000 03323nam a22005055i 4500
001 978-3-642-22754-7
003 DE-He213
005 20140220083259.0
007 cr nn 008mamaa
008 120103s2012 gw | s |||| 0|eng d
020 _a9783642227547
_9978-3-642-22754-7
024 7 _a10.1007/978-3-642-22754-7
_2doi
050 4 _aQH327-328
072 7 _aVXQB
_2bicssc
072 7 _aSCI004000
_2bisacsh
082 0 4 _a576.839
_223
100 1 _aHalley, J. Woods.
_eauthor.
245 1 0 _aHow Likely is Extraterrestrial Life?
_h[electronic resource] /
_cby J. Woods Halley.
264 1 _aBerlin, Heidelberg :
_bSpringer Berlin Heidelberg,
_c2012.
300 _aIX, 151p. 49 illus., 27 illus. in color.
_bonline resource.
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
347 _atext file
_bPDF
_2rda
490 1 _aSpringerBriefs in Astronomy,
_x2191-9100
505 0 _a1.Introduction -- I. ’Bottom Up”: What we learn from Basic Science About the Likelihood of Extraterrestrial Life -- 2. Astrophysical Factors -- 3. Planetary Considerations -- 4. Biological Factors -- II. ’Top Down’: What we learn from the failure of attempts to detect Extraterrestrial Life -- 5. Unidentified Flying Objects -- 6. Colonization and Panspermia -- 7. Electromagnetic ( SETI) Searches -- 8. Direct Searches for Primitive forms of Life -- 9. Policy, Ethical and Other Implications -- 10. Appendices -- Subject Index.
520 _aWhat does existing scientific knowledge about physics, chemistry, meteorology and biology tell us about the likelihood of extraterrestrial life and civilizations? And what does the fact that there is currently no credible scientific evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial biospheres or civilizations teach  us? This book reviews the various scientific issues that arise in considering the question of how common extraterrestrial life is likely to be in our galaxy and whether humans are likely to detect it. The book stands out because of its very systematic organization and relatively unbiased treatment of the main open question. It covers all relevant aspects of many disciplines required to present the different   possible answers. It has and will provide undergraduates with a stimulating introduction to many of these fields at an early stage in their university careers, when they are still choosing a specialty. The difficulties and the range of possible answers to the title question are carefully addressed in the light of present understanding. The resulting perspective is distinctly different from those suggested by most other books on this topic.
650 0 _aPhysics.
650 0 _aLife sciences.
650 0 _aPlanetology.
650 0 _aAstrophysics.
650 0 _aAstrobiology.
650 1 4 _aPhysics.
650 2 4 _aAstrobiology.
650 2 4 _aExtraterrestrial Physics, Space Sciences.
650 2 4 _aBiogeosciences.
650 2 4 _aPlanetology.
710 2 _aSpringerLink (Online service)
773 0 _tSpringer eBooks
776 0 8 _iPrinted edition:
_z9783642227530
830 0 _aSpringerBriefs in Astronomy,
_x2191-9100
856 4 0 _uhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22754-7
912 _aZDB-2-PHA
999 _c102081
_d102081