Overview

"""With wit and brio, Frank separates current nonsense about aliens from the serious and fascinating search for extraterrestrial life."" --Carlo Rovelli, New York Times bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics From astrophysicist Adam Frank, a little book on the biggest questions in our search for extraterrestrial life, questions we stand ready to answer. Everyone is curious about life in the Universe, UFOs and whether ET is out there. Over the course of his thirty-year career as an astrophysicist, Adam Frank has consistently been asked about the possibility of intelligent life in the universe. Are aliens real? Where are they? Why haven't we found them? What happens if we do? We've long been led to believe that astronomers spend every night searching the sky for extraterrestrials, but the truth is we have barely started looking. Not until now have we even known where to look or how. In The Little Book of Aliens, Frank, a leading researcher in the field, takes us on a journey to all that we know about the possibility of life outside planet Earth and shows us the cutting-edge science that has brought us to this unique moment in human history: the one where we go find out for ourselves. In this small book with big stakes, Frank gives us a rundown of everything we need to know, from the scientific origins of the search for intelligent life, the Fermi Paradox, the Kardashev Scale, the James Webb Telescope, as well as UFOs and their conspiracy theories. Drawing from his own work and that of other scientists studying the possibility of alien life, he brings together the latest scientific thinking, data, ideas, and discoveries to equip us with the critical facts as we stand at what may be the last moment in human history where we still believe we are all alone. This book is about everything we do--and do not--know about life, intelligent or otherwise beyond Earth. In language that is engaging, entertaining and fun, The Little Book of Aliens provides a comprehensive first look at how close we are to finding out if others actually exist--and if they do, what they might be like. Humankind is on the precipice of finding its neighbors. What comes next? No person is better suited to answer that question--and lead the search--than Adam Frank."

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9780063279735

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In this provocative new book, Adam Frank makes the case that one good way to think about life on Earth is to think about the prospect of life on other planets--and what it might have to teach us about how to be good Earthlings. -- Sean Carroll, author of Something Deeply Hidden, on Light of the Stars This book describes the emerging science of astrobiology, which is helping us to understand the task we face in bringing our civilization into a healthy relationship with our planet. Frank's book serves as a kind of cosmic GPS, giving us an orientation that will help us to succeed. Happily it's not just important but also very clear, succinct, and entertaining. -- Kim Stanley Robinson, author of New York 2140, on Light of the Stars A valuable perspective on the most important problem of our time. -- Adam Becker, NPR, on Light of the Stars

"""In this provocative new book, Adam Frank makes the case that one good way to think about life on Earth is to think about the prospect of life on other planets--and what it might have to teach us about how to be good Earthlings."" -- Sean Carroll, author of Something Deeply Hidden, on Light of the Stars ""This book describes the emerging science of astrobiology, which is helping us to understand the task we face in bringing our civilization into a healthy relationship with our planet. Frank's book serves as a kind of cosmic GPS, giving us an orientation that will help us to succeed. Happily it's not just important but also very clear, succinct, and entertaining."" -- Kim Stanley Robinson, author of New York 2140, on Light of the Stars ""A valuable perspective on the most important problem of our time."" -- Adam Becker, NPR, on Light of the Stars"

"""This wonderful book unravels the tangled ball of humanity's thinking about aliens, and tells the whole story with high humor and immense clarity. Adam Frank helpfully explains what scientists are doing now to explore the galaxy remotely in search of answers to this fascinating mystery. Read this and you'll know as much as anyone does on the topic-- it's as clear as a map, as clear as Drake's Equation."" -- Kim Stanley Robinson, author of The Ministry for the Future and the Mars trilogy ""In this provocative new book, Adam Frank makes the case that one good way to think about life on Earth is to think about the prospect of life on other planets--and what it might have to teach us about how to be good Earthlings."" -- Sean Carroll, author of Something Deeply Hidden, on Light of the Stars ""A valuable perspective on the most important problem of our time."" -- Adam Becker, NPR, on Light of the Stars ""From the details of the origins of life on Earth, to the physics (and hypothetical future physics) of interstellar travel, The Little Book of Aliens is a comprehensive exploration of the seemingly limitless potential of intelligent life, human and beyond. Frank's book is science writing at its best, revealing the awe-inspiring capacity of science to help us understand, and navigate, the universe."" -- Annaka Harris, New York Times bestselling author of Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind"

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