Are we alone in the universe? As humans, are we unique or are we part of a greater cosmic existence? What is lifeÕs future on Earth and beyond? How does life begin and develop? These are age-old questions that have inspired wonder and controversy ever since the first people looked up into the sky. With todayÕs technology, however, we are closer than ever to finding the answers. Astrobiology is the relatively new, but fast growing scientific discipline that involves trying to understand the origin, evolution, and distribution of life within the universe. It is also one of the few scientific disciplines that attracts the publicÕs intense curiosity and attention. This interest stems largely from the deep personal meaning that the possible existence of extraterrestrial life has for so many. Whether this meaning relates to addressing the ÒBig QuestionsÓ of our existence, the possibility of encountering life on other planets, or the potential impact on our understanding of religion, there is no doubt that the public is firmly vested in finding answers. In this broadly accessible introduction to the field, Bruce Jakosky looks at the search for life in the universe not only from a scientific perspective, but also from a distinctly social one. In lucid and engaging prose, he addresses topics including the contradiction between the publicÕs fascination and the meager dialogue that exists between those within the scientific community and those outside of it, and what has become some of the most impassioned political wrangling ever seen in government science funding.
Does life exist on other planets? This 1998 book presents the scientific basis for thinking there may be life elsewhere in the Universe. It is the first to cover the entire breadth of recent exciting discoveries, including the discovery of planets around other stars and the possibility of fossil life in meteorites from Mars. Suitable for the general reader, this authoritative book avoids technical jargon and is well illustrated throughout. It covers all the major topics, including the origin and early history of life on Earth, the environmental conditions necessary for life to exist, the possibility that life might exist elsewhere in our Solar System, the occurrence of planets around other stars and their habitability, and the possibility of intelligent extraterrestrial life. For all those interested in understanding the scientific evidence for and likelihood of extraterrestrial life, this is the most comprehensive and readable book to date.
Does life exist on other planets? This 1998 book presents the scientific basis for thinking there may be life elsewhere in the Universe. It is the first to cover the entire breadth of recent exciting discoveries, including the discovery of planets around other stars and the possibility of fossil life in meteorites from Mars. Suitable for the general reader, this authoritative book avoids technical jargon and is well illustrated throughout. It covers all the major topics, including the origin and early history of life on Earth, the environmental conditions necessary for life to exist, the possibility that life might exist elsewhere in our Solar System, the occurrence of planets around other stars and their habitability, and the possibility of intelligent extraterrestrial life. For all those interested in understanding the scientific evidence for and likelihood of extraterrestrial life, this is the most comprehensive and readable book to date.
Are we alone in the universe? As humans, are we unique or are we part of a greater cosmic existence? What is life’s future on Earth and beyond? How does life begin and develop? These are age-old questions that have inspired wonder and controversy ever since the first people looked up into the sky. With today’s technology, however, we are closer than ever to finding the answers. Astrobiology is the relatively new, but fast growing scientific discipline that involves trying to understand the origin, evolution, and distribution of life within the universe. It is also one of the few scientific disciplines that attracts the public’s intense curiosity and attention. This interest stems largely from the deep personal meaning that the possible existence of extraterrestrial life has for so many. Whether this meaning relates to addressing the “Big Questions” of our existence, the possibility of encountering life on other planets, or the potential impact on our understanding of religion, there is no doubt that the public is firmly vested in finding answers. In this broadly accessible introduction to the field, Bruce Jakosky looks at the search for life in the universe not only from a scientific perspective, but also from a distinctly social one. In lucid and engaging prose, he addresses topics including the contradiction between the public’s fascination and the meager dialogue that exists between those within the scientific community and those outside of it, and what has become some of the most impassioned political wrangling ever seen in government science funding.
Scientists have collected a wealth of physical and chemical data for the Sun, planets, and small bodies in our solar system, but until now this information has been scattered throughout the technical literature. The Planetary Scientist's Companion solves this problem, providing for the first time a single, extensive reference for the interdisciplinary fields of planetary science and cosmochemistry. The book begins with a summary of frequently used physical and chemical constants, unit conversion factors, properties of some compounds and minerals, thermodynamic data, partition coefficients, and useful formulas. This is followed by an overview of the solar system, including comparative data for the planets and their satellites and abundances of the elements. Much of the book is devoted to a series of chapters describing in turn the Sun, each of the planets, and the groups of small bodies (asteroids, comets, meteorites, and Kuiper Belt and Centaur objects). Each chapter includes an introduction, followed by tables of physical and chemical properties compiled from many sources, including data on planetary atmospheres, surfaces, and interiors. The book concludes with data on nearby stars, the interstellar medium, and recently discovered brown dwarfs and possible extrasolar planets, followed by a glossary. A unique and practical resource for anyone interested in contemporary planetary science and cosmochemistry, this volume is likely to be an essential tool in future research.
This book is an appealing, concise, and factual account of the chemistry of the solar system. It includes basic facts about the chemical composition of the different bodies in the solar system, the major chemical processes involved in the formation of the Sun, planets, and small objects, and the chemical processes that determine their current chemical make-up. The book summarizes compositional data but focuses on the chemical processes and where relevant, it also emphasizes comparative planetology. There are numerous informative summary tables which illustrate the similarities (or differences) that help the reader to understand the processes described. Data is presented in graphical form which is useful for identifying common features of the major processes that determine the current chemical state of the planets. The book will interest general readers with a background in chemistry who will enjoy reading about the chemical diversity of the solar system's objects. It will serve as an introductory textbook for graduate classes in planetary sciences but will also be very popular with professional researchers in academia and government, college professors, and postgraduate fellows.
The intellectual and cultural battles now raging over theism and atheism, conservatism and secular progressivism, dualism and monism, realism and antirealism, and transcendent reality versus material reality extend even into the scientific disciplines. This stunning new volume captures this titanic clash of worldviews among those who have thought most deeply about the nature of science and of the universe itself. Unmatched in its breadth and scope, The Nature of Nature brings together some of the most influential scientists, scholars, and public intellectuals—including three Nobel laureates—across a wide spectrum of disciplines and schools of thought. Here they grapple with a perennial question that has been made all the more pressing by recent advances in the natural sciences: Is the fundamental explanatory principle of the universe, life, and self-conscious awareness to be found in inanimate matter or immaterial mind? The answers found in this book have profound implications for what it means to do science, what it means to be human, and what the future holds for all of us.
The angel "Lucifer" was the bringer of light. However, this is not the light of love and harmony. Lucifer brings light to western humanity by inviting us to taste the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Lucifer's Labyrinth is the secular odyssey of what happened to humanity after we left the Garden, peppered by blind allies, thunder and lightning. Lucifer's Labyrinth treks from the Middle Ages through the Gilded Age.Unique features of this book include: -Interdisciplinary, spanning the fields of western history, macro-sociology, social history, politics, political economy, philosophy of science, comparative religion and psychology. Like the god Hermes, this book crosses the worlds.-Macro-micro link: Many books on Western history treat psychology as if it was insulated from historical processes and subject to laws of its own. Lucifer's Labyrinth argues that changes in technology, economics and politics determine what the direction of psychology is most likely to take.-Its unique Vygotskyan approach to Western history. In the United States Vygotsky is known as a child psychologist. Few realize that his colleague Alexander Luria applied Vygotsky's work to historical changes in peasant life after the Russian revolution. Lucifer's Labyrinth is one of the only books to apply Vygotsky's work to another historical period.-It poses provocative questions. What does the invention of coined money do to humanity's reasoning processes? Why did the printing press change the sense ratios? What is the difference between being civilized and being disciplined? Why did statistical reasoning only develop in the 17th century? What institutions need to emerge before Piaget's formal operations can function? Why do very few of Erikson's psycho-social stages of development apply to childhood, adolescence and adulthood before the 18th century?-There is an abundance of comparative tables which summarize sub-sections of chapters, guiding the reader from beginning to end. These tables give the reader a "snapshot" of a historical period or they depict a "movie" of howl spiritual or psychological process has evolved.-The book is scholarly without being academic. The book is dense but juicy. An educated lay reader can understand the general argument without any previous background. Bruce Lerro is a socio-historical psychologist in the traditional of Lev Vygotsky. He has been a college instructor for 27 years. Lucifer's Labyrinth is the sequel to his book Forging Promethean Psychology
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