Courses on the exciting subject of astrobiology are sprouting up on college campuses like forest mushrooms. This new textbook, co-authored by SETI Institute astronomer Seth Shostak, provides a comprehensive treatment of the subject, including the fundamentals of biology, the search for life in the solar system, and SETI. Although intended for classroom use, this imposing, richly illustrated tome is a great read and a handy reference for all those interested in the possible existence of, and search for, life beyond Earth.
Our Books
Some SETI Institute scientists have written, edited, or contributed to books. These publications, which may be available through Amazon.com or your public library, include popular, reference, and textbooks, as well as compilations of scientific articles or papers. In addition, we have included books about the SETI Institute or SETI in general.
ISBN Number:
0521822335
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In their newly-released book, authors Seth Shostak and Alex Barnett ponder the possibility of alien life, and the consequences of receiving a signal from the cosmos. They explain why scientists think sentient life might exist on other worlds, how we could discover it, and what it might be like. Entertaining and informative, this hard cover book is lavishly illustrated.
ISBN Number:
1930722222
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Is intelligent life merely a bit player in the enormous pageant of the cosmos? Or is it destined to become something vastly more important: the architect of the universe and of other universes to come?
James Gardner carefully reviews all the best ideas on how to understand the cosmos’s apparent biological imperative and then puts forth a new, and strikingly dramatic, suggestion of his own, one that makes use of the exciting field of complexity science: the “Selfish Biocosm” hypothesis.
ISBN Number:
158062961X
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His childhood curiosities and unusual education- The scientific climate of Einstein's time and the people who influenced him- His theories, their impact, and their potential for future application- Einstein's philosophies on war, religion, and pacifism- Einstein in America
ISBN Number:
079226567X
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In the jungle of Puerto Rico, next to a giant aluminum telescope bowl, we meet astronomers Peter Backus and Jill Tarter of the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program. This research program is determined to find evidence of extraterrestrial life by searching for its radio signals. They hope to catch radio waves created by some kind of life far out in space. These scientists love their work: "Arriving in the control room, Jill puts on a tape of her favorite samba music by a group called Viva Brazil.
ISBN Number:
0520237102
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Merely a decade ago there were no known planets orbiting sunlike stars outside our own solar system. In the past ten years, however, fast-paced developments in astronomy have revealed over 140 extrasolar planets--with more discoveries surely on the way. Though it will be years before we have direct images of these far-flung worlds, this lavishly illustrated book gives us an idea of what they might look like.
ISBN Number:
1593373880
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Sure, you’ve heard of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. But do you really know what it means? And even if you do there’s a lot more to be learned about this eccentric genius. Did you know he worked to develop hearing aids? Or that a student actually spotted a mistake in one of his papers? And you’ll never guess what happed to Einstein’s brain after he died.
Inside these pages, you’ll learn about how and why:
ISBN Number:
3540292160
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Research on extrasolar planets is one of the most exciting fields of activity in astrophysics. In a decade only, a huge step forward has been made from the early speculations on the existence of planets orbiting "other stars" to the first discoveries and to the characterization of extrasolar planets. This breakthrough is the result of a growing interest of a large community of researchers as well as the development of a wide range of new observational techniques and facilities.
ISBN Number:
978-1438437941
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<p>Highlights the most recent developments in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), and advocates a diverse range of approaches to make SETI increasingly more powerful and effective in the years to come.</p><p>In April 2010, fifty years to the month after the first experiment in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), scholars from a range of disciplines—including astronomy, mathematics, anthropology, history, and cognitive science—gathered at NASA’s biennial Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) for a series of sessions on the search for i
ISBN Number:
0521853494
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A unique handbook for astronomers interested in observing meteor storms and outbursts. Spectacular displays of 'shooting stars' are created when the Earth's orbit crosses a meteoroid stream, as each meteoroid causes a bright light when it enters our atmosphere at high speed. Jenniskens, an active meteor storm chaser, explains how meteoroid streams originate from the decay of meteoroids, comets and asteroids, and how they cause meteor showers on Earth.