Intelligent Life in the Universe. From Common Origins to the Future of Humanity
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Author(s): P. Ulmschneider
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3540439889
Format: hardback
251pp
Price: £49.00, $69.95, €69.95
Review Date: 12 February 2003
Review: The Universe has roughly 100 billion times 100 billion stars, making it conceivable that intelligent life must exist on some of them. Recent advances in search techniques for planets, in the theory of planet formation, and in biochemistry, molecular, and cell biology may help answer the questions of how life appeared and how many planets in the Universe can be expected to have developed life and intelligence. This book looks at planets, life and intelligence. It examines the stars, galaxies and the origins of chemical elements, our recent planet formation theories, the search methods for extrasolar planets, and what has been found so far. Then the author describes what constitutes and earth-like planet and how many such planets can be expected in the Universe. He outlines the origins of life on Earth, how it evolved and how intelligent life developed. Finally, he constructs a picture of what extraterrestrials would be like.