Looking for Life, Searching the Solar System

By: Paul Clancy, AndrÃ© Brack, Gerda Horneck

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Paperback | 10 December 2009

At a Glance

Paperback
384 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 2.16

Paperback

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How did life begin on Earth? Is it confined to our planet? Will humans one day be able to travel long distances in space in search of other life forms? Written by three experts in the space arena, Looking for Life, Searching the Solar System aims to answer these and other intriguing questions. Beginning with what we understand of life on Earth, it describes the latest ideas about the chemical basis of life as we know it, and how they are influencing strategies to search for life elsewhere. It considers the ability of life, from microbes to humans, to survive in space, on the surface of other planets, and be transported from one planet to another. It looks at the latest plans for missions to search for life in the Solar System, and how these are being influenced by new technologies, and current thinking about life on Earth. This fascinating and broad-ranging book is for anyone with an interest in the search for life beyond our planet.

Industry Reviews

Review of the hardback: 'The authors of Looking for Life, Searching the Solar System have pooled their expertise to produce an accurate, up-to-date and highly readable survey of the field.' New Scientist
Review of the hardback: '... serious students will find it very useful indeed.' Sky at Night
Review of the hardback: 'The information within - the whole sweet mystery of life in the solar system - is enough to make you want to go into orbit with them.' The Guardian
Review of the hardback: '...a fascinating and thorough round-up of present research and future hopes for one of humankind's most fundamental quests.' Astronomy Now
Review of the hardback: '... when I read the book, I was very pleased to find that it tackled the subject from a different angle, giving a new perspective on the material, and hence is a valuable addition to the astrobiology canon ... the book is an informative and well-written account of astrobiology from the perspective of a contribution from human exploration of the Solar System.' The Observatory
Review of the hardback: '... on the essentials of space exploration, Looking for Life couldn't be better ... Perhaps most interesting for those of us sitting on a decaying planet Earth and wondering how humanity might ever escape from it, is the section on ''The cosmic biological imperative'. Its chapters outline the sort of spacecraft we might need to embark on our exploration, how many crew, their physical and psychological needs.' Cosmos
Review of the hardback: '...the book is an informative and well written account of astrobiology from the the perspective of a contribution from human exploration of the solar system.' The Observatory

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Science Biology, Life Sciences Life Sciences in General Evolution Physics Applied Physics Astrophysics Nature & The Natural World Popular Astronomy & Space Science in General Popular Science

Astronomy, Space & Time Solar System including The Sun & Planets Genetics excluding Medical

Other Editions and Formats

Hardcover

Published: 1st September 2005

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Preface
The Imperative of Exploration
Exploration as a metaphor
How Can We Know Life?
The molecular basis of life on Earth
The limits to life
The transfer of life between planets
What are the signatures of life?
After the discovery/life as a cosmic phenomenon
The Search for Life Beyond Earth
The prospects for long-duration human space-flight
Human exploration and the search for life
Interplanetary ethics
The Cosmic Biological Imperative
The key technologies for human planetary exploration
Exploration in space
Exploration in time
Prediction, imagination and the role of technology
Our Cosmic Destiny
Our cosmic destiny
Appendices
Index
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Looking for Life, Searching the Solar System

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

Other Editions and Formats

Hardcover

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