Extraterrestrials - (MIT Press Essential Knowledge) by Wade Roush (Paperback)

About the Book

"In this EK title Roush investigates a topic that has fascinated him since college -- the possibility and probability of life, intelligent or otherwise, in the universe. The book covers the history and science of our search for extraterrestrial life, and investigates what that search means for us as a species, as well as what the implications of finding life on other planets might mean for life on Earth. The book covers various iterations of SETI, or the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, both in listening for messages from space as well as sending them. Roush also covers more recent efforts to find exoplanets, worlds similar enough to our own to possibly harbor life in even very basic forms. Some of this research is driven by discoveries of 'extremophile' life here on Earth in places and conditions previously considered to be unconducive to life forms. Roush co-taught a course on this topic last year at MIT"--

Book Synopsis

Are we alone in the universe? If not, where is everybody? An engaging exploration of one of the most important unsolved problems in science.

Everything we know about how planets form and how life arises suggests that human civilization on Earth should not be unique. We ought to see abundant evidence of extraterrestrial activity--but we don't. Where is everybody? In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, science and technology writer Wade Roush examines one of the great unsolved problems in science: is there life, intelligent or otherwise, on other planets?

This paradox (they're bound to be out there; but where are they?), first formulated by the famed physicist Enrico Fermi, has fueled decades of debate, speculation, and, lately, some actual science. Roush lays out the problem in its historical and modern-day context and summarizes the latest thinking among astronomers and astrobiologists. He describes the long history of speculation about aliens (we've been debating the idea for thousands of years); the emergence of SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) as a scientific discipline in the 1960s, and scientists' use of radio and optical techniques to scan for signals; and developments in astrobiology (the study of how life might arise in non-Earth like environments) and exoplanet research (the discovery of planets outside our solar system). Finally, he discusses possible solutions to the Fermi Paradox and suggests way to refocus SETI work that might increase the chances of resolving the paradox--and finding extraterrestrials.

Review Quotes

"Whatever your viewpoint, this is an excellent guide and introduction to SETI with plenty of insightful anecdotes, glossary, notes, further reading list, and index."--Starburst Magazine

"All the various solutions to Fermi's paradox are discussed - from the pragmatic to the bizarre - in this clear, concise and engagingly written book. It is a perfect stepping off place for anyone wishing to investigate how far we have come in answering one of the biggest questions in science: are we alone in the Universe?"--BBC Sky at Night Magazine

"A handy, easy-to-read guide to what E.T. might look like, and how we're going about finding him."--Daily Beast