Life in the Cosmos
From Biosignatures to Technosignatures
Harvard University Press books are not shipped directly to India due to regional distribution arrangements. Buy from your local bookstore, Amazon.co.in, or Flipkart.com.
This book is not shipped directly to country due to regional distribution arrangements.
Pre-order for this book isn't available yet on our website.
This book is currently out of stock.
Dropdown items
ISBN 9780674987579
Publication date: 06/29/2021
A rigorous and scientific analysis of the myriad possibilities of life beyond our planet.
“Are we alone in the universe?” This tantalizing question has captivated humanity over millennia, but seldom has it been approached rigorously. Today the search for signatures of extraterrestrial life and intelligence has become a rapidly advancing scientific endeavor. Missions to Mars, Europa, and Titan seek evidence of life. Laboratory experiments have made great strides in creating synthetic life, deepening our understanding of conditions that give rise to living entities. And on the horizon are sophisticated telescopes to detect and characterize exoplanets most likely to harbor life.
Life in the Cosmos offers a thorough overview of the burgeoning field of astrobiology, including the salient methods and paradigms involved in the search for extraterrestrial life and intelligence. Manasvi Lingam and Avi Loeb tackle three areas of interest in hunting for life “out there”: first, the pathways by which life originates and evolves; second, planetary and stellar factors that affect the habitability of worlds, with an eye on the biomarkers that may reveal the presence of microbial life; and finally, the detection of technological signals that could be indicative of intelligence. Drawing on empirical data from observations and experiments, as well as the latest theoretical and computational developments, the authors make a compelling scientific case for the search for life beyond what we can currently see.
Meticulous and comprehensive, Life in the Cosmos is a master class from top researchers in astrobiology, suggesting that the answer to our age-old question is closer than ever before.
Praise
-
The new go-to for astrobiology. Life in the Cosmos is a quantitative and encyclopedic tour de force for all topics related to the origin of life on Earth and life’s existence beyond.
-
An instant classic. Lingam and Loeb’s brilliant Life in the Cosmos is a momentous scientific achievement. To anyone looking to dig deep into the exciting prospect of discovering extraterrestrial life, I say: Make space on your bookshelf.
-
A book of sweeping vision. Lingam and Loeb offer detailed and insightful analysis of the challenges we face as we investigate the universal distribution of this unusual material we call life. A helpful and fascinating read.
-
Are we alone in the universe? Lingam and Loeb provide expert guidance to the many dimensions of this fundamental question—and, just maybe, how to answer it.
-
A remarkable and modern survey of how to search for life in the universe, from two of the boldest, most innovative thinkers in the field today. Impressively detailed, this book takes into account what we know about life on Earth to consider what we don’t know about life elsewhere.
-
This book discusses everything you ever wanted to know about life in the cosmos. Lingam and Loeb are the best guides for this truly breathtaking journey, providing masterful and comprehensive answers for everyone, from the scholar to the amateur stargazer.
-
The search for intelligent alien life continues to motivate and inspire generations of scientists and the public alike…The authors separate themselves from other treatments of similar topics by focusing on ‘extraterrestrial technological intelligences’ rather than alien life more generally.
-
Boldly goes where few academic books have gone before by seriously and open-mindedly considering the possibility of extraterrestrial technological intelligence on par with or far beyond humans…Chock-full of interesting topics and insights…A stellar achievement that deserves the undivided attention of readers who are ready to take a deep dive into astrobiology.
-
An excellent primer on life on earth, from the very beginnings…Both incredibly wide-ranging and constantly fascinating.
Authors
- Manasvi Lingam is Assistant Professor of Astrobiology at the Florida Institute of Technology, an affiliate of the Institute for Theory and Computation at Harvard University, and a member of the American Physical Society.
- Avi Loeb is Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science at Harvard University. He is Founding Director of Harvard’s Black Hole Initiative, chair of the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Book Details
- 1088 pages
- 6-3/8 x 9-1/4 inches
- Harvard University Press
Recommendations
-
![Neutron Stars]()
-
![Our Universe]()
Our Universe
Jo Dunkley -
![Ripples in Spacetime]()
Ripples in Spacetime
Govert Schilling -
![Exoplanets]()
Exoplanets
Donald Goldsmith -
![Universe in Creation]()
Universe in Creation
Roy R. Gould
