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Goldilocks and the water bears : the search for life in the universe / Louisa Preston.

By: Material type: TextTextSeries: Bloomsbury sigma series ; bk. 16.Publisher: London, UK ; New York, NY, USA : Bloomsbury Sigma, 2016Copyright date: ©2016Description: 288 pages : illustrations ; 22 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781472920096
  • 1472920090
  • 9781472920102
  • 1472920104
Subject(s):
Contents:
A brave new world -- Life as we know it -- How to create a planet fit for life -- The story of life -- Alien worlds on our doorstep -- Everything is relative! -- Searching the solar system -- Extraterrestrial worlds : life not as we know it -- Is the truth really out there? -- The next generation.
Summary: Ultimately, we need to figure out what is next for humanity. Our logical move is to break free of the confines of the Earth and colonize another body in the Solar System, such as the Moon or Mars. How and when will we do this? Or is it all just science fiction? These questions, in a nutshell, make up the core of astrobiology--the study of the origins and evolution and biology of life elsewhere in the universe, and the search for it. This book is an accessible introduction to this most fascinating of all the astro-sciences--are we alone in the Universe?
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Dr. James Carlson Library NonFiction 576.839 P938 Available 33111008563948
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 576.839 P938 Available 33111008492023
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Astrobiology is the study of life in the universe from its origins to its evolution into intelligent sentient beings. All life as we know it is carbon-based, reliant on sources of liquid water and energy for its survival, and as far as we are aware, exists only on Earth.

Our planet occupies a unique spot in the solar system. It is just the right distance from the Sun--within the so-called Goldilocks Zone--to be not too hot or too cold for liquid water to be stable on its surface, which, together with a protective shielding atmosphere, allowed the four-billion-year journey from a single-celled organism to an upright humanoid species. Most of primordial life, if seen today, would be classified as "alien," as it bears little resemblance to anything that currently exists.

We can learn much about the possibilities of extraterrestrial life by studying the conveyer belt of life forms from our planet's history and by exploring organisms still present in harsh environments on Earth that mimic those on other worlds. These organisms, called "extremophiles," are directing our search for alien life throughout the solar system and beyond. Could we one day find Earth's toughest animal, the microscopic water bear, living under the surface of another world? Goldilocks and the Water Bears is an accessible introduction to the most fascinating of all the astro-sciences--the quest to learn whether we are alone in the universe.

Includes index.

A brave new world -- Life as we know it -- How to create a planet fit for life -- The story of life -- Alien worlds on our doorstep -- Everything is relative! -- Searching the solar system -- Extraterrestrial worlds : life not as we know it -- Is the truth really out there? -- The next generation.

Ultimately, we need to figure out what is next for humanity. Our logical move is to break free of the confines of the Earth and colonize another body in the Solar System, such as the Moon or Mars. How and when will we do this? Or is it all just science fiction? These questions, in a nutshell, make up the core of astrobiology--the study of the origins and evolution and biology of life elsewhere in the universe, and the search for it. This book is an accessible introduction to this most fascinating of all the astro-sciences--are we alone in the Universe?

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