The Biological Universe: The Twentieth Century Extraterrestrial Life Debate and the Limits of Science (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780521663618)

Throughout the twentieth century, from the furor over Percival Lowell's claim of canals on Mars to the sophisticated Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, otherworldly life has often intrigued and occasionally consumed science and the public. The Biological Universe provides a rich and colorful history of the attempts during the twentieth century to answer questions such as whether "biological law" reigns throughout the universe and whether there are other histories, religions, and philosophies outside those on Earth. Covering a broad range of topics, including the search for life in the solar system, the origins of life, UFOs, and aliens in science fiction, Steven J. Dick shows how the concept of extraterrestrial intelligence is a world view of its own, a "biophysical cosmology" that seeks confirmation no less than physical views of the universe. This book will fascinate astronomers, historians of science, biochemists, and science fiction readers.

Author: Steven J. Dick
ISBN-10: 052166361X
ISBN-13: 9780521663618
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 12/28/1999
Pages: 600
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.74lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.01w x 1.31d

Review Citation(s):
Scitech Book News 06/01/2001 pg. 49