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Overview"The discovery of life on other planets would be perhaps the most momentous revelation in human history, more disorienting and more profound than either the Copernican or Darwinian revolutions, which knocked the earth from the center of the universe and humankind from its position of lofty self-regard. In Here Be Dragons, astronomer David Koerner and neurobiologist Simon LeVay offer a scientifically compelling and colorful account of the search for life beyond Earth. The authors survey the work of biologists, cosmologists, computer theorists, NASA engineers, SETI researchers, roboticists, and UFO enthusiasts and debunkers as they attempt to answer the greatest remaining question facing humankind: Are we alone? From their ""safe haven of skepticism"" the authors venture into the ""rough seas of speculation,"" where theory and evidence run the gamut from hard science to hocus pocus. Arguing that the universe is spectacularly suited for the evolution of living creatures, Koerner and LeVay give us ringside seats at the great debates of Big Science. The contenitous arguments about what really happens in evolution, the acrimonious UFO controversy, and the debate over intelligence versus artificial intelligence shed new light on the wildly divergent claims about the universe and life's place in it. The authors argue that while no direct evidence of extraterrestrial life yet exists, habitats and chemical building blocks for life abound in the universe. A wealth of new astronomical techniques and space missions may provide this evidence early in the next century. Lucidly written and scientifically rigorous, Here Be Dragons presents everything we know thus far about the emergence of intelligent life here on earth and, perhaps, beyond." Full Product DetailsAuthor: David W. Koerner (, Assistant Professor of Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania) , Simon LeVay (, Independent Consultant, former Associate Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies)Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc Dimensions: Width: 16.00cm , Height: 3.10cm , Length: 23.60cm Weight: 0.544kg ISBN: 9780195128529ISBN 10: 0195128524 Pages: 272 Publication Date: 23 March 2000 Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , General/trade , Undergraduate , Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: To order  Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us. Table of ContentsReviewsTheir heady tour skips from 'extraterrestrial environments' right here on Earth where NASA scientists are investigating extreme environments believed to resemble conditions on other planets or moons, through the SETI Institute in California, whose radio telescopes scan the skies for transmitting civilizations, to Bios Group, a Santa Fe start-up company that uses complexity theory to explore the intrinsic rules underlying the growth of evolivng organisms or human institutions....Koerner and LeVay have a gift for helping the uninitiated over techinical terrain. --Publishers Weekly The search of life beyond this planet seems to be one that increasingly consumes us. Imagine the fuss if we ever found any. The authors here try to take stock of the current state of thought on the subject and extrapolate from that to determine whether there is life on other planets, both in our solar system and beyond. This is done with rigorous research and writing and they reach some serious conclusions. (Kirkus UK) <br> Their heady tour skips from 'extraterrestrial environments' right here on Earth where NASA scientists are investigating extreme environments believed to resemble conditions on other planets or moons, through the SETI Institute in California, whose radio telescopes scan the skies for transmitting civilizations, to Bios Group, a Santa Fe start-up company that uses complexity theory to explore the intrinsic rules underlying the growth of evolivng organisms or human institutions....Koerner and LeVay have a gift for helping the uninitiated over techinical terrain. --Publishers Weekly<br> Their heady tour skips from 'extraterrestrial environments' right here on Earth where NASA scientists are investigating extreme environments believed to resemble conditions on other planets or moons, through the SETI Institute in California, whose radio telescopes scan the skies for transmitting civilizations, to Bios Group, a Santa Fe start-up company that uses complexity theory to explore the intrinsic rules underlying the growth of evolivng organisms or human institutions....Koerner and LeVay have a gift for helping the uninitiated over techinical terrain. --Publishers Weekly<br> Author InformationDavid Koerner is an Assistant Professor of Astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania. Simon LeVay is an Independent Consultant and former Associate Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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