolide bombardment, having a high metallicity Sun, having plate tectonics, and being in the right part of the Galaxy!Darling presents interesting rebuttals to these points.And he finishes the chapter by pointing out that a collaborator of Ward and Brownlee, Guillermo Gonzalez, keeps finding signs that the Earth is unique.Darling asks if Gonzalez is letting his religious beliefs influence his scientific views (Gonzalez says that his views that life's origin involved the personal involvement of a supernatural creator have motivated his science and vice-versa). Um, that is a good question.Still, I wonder if that's altogether fair.Ought we ask about Simon Conway Morris, whose religious beliefs support his views on convergence? Or about, say, Fred Hoyle, with his views on panspermia?Or about Freeman Dyson, whose scientific ideas seem rather independent of his religious views? Or about, um, me?

In any case, Darling continues with the debate between Stephen Jay Gould and Simon Conway Morris.Gould argues for divergionism, and says that were we to "replay the tape of life," the odds are that the chordate worm that first incorporated what became the human body plan would have been lost and there would have been no humans.Conway Morris argues for convergionism, and says that no matter what specific species survive, niches tend to get filled.And that means that some creatures very much like humans would have evolved had we replayed that tape.Darling agrees, and adds that even intelligence appears to be convergent.

The author then tells about upcoming space missions to look for life in the solar system and to discover more about extrasolar planets.

Darling concludes that life is a universal phenomenon, life's most important characteristic is to engage in Darwinian evolution, life originates on planets and moons, planets are very common, the evolution of life involves contingency and convergence, and life can be both planet-wide and refugial.But he says that future events may get us to change our minds on some of this.What if we find life on Mars?Or find definitive evidence that Mars has always been sterile?Or find life (or even find complex life) on Europa?What if we spot an atmosphere on an extrasolar planet that suggests life abounds there?What if we findbacteria in interstellar space?What if we find life based on silicon instead of carbon?Or make contact with extraterrestrial artificial life?And while it might be tough to verify it, what if we were to discover that there is no other intelligent life (or no other life) in the universe?

While it wouldn't surprise too many people, the author says it would also be significant were we to verify the existence of a very deep, hot biosphere such as the one Thomas Gold has proposed.

This book is easy to read and informative.I recommend it.

"Politically Correct"
This is one of eight books on Astrobiology which were rushed out after the publication of Joseph's revolutionary and ground breaking text, in May of 2000. Like the other seven competing volumes, this text differs from Joseph's, in that it strictly holds to the "party" line, as approved by the United States government, and repeats, without any critical analysis, mainstream scientific dogma. Now, don't get me wrong. Although he avoids mentioning Joseph's book--which clearly triggered the writing of his own--Darling does an otherwise good job of provding a "politically correct" overview of thestatus quo. If you are interested in the views held by mainstream, government funded scientists, this is the book for you. ... Read more

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The startling Antarctic discovery...The revelations about life on Mars...Shocking new proof about who we really are!

From outer space to deep prehistory, from ancient Egypt to the planet Mars, the conclusions in Martian Genesis will astound you.

At last, science writer Herbie Brennan provides answers to the questions that have confounded scientists for years--including a startling solution to the mystery surrounding the rock face found on Mars. His carefully researched, impeccably documented conclusions may change history forever.

Find out when, where, and how the human race first came to be--millions of years earlier than previously believed! Discover the shocking archaeological evidence of Martian ancestors that has been ignored--or suppressed--in popular theories of evolution. Encounter new revelations made in photos taken from space...eye-opening evidence of hi-tech artifacts millennia old...fascinating discoveries from Antarctica, Siberia, the ocean floor...and more. Read about:

Unexplained fossils! Evidence that people actually walked with the dinosaurs...wearing shoes!
Amazing ancient technology! How the pyramids were lit...by electricity!
Lost prehistoric civilizations! How someone built a massive concrete block wall in Oklahoma...312 million years ago!
Life on Mars...when it flourished, what happened to it, what it left behind!

... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Not bad but for beginners to the subject
Brennan recounts the old stories of ancient archaeology through most of this book. He sites a lot of bible quotes to reinforce his contention that we came from Mars but doesn't really give any hard evidence as to how this was possible. This book is basically a collection of other books that I have read that were more interesting. More for people who don't know too much about ancient archaeology and what to start out with the basics.

Little connection between the title and what is delivered.
Although this book does present some intriquing archeological anomalies, and thought-provoking speculation, it fails to even come close to delivering the goods. The author revisits ground well-trodden ('face on Mars', ancient mysteries, mythology-as-fact), but offers nothing new. It is disjointed, and seems to have been put together hastily. Sub-par.

Am I supposed to believe this?
How half of the archaeological sites mentioned in this book have anything to do with Mars is beyond me. If we came from Mars, then don't you think there'd be some kind of oral or written history about it? There's an oral history of Noah's flood, and of Jesus allegedly rising from the dead, but there's no mention of us coming to Earth from Mars. How could people forget such a momentous occasion?

The whole premise of this book is solely based on one picture. Overall this book sucks.

Quick, compelling, well-researched
Brennan's book is far from the definitive book on possible extraterrestrial intervention in our species' history.But it's surprisingly cogent, fast reading that raises important questions without insulting the reader's intelligence.Brennan's thesis isn't developed into a working hypothesis; he leaves this thorny task for others to unravel.But the material here is certainly worth the few hours it takes to read "Martian Genesis."

Interesting hypothesis
Mr. Brennan explores a vast amount of historical "anomalies" throughout his book, all of which, he believes, are clues to an ancient civilization that existed before modern history was believed to have started. According to modern consensus civilization began about 6,000 years ago in Sumer, however, Mr. Brennan challenges this idea and suggests that it was much earlier, around 35,000 or 65,000 years ago, and also that we possibly could've been transplanted from Mars. All in all the book is pretty good, plus there's pictures of the face on Mars. ... Read more

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This series investigates unusual careers in science-related fields and finds out about commonly considered ways in which science can be put to use. With full colour phtographs and illustrations. Ages 12-16 years. ... Read more

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It was in this book (published on 07/23/97) that Dr. Gilbert V. Levin first announced his conclusion that his 1976 Viking Labeled Release (LR) life detection experiment flown on NASA's Viking mission to Mars found living microorganisms in the soil. Shortly afterward Levin presented his results in a scientific paper to the Annual Meeting of the International Society for Optical Engineering in San Diego.

Mars the Living Planet opens with the telling of how curious people became interested in the planet Mars as a world which might harbor some form of life. The book also traces the history of how the science of astronomy and microbiology eventually merged to become the new science known as astrobiology (first called exobiology in the 1960's). The story quickly moves forward to tell the real life story of astrobiologist Dr. Gilbert V. Levin. Levin was the second astrobiologist hand selected by NASA's first Administrator Keith Glennan in 1959 to develop a microbial detection instrument that could look for traces of life on Mars. Levin then went on to work as an scientific investigator on NASA's Mariner 9 Orbiter mission and later with Viking - the first spacecraft ever sent to look for life on another planet. Mars The living Planet details the exciting events that unfolded during the Viking program from the pre-mission testing and on the surface of Mars.

Recently a new scientific paper was published in the Journal ofGeophysical Research with the title "Reanalysis of the Viking resultssuggests perchlorate and organics at mid-latitudes on Mars" by RafaelNavarro-González and a number of co-authors demonstrates that the Viking gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS) used to invalidate Levin'sbiology results might have actually found a surprisingly significantamount of organic material in Martian soil at both the Viking 1 andViking 2 landing sites on Mars. This now reopens the door to the results obtained by Levin's Viking Labeled Release experiments on Mars - a door that has been largely closed for 34 years due to the misinterpretationof the Viking GCMS.  A number of newspapers brokethe story September 3rd 2010 about the Navarro-González findings including the New YorkTimes and Washington Post.


Mars The Living Planet - now available on KINDLE. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

A landmark in the propagation of conspiracy rumors regarding Mars
A landmark in the propagation of conspiracy rumors regarding modern Mars exploration seems to be the 1997 book by Barry E. Digregorio with Gilbert Levin and Dr. Patricia Ann Straat, 'Mars, The Living Planet' An emphasis of the book is the weight Levin gives to the results of the biology experiments on Viking. I would have liked to have separate chapters by the different authors to better sort out the editorial emphasis of the contributors. Gilbert Levin was a member of the Viking Science Team concerned with the biology experiments, and probably provided the detailed backgrounds and descriptions of the experiments.
Carl Sagan would later say in his talks that the Viking life detection experiments obtained two out of the three positives sought in the methods used in the trio of biology experiments. Levin seems to feel the caution in explaining the behavior of the Martian soil in the Viking biology experiments was excessive. My impression vacillates between someone invoking an image of a persecuted heretic and that of a dogged crusader on the conceivable verge of vindication. In the end who knows? The cause is periodically kept alive with articles like this.(1)
My primary interest in this book is not in the biology experiment results, but in a field I have experience in, the preparation of images for presentation. The more sensational aspects of the book deal with color related issues as they might relate to biological scenarios for what is being seen.

'Mars, The Living Planet' is cited by a few who still represent the dark regions of Mars as being green and alive in willful ignorance of what we have learned since the dawn of the Space Age. The color reproductions in that book are generally terrible and the images are not necessarily accurately described in the captions, confusing and undermining some of the points the authors were trying to make. For instance, color plate 4, which shows a photo mosaic map containing a large elongated dark gray region on Mars, is shown as gray (and upside down) above a caption describing it as blue green with a similar caption error on another such photo map on plate 23. Plate 5 is incorrectly described as part of the first Viking 1 color picture. Plate 6 has nothing to do with the caption below it, the intent seemingly to provide a comparison of the pre and post adjustment color balance of the first picture but instead showing the 'Sun over the shoulder' view of the flag and other painted parts. The first color surface picture is partially shown and correctly attributed on the facing page, on plates 7 and 8, but poorly and luridly reproduced.
Images processed to make the brightest basaltic rock surfaces with less dust appear greenish are cited as evidence for lichen like growths perched on the rocks. The 'changes' cited seem to me more likely to be due to the deposition and removal of dust across the rock surfaces, as was seen on the lander surface during the mission. This is ironically exactly the explanation of the large scale seasonal changes of the large dark regions which were once cited as possible evidence of widespread plant life on Mars. The last color plate, of a reasonably reproduced Hubble Mars image release showing greenish looking dark regions, is used to imply the dark areas are actually green and by implication living. The highest quality Hubble images of Mars made at the 2003 close approach to Earth show the lack of green on Mars.(2) The book reads largely like an appeal for the revival of the vegetation hypothesis of the 'wave of darkening' noted above.

The book also tells the story of the high end CRT monitors at the JPL press area early in the Viking 1 mission displaying the initial attempt at a color picture being manually readjusted by technicians, using the RGB 'brightness knobs'. I suspect this monitor adjustment was an effort to easily correct the color error in the initial print run while a new batch of color photographic prints were being laboriously prepared. Gilbert Levin's 20 year old son Ron then began changing the color adjustments back to the 'Earth like' setting undoing the work of the technicians. Ron was shortly confronted by Viking project head Jim Martin and warned to stop or be thrown out. This is probably the origin of the conspiracy story regarding the supposed NASA efforts to hide an Earth like sky on Mars. Ron Levin was later involved in a fiasco when he ran with a story of water or clear ice being seen on Mars.(3) In support of his recent attempts to establish that liquid water can be found on Mars under the most favorable conditions, he used as evidence a garishly colored photo from the Opportunity rover in an article run on the NewScientist web site (and soon retracted) as evidence for a water pond or smooth clear ice!

This is not a book for people wanting to launch a career in Planetary Science. It ismore of a justification for willful ignorance of accumulated facts regarding Mars, and wishful thinking. There is in reality no attempt to censor an 'Earth like' Mars, nor is there an attempt to sweep evidence of life of any sort 'under the rug'. There is a good deal of caution and high standards applied to evidence that might shed light on the existence of life on other worlds. Caution must be applied to avoid announcing what could under further scrutiny turn out to be a 'false positive', with resulting likely devastation of credibility for the field as well as for individuals.

Don Davis

[...]

It's all just too odd
This whole life on Mars controversy, with this book being just one example, is so thoroughly weird that it actually makes me just a bit suspicious. How could a book get such wildly varying reviews with one alleged authoritative science type saying this is great stuff and another (no less than a former NASA employee) claiming it's total BS and a slam against NASA? It's all so silly, couldn't these experiments be repeated and if they can't why not? Is this guy a scientist who can write a coherent scientific paper or not? Are there questions that need resolving or not?

What makes me suspicious is this:

What if solid evidence for life elsewhere is uncovered? Do we, John and Jane Q. Public, get the story, straight? How do religious fundamentalists and various other kooks react to this news that their deity, or maybe his opposite, was busy elsewhere? What happens when it REALLY SINKS IN what this all means? (What it means is that the once-friendly and comforting night sky slowly becomes a wide-open doorway to the unknown, intelligent life elsewhere becomes a near certainty, curiosity may turn to fear and horror, etc. etc.). Well, they don't know until they make the announcement, do they, so why not sort-of make the announcement now and then to see what happens, maybe to acclimate folks to the idea.

This book and all the circumstances surrounding it are suspicious. What responsible scientist would announce that Martian life has been discovered in a meteorite fragment unless they were 100% certain? Why do we keep getting green lights that invariably switch to red or yellow? Why is eveidence for so many things almost always just barely out of reach?

This is an interesting book but I trust it about as far as I could throw it and not for the reasons many critics offer. I'm seeing too many books like this recently, books about controversial things by people with "credentials." If there isn't something a tad conspiratorial about it all then we've got some serious problem with our modern credential-ling process and that's scarier than finding out Mars has bugs.

Follow the data......
Excellent, well researched book. The case is convincingly made that the Viking LR experiments did indeed detect life in 1976. During the intervening years, mainstream science has dismissed these results as a hypothetical(and never explained/ replicated!)exotic chemical reaction. New data distilled from the original Viking records have even revealed a circadian rythym(independent of thermal effects)to the LR's measured results. Rather than recite a long list of pertinent facts however, let me say this: follow the data. Ignore, discard and reject input from people(even the experts!) who clearly, for whatever reason will not publicly face the facts revealed by the data. If Mars and the possibility of exobiology interests you at all, do your homework, search out the facts..... you will eventually discover a very noticeable..er, dichotomy(to put it politely) between what data is coming in - and the interpreted results anounced by NASA. Why this is - I do not know. It is not conspiracy theorizing to see the obvious; hopefully this book will spur more people to ask hard questions - and at least, eventually settle this debate at some point in time - once and for all.

what is evidence?
Reading this book took me back over the years to the 1976 viking lander life detection experiments.I have a doctorate in cell biology and have worked extensively with cells in culture. Thus, the label release experiments seemed pretty indicative of metabolism in the martian soil sample, hence life. The fact that the uptake of labeled nutrients was prevented if the soil was pre-heated (steralization) was also consistent with life which could be destroyed by heat.These results seemed to be pretty strong indicators of some sort of microbiol presence in the soil.At this point everyone seemed excited.Then came the gas chromatography which failed to detect organic material.The conclusion was immediately reached that the martian soiled contain no life but had an "interesting chemistry".Howver, what we had was conflicting results which usually calls for further experimentation rather than dismissing one set of data out of hand.

Thus I was delighted to see Digregorio et al's book on the library shelves.The authors argue convincingly that the label release experiments were properly done and also points out potential problems with the chromatography experiments which should have been examined more closely. He also discusses other intrigueing observations, such as the presence of green hues on the martian rocks suggesting photosynthetic organisms.Perhaps one of his most telling arguments concerns the use of the word "evidence." Evidence is a set of one one or more observations which support a given hypothesis.Certainly the label release experiments would fall into the category of evidence for life.Furthermore, no one seems to have shown that the experiments leading to these results were flawed.Thus the statement made again and again that the viking lander experiments failed to show evidence of life is wrong.While the authors can't prove conclusively that there is life on Mars, they certainly make a strong case for examining the question further. I would recommend this book strongly to anyone interested in exobiology.

Can a more valuable or relevant book on space be found?
I recently went in person to the largest bookstore in my state,went item by item though the towering shelves of books on astrononyand space, and simply could not find a more worthwhile book on space than Barry DiGregorio's. The amount of detailed and painstakingly compiled information it contains makes even the most highly-touted popular works on space pale by comparison.

More importantly, this book isn't mere space trivia. This is an amazingly clear and thorough look into what will ever remain a major historical even in human history, but even more importantly, this is a rare in-depth look at the background behind one of the most pressing issues of our time.

While Barry's detractors (and there are many, frequently being self-professed "debunkers" lurking the internet, ready to denounce anything and everything, even the works of Nobel nominees whose discoveries weren't part of these detractors' own dated eductions) are demonstrably willing to subject him to the same "pariah process" that has somehow gotten Dr. Levin branded with the "has-been" nonsense that no one who played a participatory role in our historic space exploration would be subjected to had they not embraced ideas that do not conform to the emasculated tastes of their detractors. (For perspective here, imagine the audacity of levelling this same slur of "has-been" at our astronauts simply because they have not flow a mission in decades! They have been, and rightly remain, heroes. The targeting of Levin for this kind of treatment should be a warning sign in itself.)

Disturbingly, what DiGregorio's detractors stand to "gain" is to help obscure the folly of a planned frightening and reckless return of potentially living and potentially virulent material from Mars.

While the plans for this material following landing require it to be considered as and treated as a potential biological hazard, demonstrating that in practice even our space agencies do not embrace the fashionable dismissal of Dr. Levin's viewpoint, we face the paradox that in spite of these concerns and precautions, the planned manner of sample return poses many opportunities for the escape of this material prior to landing.

Particularly now in light of the incompetence implied by the inexplicable loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter (to name only the latest) and the cloud of misinformation that remains to dissipate around the matter, any promises from space agencies that we can be assured of a perfect and safe landing of this material on its way into quarranteen ring particular hollow, and the reckless and unnecessary gamble with human safety becomes even more patently obvious.

Barry's authority and sincerity in the matters of Martian life are readily visible in his involvement with ICAMSR- International Committee Against Mars Sample Return- and I enthusiatically urge everyone to explore these highly important aspects of Barry's career and their appropriate representation on the internet, as well as this most remarkable book.

It is alarming to see what Barry has been subjected to simply for asking for perfectly sensible and perfectly viable alternatives to be employed in order to elimate the risks of a Mars sample return, just as it is to see the tenuous, dated and speculative science that has been used to argue in favor of taking a wholly needless risk.

Knowing something of Barry through his communications on internet forums, where he patiently and deftly demonstrates his sincerity, knowledge, and confident patience in the face of endless juvenile abuses, I am even more impressed to see that rare author who has taken their own work deeply to heart and been willing to consistenly practice exactly what they preach, and go far beyond the call of duty to see that their message is shared.

"Mars: The Living Planet" deserves to be called an essential work in the truest sense of the phrase. No matter what may be said, I encourage everyone to discover this for themselves, as well as Barry's work with ICAMSR. ... Read more

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"Thawing Eden".It is a fast paced cross-genre odyssey of science, metaphysics, spiritual intrigue, and romantic themes. It is approximately 82,000 words.

Synopsis

What happens when a rogue glaciologist, Matthew Eisel, discovers the Garden of Eden thriving under the Antarctic ice cap? He murders a colleague to protect the secret, then looks for an Eve, of course.

She happens to beDr. Olivia Gimel, a professor of geology, estranged from the academic community by her outspoken adherence to a Biblical young-Earth theory. Intrigued by the charismatic 'Iceman' she joins his research team, but is deceived about the nature of the work.

Eisel sends a mysterious leaf to the cocky exobiologist and ardent evolutionist, Dr. Mike Manns. Captivated by its vibrating telekinetic cells and glutted with ambition to prove an extra-terrestrial origin of life on Earth, he injects himself into the return mission.

On board the research vessel Eislander, theories collide and rival suitors emerge as personal histories thaw and divine schemes begin to cook.Delusions, suspicion, passion and faith twist the characters into a hangman's knot. In the end, only one of them will dangle from a tree, and the final twist may tie anoose for us all.

Paul David Binkley

pauldavidbinkley@gmail.com
... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

The author takes you on a journy that is fascinating.
The novel opens with a visually vivid and imaginative story line. It is unique, enigmatic and delightfully entertaining with it's fabulously complex characters and surprising and compelling ending. It's refreshing to read a fantasy novel that delivers strong universal issues without being pushy or overbearing. I definitely recommend this book!

Very Exciting!
I stumbled upon this novel unexpectedly. Having never read an Ebook before, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself fully absorbed in a matter of minutes. In fact I couldn't put my Ipod down! I highly recommend this Ebook for anyone that enjoys a unique and entertaining storyline that doesn't have a predictable ending.

Was this even edited?
The book was fairly engaging, and the storyline very interesting.

I wonder if it went through an editing process, since there were multiple incorrect words used. For example, the author uses "rye" instead of "wry" ("he gave her a rye smile"). There are other examples, too. Here/hear and were/where. That's so basic, it was distracting to have those in there.

Maybe I'm just picky.

I also don't believe in global warming, but this was fiction, so I'm ok with it being in a book. :-)

Enjoyable journey
Thawing Eden takes its reader on a voyage of discovery; the discovery of hidden wonders, of love, evil, and other mysteries. Its protagonist is Mike, a likable, sensible, atheist biologist who joins a scientific expedition to Antarctica. The trip is led by the enigmatic "Iceman", a glaciologist with some weird ideas who isn't too happy about Mike coming along. Also coming on the expedition is the lovely Olivia, a creationist geologist (quite a contradiction, if you ask me). Each of these characters is interesting and well-drawn, especially Mike, with whom I could easily relate. He struggles to make sense of what's happening, and of his own feelings.
On their journey, the characters experience some tense, some tender, and even some life-threatening moments. Eventually they come to a place where myth becomes reality, or reality becomes myth. In the end, faith triumphs over reason, an outcome that didn't sit too well with me personally. As a nonbeliever, I would've been more pleased with a less Biblical ending to what was really an enjoyable, adventurous journey.

Thawing Eden
Thawing Eden is a great read. Don't be fooled by the all of the "science talk" at the beginning, this book is will make you think about where you draw the line on Science and Religion if you there is a line to be drawn. The incredible descriptions will allow you to imagine yourself there as a silent character. I found myself cheering for both the main characters (Ice Man and Michael) right up to end. Be prepared for a surprise! I would definately recommend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Critical Acclaim for
PLANETARY DREAMS
The Quest To Discover Life Beyond Earth

"The stunning insights provided in Planetary Dreams make it a book for everyone who has the slightest curiosity about our role in the cosmos."——Hugh Downs, ABC News, 20/20

"The broadest and, in a philosophical sense, the deepest book to examine the question of the origins of life in the universe. . . . A wise, kindly, and beautifully written book, Planetary Dreams sets forth a vision of a truly human and humane future and a hope for a richly inhabited universe."——Ben Bova, six-time Hugo Award winner and past president of the National Space Society

"If you are interested in the search for extraterrestrial life. . .then Planetary Dreams is a must read. Delightfully written."——Louis D. Friedman, Executive Director, The Planetary Society

"Combining many narrative elements, including a description of his fanciful institution, the Museum of the Cosmos, Shapiro’s imaginative, multifaceted work should meet the yearnings of space enthusiasts and of the wider public, as Carl Sagan’s books did."——BooklistAmazon.com Review
Are we alone, literally freaks of nature, just one planet of living, breathing things amidst a seemingly infinite, lifeless desert? This is one of the big questions posed by human nature, one that we have traditionally looked to religion to answer, but that is now coming within the grasp of science. Despite--or perhaps because--of this, we find increasing opposition to allocating resources to space exploration. Biochemist Robert Shapiro is an unabashed supporter of this research, and his book Planetary Dreams: The Quest to Discover Life Beyond Earth is both a compelling response to the stay-at-homes and a pleasantly readable overview of what we know and don't know about the origin of life here and elsewhere.

Contrasting those who believe in special creation or a cosmic fluke that produced life only once with adherents to a life principle that favors its development wherever conditions suffice, Shapiro suggests that the best way to resolve the issue is simple: let's go looking. He feels that the importance of this question to most people has been underrated by those who (nobly) want to meet our basic needs here on earth before we take off for new worlds, and that we can accommodate everyone by shifting burdens of research funding and reinspiring the public with a new emphasis on this work as a search for meaning. Whether or not his ideas will move us forward, the lively, thoughtful Planetary Dreams is one of the best starting points for learning about the search for the origins of life here and, maybe, out there. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Very nice.
Very good book.
very scientific and realistic
no fairy tales

i would give it 5 stars but the writer dint not create any craze or excitement in the book.

its just flat and factfull.

worth it though

Dr No denounces defeatism
In science, scepticism comes easily - it's part of the job. If you are fluent with metaphor, as Shapiro certainly is, analyses of others' work can be scathing. In this book he surveys many ideas and thoughts on life's origins. Nearly all are lacking some facet or poorly conceived in his view. His ire is fiercely aroused over laboratory attempts to duplicate life's beginnings. Our understanding of prebiotic conditions is clearly too limited. He insisted the answer lies in Nature's processes. We don't know enough to duplicate them. Since our laboratory research has failed, he argues, we must seek answers elsewhere - off our home world.

As he develops his theme, Shapiro spares no effort in deriding what he deems inadequate. The prominence of any figure or idea simply crumbles under his penetrating gaze. If the work meet his qualification of "extraordinary proof", he demolishes it with scornful imagery. His critiques have led his colleagues to deem him "Dr No" - an appellation he relishes.

Nor does he fail to adapt any mechanism to further his position. He even enlists biblical allegory - albeit rather twisted in his hand. Knowing the biblical myth of a "creation week" is outdated, he simply changes the metaphor. He crams the 12 billion year history of the Cosmos into a seven day framework. In this structure he also places two "schools" of ideas about life - the Christian Fundamentalists and the followers of the Anthropic Principle. The former relies on one of the multitude of "Bibles". The latter accepts scientific observations of Nature, but deems the whole Cosmos is in place just for humanity. Countering this unusual mix is Shapiro's "Sour Lemon School" which sees life's origins as a fluke. We are likely alone in the universe, they claim, since conditions for life are too critical.

Understanding how life originates and evolves, he stresses, is too important to our future. Since he dismisses laboratory attempts to resolve the issue, he uses past space exploration as a foundation for a new programme. Deeming his own philosophy "Cosmic Evolution", asking that a "new story" of life be written. The elements of the story are difficult to perceive because they're distant. Some hints are visible, which he presents in some detail. As an introduction, he describes the "replication learned from clay crystals" proposal of Graham Cairns Smith with slight nod of approval. Gunther Wachtershauser's life formation on pyrite crystals receives a bit more approbation. Shapiro considers it worth further investigation. Developing his plot, he then turns to meteoritic evidence for possible life, but it's Mars that seizes his attention. NASA, he argues, dismissed too readily the data indicating organic material on "the Big Orange". To help him finish his "new story" further effort must follow. He also entertains the possibility of life on satellites of the "gas giant" planets. Even, he suggests, in the atmospheres of those planets.

None of this exploration will take place, he recognises, unless clear goals are developed. His countrymen a reluctant to part with tax dollars for such programmes. They see little result from planetary exploration. This is the chief obstacle, but he knows how to overcome it. Space exploration needs more and better publicity. Improved public knowledge is essential if the species expects to survive. Shapiro aknowledges that too many people retain adherence to old myths - a situation only better education can overcome. He even alludes to similar attitudes in China's Ming dynasty. An educated outlook then, he argues, might have changed the course of European history. We face a bigger challenge. The stars may hold answers to life's beginnings. They might also become refuges for future life here. A start must be made. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

A RatherGood Book
I had this book on my shelf for over a year before I took it down for a read. I thought I might be bored by it, since it is a popular treatment of a subject I know pretty well. But Shapiro brought the subject to life in a rather interesting way, dealing not only with the particular issues asociated with the chemistry of life's origin, but with the deeper philosophical issues that lie behind the debate. I especially liked his illuminating flight of fancy entitled "A Dinner Out of time," which features Frederich Engels, Herbert Spencer, and Teilhard De Chardin (Marxist, libertarian, and Christian exponents of the idea of progress in nature, respectively) at one table, and Jacques Monod, Steven Jay Gould, Fred Hoyle, and William Jennings Bryan (all opposed to the idea) at the other. Shapiro is right on the mark when he asserts that the philosophical bias of the opposing camps has a strong role in directing their interpretations of the data, whether of Earth's history, the Viking results, of the Alan Hills meteorite. He is also right in his thesis stating what the stakes in this apparently abstract controversary actually are. All in all, a fine book.

Very average
This is a subject that I am very interested in. However I found the book quite boring to read. Trying to make it clear, to the general reader he ended out boring, someone who knows a little more.

I found the book being quite bad. The fundamental problem in this subject is the Femni paradox. If they are so many out there, then at least one would be a space faring. If so then estimates vary as to how quickly they could colonise the galaxy. A conservative figure would be between 10 to 300 million years. This period in galaxy history is nothing. If so, we should not have to look at all. Evidence of there existence would be everywhere. The writer very briefly talks about this, then goes off into a tangent and leaves it. Either he has never read any book that discusses this (eg Frank Tipler) or ignores them. In either case its an issue.

Some of his history as well is a bit dubious like his argument about the Ming dynasty navy stopping of exploration. This he claims left their place to be filled by Europeans. The Ming's unlike the Europeans were not traders. There is no evidence to suggest that they would become traders. Their exploration ships showed that China had no enemies in the South. The only result would be, that they would have to spend large sums of money. Those resources were needed, as the Ming bureaucrats stated, where they faced a real threat in the North.This history would prove them correct.And history suggests that the real lesson is that if research is not profitable (in an economic sense) then goverments can and will pull the plug.

The writer goes on and on making some quite fantastic claims that make life far more possible, then it obviously is in reality. Most evidence now seems to suggest that life is very rare. For example recent evidence suggests that water is less important to Mars history then he suggests.

Although I approve of more research for space, this writer often seems to be more on the political rather then scientific.

Another poor book promoting E.T. life
For years scientists have been dicovering the limitations the universe puts on life.In other words, life is very rare.Conservative estimates put one Earth-like planet per galaxy.Ironically it is often theSETI-pushers whom discover these life-limiting constants (i.e. Carl Sagan)but wishful thinking gets in their way.Perhaps their personal philosophyor religion tells them there "must" be millions of worlds, butwishful thinking must give way to reality.

None of the planetery systemsthus found could support life.The "millions ofstars, so there mustbe millions of worlds" argument doesn't hold.Because therequirements for life elimate perhaps 99% of those stars.Its time peoplestop these fantasys.Try reading real science in Denton's "Nature'sDestiny" or the new book "Rare Earth."The "SaganParadigm" is dead. ... Read more

Product Description
Whether we are alone in the Universe is a question that has fascinated humans since the earliest of times. Today the search for extraterrestrial life focuses on understanding how life arose on Earth to investigate the potential for life elsewhere. Beginning with the Big Bang and formation of the Universe, this text investigates the emergence of life on Earth, describing the factors and key stages necessary for the development of microorganisms. It then considers the possibility of life arising under similar conditions on other planets. From the deepest depths of the ocean floor to the outmost edges of the galaxy, the potential for life is explored. Mars, Europa - the water-rich satellite of Jupiter - and Saturn's enigmatic moon, Titan are investigated as ideal candidates for exploration. Beyond the solar system, the search for Earth-like planets is also considered. ... Read more

Product Description
Astrobiology: A Multidisciplinary Approach is the most comprehensive textbook available for emerging upper-level courses in astrobiology. Internationally renowned authority Jonathan Lunine gives students with a variety of backgrounds a solid foundation in the essential concepts of physics, chemistry, biology, and other relevant sciences to help them achieve a well-rounded understanding of the fascinating study of the origin of life, planetary evolution, and life in the cosmos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A brilliant and comprehensive exposure of the fascinating field of Astrobiology.
Not only is Lunine a brilliant astrobiologist but his book, represents and absolutely fantastic read. For a well educated general audience as well as for the already initiated astrobiologist, Lunine offers a brilliant and comprehensive exposure of the most current ideas in the fascinating field of Astrobiology. I highly recommend it.Ihrenes 2006.

Brilliant but demanding overview of a new field
This astrobiology textbook is brilliant but demanding -- not everyone, even science fans, wants to know this much about life in the universe! Lunine describes his book as "a comprehensive treatment of astrobiology for upper level undergraduate students and beginning graduate students". The book is also targeted at senior scientists who want an introduction to this new discipline. The resulting volume of 586 densely packed pages is a tour de force of basic physics and chemistry as well as biology and planetary science. The first half the book leads the reader through the fundamentals of physics, biochemistry, and microbiology essential to understanding the origin of life. The second half covers life on Earth, the habitability of Mars, Europa and Titan, other planetary systems, the co-evolution of life and its host planet, and the evolution of intelligence. The mostly monochrome illustrations are well selected, but printing quality occasionally lapses -- the only reason I rate this book four stars and not five.

Best astrobiology textbook on the market now
Astrobiology is a relatively new science.Not completely new: I've been reading astrobiology books since the 1960s.But only recently have some fairly decent astrobiology textbooks been written that picture a core of topics needed to cover the subject.These include the definition, nature, and origin of life; the development of life on Earth, the mass extinctions on Earth; possibilities of life elsewhere in the planetary system, possibilities for life to survive in outer space; changes to the Earth's environment brought about by life; the nature and evolution of consciousness and intelligent life; detection of extrasolar planets; and signatures of extraterrestrial life.They also include some astronomy: formation of galaxies, habitable galaxies and habitable portions of galaxies, formation of stars and planets in these galaxies, migration of planets, statistics on deadly collisions of big objects with potentially life-bearing planets, and the significance of risks to life such as supernovae and gamma ray bursters.

So far, no book is ideal in covering all these topics for upper division college students.But I think this one comes closest.

Since this book might be read by those who know plenty of astronomy but not much biology, or by those who know biology but not astronomy, the book begins with some needed background: fundamentals of physics, physical chemistry, and biochemistry.It then gets into the question of how the elements we're made of were synthesized in the first place.And it shows that our Universe is fairly well suited for life, even if not completely ideal.

Then we get into an important topic, the thermodynamic foundations of life.The book makes the point that one always has to be aware of the energetics of life: life needs energy, so where does that energy come from?In addition, life requires a low entropy state.Such states are not all that hard to come by, but one must know how one is achieved.And life implies a high information content.Again, one must know how to measure that content and decide where it has come from.The author makes the point that given sufficient free energy, systems not in equilibrium will exhibit self-organizing and self-complexifying properties.I found this fascinating.It was almost as though the Purpose of Life were to reduce carbon dioxide, and life were merely a side-effect of catalyzing this reaction.

Next there is a fascinating discussion of how life might have evolved.Did we start with replicators, cell boundaries, substrates, or proteins, or a little of all of them?Was there an "RNA world" before the "DNA world?"And a "TNA" or "PNA" (peptide nucleic acid) world before that?Can we have autocatalysis without replication?

After that comes a discussion of extreme environments, given that life's last common ancestor may well have been an extremophile.And then we learn about the faint early Sun, a carbon dioxide greenhouse effect on Earth, the rise of oxygen in the atmosphere, and a possible "snowball Earth." We read about possibilities of life elsewhere in our planetary system: Europa, Titan, and Mars.And we find out about techniques for discovering extraterrestrial signatures of life.There's a very good and up-to-date section on extrasolar planets.

The textbook ends with a little material on the nature of self-awareness and on future prospects for the human species and civilization.I think it is an excellent text. ... Read more

Product Description

In this fascinating and cutting-edge work, Dr. Ben Bova explores one of the most thrilling and elemental questions humanity has ever posed: Are we alone? From Copernicus to the advent of SETI and beyond, Bova takes his readers on a tour of the scientific and political battles fought in the pursuit of knowledge and speculates on what the future may hold.

Can life exist outside the planet Earth? The first question one should ask is: How is it possible for life to exist within Earth's brutal confines? On our own world, creatures exist -- and thrive -- in environments first thought to be completely alien and inhospitable. From the rare air of the upper atmosphere to the depths of the oceans, life persists amid crushing pressures, crippling heat, and absolute darkness. Bacteria brought to the moon have survived for years without water, at temperatures near absolute zero, and in spite of radiation levels that would kill human observers. With such resilient and tenacious creatures, it seems that life could spring up, and survive, anywhere.

Many skeptics believe that finding life outside our solar system will never occur within our lifetime -- but perhaps it's unnecessary to look that far. Our neighboring planets may already serve as havens for extraterrestrial life. Scientists have already identified ice caps on Mars and what appears to be an enormous ocean underneath the ice of Jupiter's moons. The atmosphere on Venus appeared harsh and insupportable of life, composed of a toxic atmosphere and oceans of acid -- until scientists concluded that Earth's atmosphere was eerily similar billions of years ago. An extraterrestrial colony, in some form, may already exist, just awaiting discovery.

With the development of new technology, such as the space-based telescopes of NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder(TPF), we may not have to leave the comfort of our home world to discover proof of life elsewhere. But the greatest impediment to such an important scientific discovery may not be technological, but political. No scientific endeavor can be launched without a budget, and matters of money are within the arena of politicians. Dr. Bova explores some of the key players and the arguments waged in a debate of both scientific and cultural priorities, showing the emotions, the controversy, and the egos involved in arguably the most important scientific pursuit ever begun.

Customer Reviews (1)

On the subject of life in the universe
I enjoyed this book. It gave a lot of information on the subject of life in the universe and the lack of intelligence in Washington! ... Read more

Product Description
Compiled by a team of experts, this textbook has been designed for elementary university courses in astrobiology. It begins with an examination of how life may have arisen on Earth and then reviews the evidence for possible life on Mars, Europa and Titan. The potential for life in exoplanetary systems and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence are also discussed. The text contains numerous useful learning features such as boxed summaries, student exercises with full solutions, and a glossary of terms. It is also supported by a website hosting further teaching materials. Written in an accessible style that avoids complex mathematics, this book is suitable for self-study and will appeal to amateur enthusiasts as well as undergraduate students. It contains numerous helpful learning features such as boxed summaries, student exercises with full solutions, and a glossary of terms.The book is also supported by a webstite hosting further teaching materials. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An Excellent Introduction into Astrobiology
Twenty-five years ago the study of astrobiology was quite "fringe". Much has occurred since then, as technology has continually improved and we have taken further, somewhat less tentative steps off this planet. We now have claims of life in a Martian meteorite (not yet accepted), the discovery of over 400 exoplanets to-date (and counting), and interesting possibilities for possible life that may yet be found on Mars (under the surface), Europa (in a putative ocean) and possibly on Titan (assuming life could adapt to the extreme cold there).

This book by Gilmour and Sephton presents the study of Astrobiology in a very straightforward and concise way, offering the reader an introductory look into this burdgeoning area of study. In particular, the textbook includes (a) early chapters on the origin of life and on habitability (ie., in "water" zones about planets and otherwise based on other mechanisms about planetary satellites), and (b) a great overview of Earth's extremeophiles. The textbook includes expanded chapters on Mars, Europa and Titan, where the authors go into greater detail on the possibilities for life on these bodies. The book concludes with chapters devoted to the potentiality of life on exoplanets, including yet-to-be-discovered exo-Earths.

I read the Gilmour text alongside three other books on this subject - (a) "The Living Cosmos" by Chris Impey, (b) "Astrobiology: A Multidisciplinary Approach" by Jonathan Lunine, and (c) "Looking for Life: Searching the Solar System" by Clancy et. al. The Gilmour and Lunine books would - in my view - be properly classed as true "textbooks" on this subject, while the Impey and Clancy books are presented as more general reading. The Gilmour text is the best introductory textbook to the subject of astrobiology that I have found, and assumes the reader is just starting into the area with limited knowledge. For even greater detail (in a textbook), one can then move on (after Gilmour) to the Lunine text which gives far greater detail, although you will hate all the typos in it.

The two other books cited are great expositions of the area in and of themselves, but are presented in a less formal way. Both have been prepared by persons directly involved in the area and both are extremely well-written and a joy to read. These latter books are packed with up-to-date information and indeed go deeper than the Gilmour text does. As such, the latter two references are most easily read for general interest, enjoyment and overview, while the Gilmour text is best used as a clear and concise "textbook" source that organizes all the materials in an introductory and very cogent way.

I am sure there are many other texts and sources on their way vis a vis this area, but if you are just starting out, the Gilmour textbook is a good introductory textbook, while the Impey and Clancy books are great reads for people interested in a less formalistic presentation. All four books will give you a good "introductory library" into the field of astrobiology. Enjoy.

More astro than biology
This is an excellent textbook, with straightforward problems ... and answers!There's plenty of solid material here and very little fluff.The information is well presented, up-to-date, and easy to read.

Three of the nine chapters are about the potential for life elsewhere in our planetary system, in particular on Mars, Europa, and Titan.Another three chapters are on extrasolar planets: how to find them, what we've discovered so far about them, and what signatures of life we might try to look for on them in the future.There's also a chapter on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).That leaves two chapters for the definition and origin of life, the Earth's acquisition of the necessary water and carbon, and so on.I'd prefer to see quite a bit more on biology here.I'd like to see much more discussion of the development of multicellular life, the changes in the Earth's environment caused by the production of oxygen, and the evolution of humans.

That said, I really liked the chapter on the origin of life.It was illuminating to read about the origin of chirality, written by a specialist in organic matter in meteorites.And I also especially liked the chapters on exoplanets.

... Read more

Product Description
The study of life in our universe has been given the name 'astrobiology'. It is a relatively new subject, but not a new discipline since it brings together several mature fields of science including astronomy, geology, biology, and climatology. An understanding of the singular conditions that allowed the only example of life that we know exists to emerge and survive on our turbulent planet is essential if we are to seek answers to two fundamental questions facing humanity: will life (and especially human life) continue on Earth, and does life exist elsewhere in the universe?

Astrobiology of Earth adopts a unique approach that differs from most texts in the field which focus on the possibility of extraterrestrial life. In contrast, the central theme of this book is the fortuitous combination of numerous cosmic factors that together produced the special environment which enabled the emergence, persistence and evolution of life on our own planet, culminating in humanity. This environment has been subject to constant and chaotic change during life's 3.6 billion year history. The geologically very recent appearance of humans and their effect on the biosphere is discussed in relation to its deterioration as well as climate change. The search for extraterrestrial life is considered with a view to the suggestion that humans may escape a depleted Earth by colonizing the universe.

This book contributes to our understanding of astrobiology from the perspective of life on Earth and especially human welfare and survival. Astronomical and geological phenomena are related in turn to their biological relevance and impact. This introductory text assumes little or no prior knowledge of more specialized scientific fields and is designed for undergraduate and graduate level students taking related courses in departments of biology, earth science/geology, and environmental science. It will also serve as a useful biology primer for astronomy majors. ... Read more

Product Description
This concise and beautifully illustrated book traces the evolution of the Cosmos from the Big Bang to the development of intelligent life on Earth, conveying clear science in an engaging narrative. By mapping the history of the Universe for introductory science and astrobiology course for non-science majors, this book explores many of the most fascinating questions in science. What is the origin of the Universe? How do stars and planets form? How does life begin? How did intelligence arise? Are we alone in the Cosmos? Physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy and geology are combined to create a chronicle of events in which the swirling vapors in the primordial cloud of the Universe evolved over billions of years into conscious life.Features:•The most fascinating questions on the history of the Universe are answered in this text for one-semester introductory science courses.
•The strong narrative and exciting color images of this incredible story will motivate non-science students to develop an understanding of science and life on Earth
•Explains science in a way that isn't overwhelming for non-science majors.
•Questions for the student prompt critical thinking.
•Combines astronomy, geology and biology to give a broad introduction to these sciences for non-science students.
•Coverage of the latest discoveries in astrobiology conveys the excitement of this fast-moving field.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Everything you've wanted to know about life, the universe, and everything...
If you've ever wondered how we came to be here on this planet of ours, in our galaxy, in this universe, then this is the book for you. It is beautifully illustrated, very well explained, from cosmology to astronomy to planetary science to geology to chemistry to biology. Although intended as a textbook for a science-distribution requirement for non-science majors, I found it to be a fascinating read on its own. It renewed my wonder at this strange phenomenon of life and the many factors that enable it. ... Read more

Product Description
Astrobiology involves the study of the origin and history of life on Earth, planets and moons where life may have arisen, and the search for extraterrestrial life. It combines the sciences of biology, chemistry, palaeontology, geology, planetary physics and astronomy. This textbook brings together world experts in each of these disciplines to provide the most comprehensive coverage of the field currently available. Topics cover the origin and evolution of life on Earth, the geological, physical and chemical conditions in which life might arise and the detection of extraterrestrial life on other planets and moons. The book also covers the history of our ideas on extraterrestrial life and the origin of life, as well as the ethical, philosophical and educational issues raised by astrobiology. Written to be accessible to students from diverse backgrounds, this text will be welcomed by advanced undergraduates and graduates who are taking astrobiology courses. ... Read more

Product Description
This book offers an advanced introduction to the increasingly robust fields of extrasolar planets and astrobiology. No other text currently available applies this level of mathematics and physics, while also providing an extensive grounding in key issues of chemistry, biology, and geophysics. With extensive references to the literature and chapter-ending exercises, this book can be used as the core text for teaching undergraduate or introductory graduate level courses. The text will also provide astrobiologists with an indispensable "User's Manual" when quick reference to key mathematical and physical techniques is needed. A continually updated online component, fully cross referenced with the text, is also available. Foreword by Geoff Marcy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Review of Extrasolar Planets and Astrobiology Caleb A. Sharf
This is a good open-minded, open-ended look at a topic that is now coming of age. Using a sound technical, multi-disiplined approach Scharf has managed to investigate this subject without drawing premature conclusions or venturing groundless hypotheses based on prejudicial thinking. It is a book that will make you think.

This book is quite readable for a college edjucated amature astronomer or other science/astronomy-savvy individual at home or as a college text that would not be out of place at MIT or CALTECH.

A little warning though, Scarf does like his math and physics(which are quite in order in this work) so if you are a little rusty in these subjects it may be good to bone up a little.

Best. Text. Ever.
The textbook is well sourced, well written, and incredibly well organized.As a astronomy and biology student wishing to understand the unification of these two rather different approaches to science, this is invaluable and MUCH appreciated.

Students sometimes don't realize that textbooks are not confusing because of their subject material, but usually very opaque because of their ORGANIZATION.

Scharf's organization of the material and presentation is nonpareil, and what's more, this is the only text currently available (I have read every one), that contains a physical, mathematically based derivation and demonstration of the sciences at work.

This is incredibly important as Astrobiology becomes a denser field with more and more concepts piling atop one another.Presenting the grounding of the subject in the basic sciences, not as abstract musings but as truly observationally based science, is perhaps the author's greatest success.

In the world of science textbooks, which I believe is all too often a graveyard where students' love of science goes to die, this text stands amongst the few which will not only encourage your understanding of its chosen topic, but will cause you to want to expand it.

An Excellent Resource
I am an Astrophysics major who had the pleasure of taking the author's course on this subject. You will find this to be a detailed, thorough, and quantitative introduction to the field, as well as engaging and accessible. A must have for any student interested in extrasolar planets or astrobiology.

Excellent
This is far and away the most comprehensive book on the market covering extra-solar planets.It is both rigorous and easy to follow, no small feat for such a new textbook about a young field.I highly recommend it to higher level undergraduates interested in learning more about everything from T Tauri stars and protoplanetary disks to extremeophiles.Keep in mind, this book is written by an astrophysicist, not a biologist. ... Read more

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