Is Anybody Out There?

For those who want an excellent relatively easy-level introduction to SETI and bioastronomy, or know someone who does, I highly recommend this book. Do not be "turned off" by the Young Adult reading level. This is a nicely presented and intelligent work that beautifully illustrates the major concepts. For example, there is a nice chart of the Kardashev levels of Galactic Civilizations, with Type I being a planet that can utilize all the resources of its world (humanity is only at Level 0.6); Type II can utilize the resources of its entire planetary system (i.e., Dyson Spheres); Type III can utilize the resources of an entire galaxy; and Type IV, which can utilize the resources of many galaxies. I would think the latter two might consider us as bugs or microbes in its incredible civilization and this may explain why we have not been contacted by such beings. Plus, with their seriously advanced technologies, we might also not be able to recognize their astroengineering projects.I think they cover all the bases nicely in a basic but smart way. They even discuss ideas on "radical" life forms, from the standard silicon creatures up to the new theory that our entire Universe acts like a living being in competition with other universes outside our own. Essentially, if a universe has black holes, it can then reproduce and make new universes. This idea naturally has a long way to go beyond the seriously theoretical stage, but it is only wise to look beyond the standard views of alien life that have been around for decades.