Description
Book SynopsisExploring the potential for extraterrestrial life and the origins of our own planet, this comprehensive introduction to astrobiology is updated with the latest findings. Informed by the discoveries and analyses of extrasolar planets and the findings from recent robotic missions across the solar system, scientists are rapidly replacing centuries of speculation about potential extraterrestrial habitats with real knowledge about the possibility of life outside our own biosphereif it exists, and, if so, where. Casting new light on the biggest questions there arehow did we get here, and who else might be out there?this third edition of Kevin W. Plaxco and Michael Gross's widely acclaimed Astrobiology incorporates a decade's worth of new developments in space to bring readers the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and engaging introduction to the field available. Plaxco and Gross examine the factors that make our Universe habitable, from the origin of chemical elements and the formation of
Trade ReviewI did not find a single page in this book that did not attract my interest.
—Anna Faktorovich,
Pennsylvania Literary JournalTable of ContentsPreface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. What Is Life?
Chapter 2. Origins of a Habitable Universe
Chapter 3. Origins of a Habitable Planet
Chapter 4. Primordial Soup
Chapter 5. The Spark of Life
Chapter 6. From Molecules to Cells
Chapter 7. A Concise History of Life on Earth
Chapter 8. Life on the Edge
Chapter 9. Habitable Worlds in the Solar System and Beyond
Chapter 10. The Search for ET
Epilogue
Glossary
Index
