Other Worlds: Ten Great Mysteries of Science

The classic Drake equation is an estimate of the number of civilizations there are in the galaxy, and for years, all but one of the terms was based only on speculation. For some of the terms, it was reasoned, but for others the value was the wildest of guesses. The formula is N = R * F(p) * N(e) * F(L) * F(I) * F(c) * L, where N is the number of civilizations, R is the rate at which Sun-like stars are formed, F(p) is the fraction of those stars that form planets, N(e) is the number of planets per star that can support life, F(L) is the fraction of planets where life emerges, F(I) is the fraction of such planets where intelligence emerges, F(c) is the fraction of such planets where the inhabitants develop interstellar communication and L is the length of time that the civilization actually communicates. Originally put forward in 1961, there was little improvement in the understanding of the parameters for decades. However, all of that began to change in the last few years as advances in instrumentation is allowing astronomers to detect bodies revolving around stars. The preliminary results, which are withstanding intense scrutiny, are twofold. The first is that many (perhaps even most) stars have bodies revolving around them and the second is that the definition of planet is a vague one. Quite naturally, the first such bodies discovered are rather large and probably fit the definition of a star better than that of a planet. Nevertheless, such bodies appear to be very common and are being found in unexpected places. The people conducting the searches, the mechanisms being used and the conclusions to date is the main theme of the book. I was aware of some of the results, but had no knowledge as to the specific tactics being used in the search for "planets." The descriptions in the book are understandable to anyone with a basic knowledge of the physics of light. I was captivated by the search strategies and was very impressed by the ingenuity of the astronomers. A second theme is the search for radio signals from other civilizations. While this section was interesting, I found myself surprised that the SETI@Home project was not mentioned. This is a collaborative effort where people donate the idle time of their computers to process segments of data captured by radio telescopes. As someone who has donated almost eight years of computer time to the project, to me it would have been a natural program to mention. There is no question that the resolution of the question concerning the existence of civilizations on other planets is one that will forever alter the human condition. If we are indeed the only intelligent species, then the only thing that will prevent us from taking over the galaxy is us. However, if we are not the only one, then most likely there are a very large number and we most likely are insignificant in the eyes of some other species. In this book, you will find an understandable explanation of much of the recent work, nearly all of whi

This starts out rather excitingly, as though a kind of science drama, but dissipates into a not bad book about how the recently discovered planets around other stars were discovered. Lemonick, a Time science writer, tries to make the characters come alive, and they do to some extent, although this is no novelistic work. Lemonick emphasizes the equipment, telescopes, etc. and the techniques used. He does a good job.The material on the Mars rock brings us up to date, circa 1997 or thereabouts: they've proved nothing, yet my guess is that we will find that microscopic life existed on Mars three and a half billion years ago. When this happens it will be a big media event, yet it will mean little to the average person. When INTELLIGENT life is found on other planets in another solar system, if that ever happens, it will be a big time media event and will have an EXTRAORDINARY impact on the culture of this world. My guess, after reading this and several other books on extraterrestrial life, is that life is common, but intelligent life rare; consequently, considering the amazing distances in interstellar space, I don't expect any kind of contact in my lifetime. In fact a half life for contact time (just a stab) might be a thousand years or more, assuming that intelligent life exists in, say, every hundred million star systems. Question: will we last a thousand years?Lemonick celebrates the Drake equation (N=R* Fp Ne Fl Fi Fc L) where N is the number of detectable civilizations, R* the rate at which Sun-like stars form, Fp the fraction of stars that form planets, Ne the number of planets per solar system hospitable to life, Fl the fraction of planets where life emerges, Fi the fraction of life bearing planets where intelligence evolves, Fc the fraction where the inhabitants develop interstellar communication, and L the length of time such civilizations continue to communicate.Well, they might add "Fw," the fraction that are willing or care to communicate.As far as just the bare existence of extraterrestrial life is concerned, it might be that we would not even recognize the life forms if they tapped us on the shoulder since they might take a form that is pure energy or pure something else we know nothing about. It's not far fetched to say they might be invisible to our eyes.The material about Europa and the possibility of life under its frozen surface in a great ocean is interesting. Lemonick says (and we've read this elsewhere) that it is now believed that life probably did not originate in wading pools as has been long thought, but probably deep under the ocean protected from the constant bombardment of comets and meteorites, nourished not by the sun but by heat escaping from the inner earth. This seems highly plausible to me because of the recent discoveries of strange life forms deep in our oceans where the animals live on bacteria nourished by heat vents several miles deep. I still like the panspe

Are Earth-like planets a rarity in the universe? Is our Solar System, with its 9 peaceful planets in circular orbits, some fluke or a godsend among the 100 billion stars in our Milky Way Galaxy? Is intelligent life in the universe such a rarity that we may be cosmically alone?Mike Lemonick has produced a book that is exquisitely accurate and humanly compelling about the discovery of alien worlds around other stars. The book captures the difficulties of forging ahead toward new scientific techniques that often lead to failures. But in this case, Lemonick describes how several astronomers worldwide pushed forward despite those obstacles. Ultimately, these astronomers captured the most sought-after discovery in astronomy: the first true New Worlds, outside our Solar System. Lemonick reveals the quirky personalities of the astronomers who made the 10-year trek toward these discoveries. Along the way, this book describes the chances that Earth-like planets may lead to life elsewhere in the universe. The book beautifully explains the ultimate human exploration: travelling to the new worlds in search of our biological roots out among the stars.This book is a great read, and will stand as a historical benchmark about a great moment in scientific discovery.

Finally. Somebody who knows how to write about complex scientific issues in a way that even scientifically-challenged readers like myself can understand. Mr. Lemonick knows how to make science interesting and fun. As a college student who spends most of her time doing required reading, it's seldom that I read a science book unless it's assigned. But this book caught my eye as I walked past it. The more of it I read, the less I was able to put it down and had to buy it. Great, great book! (And wow... smashing cover, I might add. Way, way cool.) Oprah... if you're out there... you've got to get this guy on your show. I know you're hung up on the "feelings thing" but aliens have feelings too you know.