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From the New York Times bestselling author of Extraterrestrial
comes a mind-expanding new book explaining why becoming an
interstellar species is imperative for humanity's survival and
detailing a game plan for how we can settle among the stars. In the
New York Times bestseller Extraterrestrial, Avi Loeb, the longest
serving Chair of Harvard's Astronomy Department, presented a theory
that shook the scientific community: our solar system, Loeb
claimed, had likely been visited by a piece of advanced alien
technology from a distant star. This provocative and persuasive
argument opened millions of minds internationally to the vast
possibilities of our universe and the existence of intelligent life
beyond Earth. But a crucial question remained: now that we are
aware of the existence of extraterrestrial life, what do we do
next? How do we prepare ourselves for interaction with interstellar
extraterrestrial civilization? How can our species become
interstellar? Now Loeb tackles these questions in a revelatory,
powerful call to arms that reimagines the idea of contact with
extraterrestrial civilizations. Dismantling our science-fiction
fueled visions of a human and alien life encounter, Interstellar
provides a realistic and practical blueprint for how such an
interaction might actually occur, resetting our cultural
understanding and expectation of what it means to identify an
extraterrestrial object. From awe-inspiring searches for
extraterrestrial technology, to the heated debate of the existence
of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, Loeb provides a thrilling,
front-row view of the monumental progress in science and technology
currently preparing us for contact. He also lays out the profound
implications of becoming--or not becoming--interstellar; in an
urgent, eloquent appeal for more proactive engagement with the
world beyond ours, he powerfully contends why we must seek out
other life forms, and in the process, choose who and what we are
within the universe. Combining cutting edge science, physics, and
philosophy, Interstellar revolutionizes the approach to our search
for extraterrestrial life and our preparation for its discovery. In
this eye-opening, necessary look at our future, Avi Loeb artfully
and expertly raises some of the most important questions facing us
as humans, and proves, once again, that scientific curiosity is the
key to our survival.
'LOEB IS AN ASTRONOMICAL SHERLOCK HOLMES' Washington Post 'A JOY IN
CONJECTURE AND AN OMNIVOROUS SPIRIT OF INQUIRY. . . CARL SAGAN
WOULD HAVE LIKED THIS BOOK' The Times In 2017, Avi Loeb, Chair of
Harvard's Astronomy Department, went public with a theory that
shook the scientific community - our solar system has been visited
by advanced alien technology. His provocative and persuasive
argument (and internationally bestselling book Extraterrestrial)
has opened thousands of minds to the existence of intelligent life
beyond Earth. This book tackles the huge question of what happens
next? Long the stuff of science-fiction, here at last is the
science fact. From advances in deep space probes to ongoing
searches for extraterrestrial technology in our night sky, through
the latest heated debates over the existence of Unidentified Aerial
Phenomena, Interstellar offers a thrilling, front-row view of the
technology and the ideas currently preparing us for contact with
alien civilizations. Providing the first realistic and practical
blueprint for how that might actually occur, Professor Loeb lays
out the profound implications of our becoming - or not becoming -
an interstellar species. In an urgent, eloquent appeal for more
proactive engagement with the outer universe, he powerfully
contends why we must seek out other life forms, and in the process,
choose who and what we are within the universe. Combining
cutting-edge science, physics, and philosophy, Loeb takes us on a
mind-bending journey through the furthest reaches of science,
space-time, and the human imagination. Interstellar is an
eye-opening, necessary look at our future that proves, once again,
that scientific curiosity offers the key to our survival. 'Loeb is
surely correct. . . scientists studying the vastness of the cosmos
should entertain risky ideas more often, for the universe is
undoubtedly more wild and unexpected than any extremes conjured by
the human imagination' Economist 'A COMPELLING ARGUMENT FOR A MORE
OPEN-MINDED APPROACH TO SCIENCE - A COMBINATION OF HUMILITY AND
WONDER' New Statesman
An award-winning science journalist details the quest to isolate
and understand dark matter-and shows how that search has helped us
to understand the universe we inhabit. When you train a telescope
on outer space, you can see luminous galaxies, nebulae, stars, and
planets. But if you add all that together, it constitutes only 15
percent of the matter in the universe. Despite decades of research,
the nature of the remaining 85 percent is unknown. We call it dark
matter. In The Elephant in the Universe, Govert Schilling explores
the fascinating history of the search for dark matter. Evidence for
its existence comes from a wealth of astronomical observations.
Theories and computer simulations of the evolution of the universe
are also suggestive: they can be reconciled with astronomical
measurements only if dark matter is a dominant component of nature.
Physicists have devised huge, sensitive instruments to search for
dark matter, which may be unlike anything else in the cosmos-some
unknown elementary particle. Yet so far dark matter has escaped
every experiment. Indeed, dark matter is so elusive that some
scientists are beginning to suspect there might be something wrong
with our theories about gravity or with the current paradigms of
cosmology. Schilling interviews both believers and heretics and
paints a colorful picture of the history and current status of dark
matter research, with astronomers and physicists alike trying to
make sense of theory and observation. Taking a holistic view of
dark matter as a problem, an opportunity, and an example of science
in action, The Elephant in the Universe is a vivid tale of
scientists puzzling their way toward the true nature of the
universe.
'The 'Enfant terrible' of astrophysics . . . Loeb has a joy in
conjecture and an omnivorous spirit of inquiry that are more
reminiscent of 20th-century thinkers such as Freeman Dyson or Carl
Sagan than most of his peers' The Times Could we build space craft
that could travel to distant stars? Could we augment human biology
for spaceflight? Could the search for extraterrestrials be brought
into the mainstream of scientific research? Avi Loeb tells us that
in each case, the real question is not could we, but will we choose
to? With an approach that is firmly grounded in cutting-edge
science, he explores the potential for non-rocket space launch,
deep space probes, and the technological preservation of human
civilisation. He examines the evidence for UFOs and UAPs, and
argues that the search for further evidence, using existing
scientific technologies, is long overdue. Urgent and important,
Noah's Spaceship is a mission statement and a blueprint for the
future of humanity. Loeb explains why becoming interstellar is
imperative for our civilization to survive - and how we can
accomplish it. 'One of the more imaginative and articulate
scientists around' New York Times
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.
Harvard's top astronomer takes us inside the mind-blowing story of the first interstellar visitor to our solar system.
In late 2017, scientists at a Hawaiian observatory glimpsed a strange object soaring through our inner solar system. Astrophysicist Avi Loeb conclusively showed it was not an asteroid; it was moving too fast along a strange orbit, and leaving no trail of gas or debris in its wake. There was only one conceivable explanation: the object was a piece of advanced technology created by a distant alien civilization.
In Extraterrestrial, Loeb takes readers inside the thrilling story of the first interstellar visitor to be spotted in our solar system. He outlines his theory and its profound implications: for science, for religion, and for the future of our planet. A mind-bending journey through the furthest reaches of science, space-time, and the human imagination, Extraterrestrial challenges readers to aim for the stars-and to think critically about what's out there, no matter how strange it seems.
'An astronomical Sherlock Holmes' WASHINGTON POST 'Visionary'
STEPHEN GREENBLATT 'Compelling . . . The book is not so much a
claim for one object as an argument for a more open-minded approach
to science - a combination of humility and wonder' NEW STATESMAN
Harvard's top astronomer takes us inside the mind-blowing story of
the first interstellar visitor to our solar system In late 2017,
scientists at a Hawaiian observatory glimpsed a strange object
soaring through our inner solar system. Astrophysicist Avi Loeb
conclusively showed it was not an asteroid; it was moving too fast
along a strange orbit, and leaving no trail of gas or debris in its
wake. There was only one conceivable explanation: the object was a
piece of advanced technology created by a distant alien
civilization. In Extraterrestrial, Loeb takes readers inside the
thrilling story of the first interstellar visitor to be spotted in
our solar system. He outlines his theory and its profound
implications: for science, for religion, and for the future of our
planet. A mind-bending journey through the furthest reaches of
science, space-time, and the human imagination, Extraterrestrial
challenges readers to aim for the stars-and to think critically
about what's out there, no matter how strange it seems.
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