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The Secret Life of the Universe: An Astrobiologist's Search for the Origins and Frontiers of Life (Hardback)
  • The Secret Life of the Universe: An Astrobiologist's Search for the Origins and Frontiers of Life (Hardback)
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The Secret Life of the Universe: An Astrobiologist's Search for the Origins and Frontiers of Life (Hardback)

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Hardback 320 Pages
Published: 15/08/2024
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‘A highly readable, entertaining and mind-expanding read from a formidable scientist’ iNews

‘A highly informative survey of the current state of astrobiology’ Literary Review

Over the last few decades, space exploration has revolutionised our understanding of our place in the cosmos. We now know that there are many habitable environments within our solar system. Yet a profound question remains: are we alone in the universe?

Nathalie A. Cabrol, leading astrobiologist and director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute, takes us to the frontiers of the search for life. This book’s odyssey begins by searching for how life began on Earth in order to understand what’s necessary for life to exist elsewhere. What role did our moon play? And could life on Mars, or another world, have seeded life on Earth?

Cabrol continues this dazzling interplanetary tour, illuminating the likeliest places for life in our neighbourhood: Venus, Mars, the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and Pluto. Finally, we seek life beyond our solar system, looking at the recent revolution in the night sky: the realisation that there are millions of exoplanets within our galaxy that could support life.

The Secret Life of the Universe is both a comprehensive and authoritative guide to the latest discoveries and an awe-inspiring exploration of what this means for us as humans on Earth today. It’s an exhilarating journey, perfect for anyone who has ever looked up at the stars and wondered what might be out there.

The hardcover edition includes integrated black and white illustrations throughout, and a 16-page colour plate section.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd
ISBN: 9781398531284
Number of pages: 320
Dimensions: 234 x 153 mm


MEDIA REVIEWS

‘In this cutting-edge, wide-ranging survey of a truly extraordinary subject, the celebrated scientist Nathalie Cabrol takes us on an odyssey full of astonishing possibility, crossing vast distances and many scales to tell the story of our search for extraterrestrial life. The Secret Life of the Universe weaves together the history of space exploration, planetary science, the changing technological and intellectual frameworks of SETI, and deliberations on the very nature and meaning of life. It’s a mind-altering and exhilarating read for anyone who has ever wondered: are we alone?’ - Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk

‘Of all the popular books on the search for life that are now being published, this one is quite special. Written by an outstanding astrobiologist, Dr. Natalie Cabrol, The Secret Life of the Universe takes you step by step through each of the top candidates in the solar system and beyond into the Milky Way where life could exist, and how we are looking for it. Natalie tackles advanced concepts and explains them with ease. I highly recommend this book!’  - James L. Green, former NASA chief scientist

‘Intimate and cosmic, it is the passionate traveller’s tale of a distinguished scientist approaching the most fascinating questions of all' - Ann Druyan, writer, producer, and director of Cosmos

‘It’s a dizzying read . . . In this mind-expanding book she takes us to the frontiers of the search for life . . . I learned so much’ - Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller

'Some people are in the enviable position of loving their work. Cabrol is one of them, and it shows in this wonderfully sweeping book . . . This is a book for anyone with an interest in scientific discovery and a perfect choice for any budding astronomer or astrobiologist. Combining enthusiasm and knowledge, Cabrol gives a lovely guided tour of the possibilities of the cosmos' - Kirkus

‘Read Cabrol if you want a vivid, fiercely intelligent tour of what may turn out to be our teeming, life-filled solar system’ - Daily Telegraph

‘An expertly guided tour of humankind’s search for life beyond Earth . . . The Secret Life of the Universe is an enthralling read, introducing an exciting and quickly accelerating field. It’s sure to captivate readers from start to finish’  - BBC Sky at Night

‘Nathalie Cabrol is an ideal guide . . . her book becomes truly dizzying in the prospects it opens up’ - Daily Mail

'Cabrol writes that we’re in the midst of a "golden age of astrobiology" and her book is an awe-inspiring and lucid primer . . . She also offers a fascinating preview of future space missions that may help answer that question even further' - Associated Press

‘For the more scientifically minded, there are authoritative voices like that of Nathalie Cabrol . . . Her book is full of such wonders. Cabrol clearly communicates big ideas and condenses decades of exploration and research into fast-paced chapters’ - New Scientist

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“Fabulous - fascinating and thought provoking in equal measure”

This is a fabulous book on a subject I've been eager to explore for years. It seems only a matter of time before we find simple life; It can be built with abundant molecules in a large range of habitats in a... More

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