A Brief Guide to Aliens: From Myth to Modern Science

(Hardback)

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Astrophysicist Adam Frank guides us through the search for extraterrestrial life and the questions we stand ready to answer.
With wit and brio, Frank separates current nonsense about aliens from the serious and fascinating search for extraterrestrial life Carlo Rovelli, New York Times bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics
Adam Frank has written a page-turner on the search for intelligent life in the universe Scott Derrickson, director of Marvel Studios Doctor Strange

Everyone is curious about life in the Universe, UFOs and whether ET is out there. Over the course of his thirty-year career as an astrophysicist, Adam Frank has consistently been asked about the possibility of intelligent life in the universe. Are aliens real Where are they Why havent we found them What happens if we do

Weve long been led to believe that astronomers spend every night searching the sky for extraterrestials, but the truth is we have barely started looking. Not until now have we even known where to look or how. In A Brief Guide to Aliens, Frank, a leading researcher in the field, takes us on a journey to all that we know about the possibility of life outside planet Earth and shows us the cutting-edge science that has brought us to this unique moment in human history: the one where we go find out for ourselves.

In this brief guide with big stakes, Frank gives us a rundown of everything we need to know, from the scientific origins of the search for intelligent life, the Fermi Paradox, the Kardashev Scale, the James Webb Telescope, as well as UFOs and their conspiracy theories. Drawing from his own work and that of other scientists studying the possibility of alien life, he brings together the latest scientific thinking, data, ideas, and discoveries to equip us with the critical facts as we stand at what may be the last moment in human history where we still believe we are all alone. This book is about everything we doand do notknow about life, intelligent or otherwise beyond Earth. In language that is engaging, entertaining and fun, A Brief Guide to Aliens provides a comprehensive first look at how close we are to finding out if others actually existand if they do, what they might be like.

Humankind is on the precipice of finding its neighbours. So, what comes next No person is better suited to answer that question and lead the search than Adam Frank.

This wonderful book unravels the tangled ball of humanitys thinking about aliens, and tells the whole story with high humor and immense clarity Kim Stanley Robinson, author of The Ministry for the Future and the Mars trilogy

Franks book is science writing at its best, revealing the awe-inspiring capacity of science to help us understand, and navigate, the universe Annaka Harris

Aliens and UFOs have held perennial fascination for us all. Now, Adam Frank gives us an entertaining romp through our quickly changing attitudes to these topics Martin Rees

If aliens do land on Earth one day, I hope they choose Adam Franks backyard. They will be up for an awesome first encounter with a first-rate scientist and human being Marcelo Gleiser

With a chatty mix of wit and wisdom, Adam Frank comprehensively covers a wide range of topics from historical details to claims of modern-day sightings, while shedding light on our enduring fascination with the concept of aliens Sara Seager

This is a whirlwind tour from Roswell to the James Webb Space Telescope that stays firmly rooted in physics and the scientific method Jason T. Wright

At the bottom of this engaging book is the profound question: Are we alone in the universe Alan Paige Lightman

After years of dreaming about exploring the cosmos for signs of intelligent life, [Frank] and other scientists are on the threshold of a new era of unprecedented discovery in the field of astrobiology Kirkus Reviews

Is there anyone out there asks University of Rochester astrophysicist Frank in this animated overview of scientists search for extraterrestrial life Publishers Weekly

Author Bio

Adam Frank is a professor of astrophysics at the University of Rochester and a leading expert on the final stages of evolution for stars like the sun. Frank's computational research group at the University of Rochester has developed advanced supercomputer tools for studying how stars form and how they die. A self-described evangelist of science," he is the author of several books and the co-founder of 13.8, where he explores the beauty and power of science in culture with physicist Marcelo Gleiser.