Alone in the universe : why our planet is unique

Author/Creator:

Gribbin, John, 1946-

Publication/Creation:

Hoboken, N.J. : Wiley, [2011]

Format:

Book

More Details

Additional/Related Title Information

Full Title:

Alone in the universe : why our planet is unique / John Gribbin

Subjects/Genre

Subjects:

Collisions (Astrophysics)
Earth (Planet)--Origin
Sun
Solar system

Description/Summary

Bibliography:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Summary:

"The acclaimed author of In Search of Schrödinger's Cat searches for life on other planetsAre we alone in the universe? Surely amidst the immensity of the cosmos there must be other intelligent life out there. Don't be so sure, says John Gribbin, one of today's best popular science writers. In this fascinating and intriguing new book, Gribbin argues that the very existence of intelligent life anywhere in the cosmos is, from an astrophysicist's point of view, a miracle. So why is there life on Earth and (seemingly) nowhere else? What happened to make this planet special? Taking us back some 600 million years, Gribbin lets you experience the series of unique cosmic events that were responsible for our unique form of life within the Milky Way Galaxy. Written by one of our foremost popular science writers, author of the bestselling In Search of Schrödinger's Cat offers a bold answer to the eternal question, "Are we alone in the universe?" Explores how the impact of a "supercomet" with Venus 600 million years ago created our moon, and along with it, the perfect conditions for life on Earth from one of our most talented science writers, this book is a daring, fascinating exploration into the dawning of the universe, cosmic collisions and their consequences, and the uniqueness of life on Earth"--Provided by publisher.

Language:

English

Physical Type/Description:

xv, 219 pages ; 25 cm

General Note:

"First published in Great Britain in 2011 by Penguin Books Ltd."--T.p. verso.

Additional Identifiers

Catalog ID (MMSID):

990030399560302486

ISBN:

1118147979 (hardback : acid-free paper)
9781118147979 (hardback : acid-free paper)

OCLC Number:

751797505

Barcode:

010002551651
050000075122