Life in the Universe. Expectations and Constraints
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Author(s): D. Schulze-Makuch and L. Irwin
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3540206272
Format: hardback
172pp
Price: £46.00, $79.95, €59.95
Review Date: 05 November 2004
Review: Astrobiology studies the origin, evolution, distribution, and fate of life throughout the Universe. This book reflects the conviction that life is not restricted to planet Earth. The objective is to make a critical scientific analysis of the fundamental, commonly held assumptions about life beyond Earth, in particular those relating to the probable cosmic preference for carbon-based life and the forms of energy required for the sustenance of life. It is written with a particular emphasis on the scientific rationale for what we should be seeking on our space missions, and how we should be looking for it, making predictions about some likely characteristics of other life forms.