Download or read book Probable Impossibilities written by Alan Lightman and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2022-04-19 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The acclaimed author of Einstein’s Dreams tackles "big questions like the origin of the universe and the nature of consciousness ... in an entertaining and easily digestible way” (Wall Street Journal) with a collection of meditative essays on the possibilities—and impossibilities—of nothingness and infinity, and how our place in the cosmos falls somewhere in between. Can space be divided into smaller and smaller units, ad infinitum? Does space extend to larger and larger regions, on and on to infinity? Is consciousness reducible to the material brain and its neurons? What was the origin of life, and can biologists create life from scratch in the lab? Physicist and novelist Alan Lightman, whom The Washington Post has called “the poet laureate of science writers,” explores these questions and more—from the anatomy of a smile to the capriciousness of memory to the specialness of life in the universe to what came before the Big Bang. Probable Impossibilities is a deeply engaged consideration of what we know of the universe, of life and the mind, and of things vastly larger and smaller than ourselves.
Download or read book Is There Life on Other Planets written by Gregory L. Vogt and published by Lerner Publications. This book was released on 2010-01-01 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is no gravity in space. The North Star never changes its position in the sky. Earth’s shadow causes the phases of the moon. You may have heard these common sayings or beliefs before. But are they really true? Can they be proven using science? Let’s investigate seventeen statements about space and find out which ones are right, which ones are wrong, and which ones still stump scientists! Find out whether astronauts really landed on the moon! Discover whether it’s true that the same side of the Moon is always dark! See if you can tell the difference between fact and fiction with Is That a Fact?
Download or read book Encountering Life in the Universe written by Chris Impey and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2013-10-17 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Encountering Life in the Universe examines the intersection of scientific research and society to determine the philosophy and ethics of relating to the Earth and beyond.
Download or read book Forging the Future of Space Science written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2010-03-08 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From September 2007 to June 2008 the Space Studies Board conducted an international public seminar series, with each monthly talk highlighting a different topic in space and Earth science. The principal lectures from the series are compiled in Forging the Future of Space Science. The topics of these events covered the full spectrum of space and Earth science research, from global climate change, to the cosmic origins of life, to the exploration of the Moon and Mars, to the scientific research required to support human spaceflight. The prevailing messages throughout the seminar series as demonstrated by the lectures in this book are how much we have accomplished over the past 50 years, how profound are our discoveries, how much contributions from the space program affect our daily lives, and yet how much remains to be done. The age of discovery in space and Earth science is just beginning. Opportunities abound that will forever alter our destiny.
Download or read book Alien Universe written by Don Lincoln and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2013-10-15 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are alien civilizations really possible? If extraterrestrials exist, where are they? How likely is it that somewhere in the universe an Earth-like planet supports an advanced culture? Why do so many people claim to have encountered Aliens? In this gripping exploration, scientist Don Lincoln exposes and explains the truths about the belief in and the search for life on other planets. In the first half of Alien Universe, Lincoln looks to Western civilization's collective image of Aliens, showing how our perceptions of extraterrestrials have evolved over time. The roots of this belief can be traced as far back as our earliest recognition of other planets in the universe—the idea of them supporting life was a natural progression of thinking that has fascinated us ever since. Our captivation with Aliens has, however, led to mixed results. The world was fooled in the nineteenth century during the Great Moon Hoax of 1835, and many people misunderstood Orson Welles's 1938 radio broadcast, The War of the Worlds, leading to significant anxiety among some listeners. Our continuing interest in Aliens is reflected in entertainment successes such as E.T., The X-Files, and Star Trek. The second half of the book explores the scientific possibility of whether advanced Alien civilizations do exist. For many years, researchers have sought to answer Enrico Fermi’s great paradox—if there are so many planets in the universe and there is a high probability that many of those can support life, then why have we not actually encountered any Aliens? Lincoln describes how modern science teaches us what is possible and what is not in our search for extraterrestrial civilizations. Whether you are drawn to the psychological belief in Aliens, the history of our interest in life on other planets, or the scientific possibility of Alien existence, Alien Universe is sure to hold you spellbound.
Download or read book Science Society and the Search for Life in the Universe written by Bruce M. Jakosky and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2006-10-26 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are we alone in the universe? As humans, are we unique or are we part of a greater cosmic existence? What is lifeÕs 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 todayÕs 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 publicÕs 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 ÒBig QuestionsÓ of our existence, the possibility of encountering life on other planets, 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 publicÕs fascination and the meager dialogue that exists between those within the scientific community and those outside of it, and what has become some of the most impassioned political wrangling ever seen in government science funding.
Download or read book Life Beyond Earth written by Athena Coustenis and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-09-12 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An engaging account of our quest for habitable environments, recounting fascinating recent discoveries and providing insight into future space missions.
Download or read book Rare Earth written by Peter D. Ward and published by Springer. This book was released on 2007-05-08 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What determines whether complex life will arise on a planet, or even any life at all? Questions such as these are investigated in this groundbreaking book. In doing so, the authors synthesize information from astronomy, biology, and paleontology, and apply it to what we know about the rise of life on Earth and to what could possibly happen elsewhere in the universe. Everyone who has been thrilled by the recent discoveries of extrasolar planets and the indications of life on Mars and the Jovian moon Europa will be fascinated by Rare Earth, and its implications for those who look to the heavens for companionship.
Download or read book Life in the Universe written by Jeffrey O. Bennett and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-07-26 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Life in the UniverseBy Jeffrey O. Bennett
Download or read book Alien Oceans written by Kevin Hand and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-09-21 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inside the epic quest to find life on the water-rich moons at the outer reaches of the solar system Where is the best place to find life beyond Earth? We often look to Mars as the most promising site in our solar system, but recent scientific missions have revealed that some of the most habitable real estate may actually lie farther away. Beneath the frozen crusts of several of the small, ice-covered moons of Jupiter and Saturn lurk vast oceans that may have existed for as long as Earth, and together may contain more than fifty times its total volume of liquid water. Could there be organisms living in their depths? Alien Oceans reveals the science behind the thrilling quest to find out. Kevin Peter Hand is one of today's leading NASA scientists, and his pioneering research has taken him on expeditions around the world. In this captivating account of scientific discovery, he brings together insights from planetary science, biology, and the adventures of scientists like himself to explain how we know that oceans exist within moons of the outer solar system, like Europa, Titan, and Enceladus. He shows how the exploration of Earth's oceans is informing our understanding of the potential habitability of these icy moons, and draws lessons from what we have learned about the origins of life on our own planet to consider how life could arise on these distant worlds. Alien Oceans describes what lies ahead in our search for life in our solar system and beyond, setting the stage for the transformative discoveries that may await us.
Download or read book The Dark Forest written by Cixin Liu and published by Tor Books. This book was released on 2015-08-11 with total page 513 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The inspiration for the Netflix series 3 Body Problem! Over 1 million copies of the Three-Body Problem series sold in North America PRAISE FOR THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM SERIES: “A mind-bending epic.”—The New York Times • “War of the Worlds for the 21st century.”—The Wall Street Journal • “Fascinating.”—TIME • “Extraordinary.”—The New Yorker • “Wildly imaginative.”—Barack Obama • “Provocative.”—Slate • “A breakthrough book.”—George R. R. Martin • “Impossible to put down.”—GQ • “Absolutely mind-unfolding.”—NPR • “You should be reading Liu Cixin.”—The Washington Post The Dark Forest is the second novel in the groundbreaking, Hugo Award-winning series from China's most beloved science fiction author, Cixin Liu. In The Dark Forest, Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion-in just four centuries' time. The aliens' human collaborators may have been defeated, but the presence of the sophons, the subatomic particles that allow Trisolaris instant access to all human information, means that Earth's defense plans are totally exposed to the enemy. Only the human mind remains a secret. This is the motivation for the Wallfacer Project, a daring plan that grants four men enormous resources to design secret strategies, hidden through deceit and misdirection from Earth and Trisolaris alike. Three of the Wallfacers are influential statesmen and scientists, but the fourth is a total unknown. Luo Ji, an unambitious Chinese astronomer and sociologist, is baffled by his new status. All he knows is that he's the one Wallfacer that Trisolaris wants dead. The Three-Body Problem Series The Three-Body Problem The Dark Forest Death's End Other Books by Cixin Liu Ball Lightning Supernova Era To Hold Up the Sky The Wandering Earth A View from the Stars At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Download or read book Sharing the Universe written by G. Seth Shostak and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scientists are scanning the skies for extraterrestrial life. The most sophisticated search takes place at California's SETI Institute. This book explains their fascinating work to general readers.
Download or read book Pale Blue Dot written by Carl Sagan and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2011-07-06 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Fascinating . . . memorable . . . revealing . . . perhaps the best of Carl Sagan’s books.”—The Washington Post Book World (front page review) In Cosmos, the late astronomer Carl Sagan cast his gaze over the magnificent mystery of the Universe and made it accessible to millions of people around the world. Now in this stunning sequel, Carl Sagan completes his revolutionary journey through space and time. Future generations will look back on our epoch as the time when the human race finally broke into a radically new frontier—space. In Pale Blue Dot, Sagan traces the spellbinding history of our launch into the cosmos and assesses the future that looms before us as we move out into our own solar system and on to distant galaxies beyond. The exploration and eventual settlement of other worlds is neither a fantasy nor luxury, insists Sagan, but rather a necessary condition for the survival of the human race. “Takes readers far beyond Cosmos . . . Sagan sees humanity’s future in the stars.”—Chicago Tribune
Download or read book Intelligent Life in the Universe written by Peter Ulmschneider and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2005-02-23 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the origins, development and fate of intelligent species in the observable part of our universe. It scrutinizes what kind of information about extraterrestrial intelligent life can be inferred from our own biological, cultural and scientific evolution and the likely future of mankind. There is emphasis on the geological conditions and consequences of life's conquest of land as the pre-condition for the emergence of life with our type of technical intelligence.
Download or read book Is There Other Life in the Universe written by Kate Shuster and published by Heinemann-Raintree Library. This book was released on 2009 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are we being watched by extraterrestrials? Will other life forms only be bacteria? What do you think about it? Many people are certain that there is other life in the universe. Some even believe that alien life forms have visited Earth. Why should Earth be the only planet in all of the universe to support life? But many people do not agree with these opinions. They say that if there are other life forms in the universe we would have some hard evidence, not just speculation and a lot of crazy ideas. Anyway, life might only mean bacteria or viruses, not intelligent beings. People have looked at the skies for thousands of years and wondered. It is a never-ending discussion. Have you ever thought about other life in the universe? Or do you think that Earth is unique? This book does not tell you what to think. But it will help you join in the debate.
Download or read book Other Worlds written by Carl Sagan and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 159 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Intelligent Life in the Universe written by I. S. Shklovskiĭ and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
