Life on Other Worlds by Steven J Dick
The recent discoveries of extrasolar planets and possible microfossils in Martian meteorite ALH 84001 are only the latest developments in a debate that spans millennia, and that has been especially heated in the twentieth century. From the furore over Percival Lowell's claim of canals on Mars at the beginning of the century to the biological experiments of the Viking spacecraft, the controversial 'Mars rock', and the sophisticated Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) at its end, otherworldly life has often titillated and occasionally consumed science and the public. So too have crucially related areas such as the search for planetary systems, the quest for an explanation of UFOs, and inquiries into the origin of life. The theme has been elaborated in science fiction from H. G. Wells to Arthur C. Clarke, and resulted in some of the most popular films of all time, including ET, Aliens, Independence Day, and Contact. Life on Other Worlds details in a readable and non-technical manner the history of the twentieth century extraterrestrial life debate, one of the pervasive themes of our century.' … an important further contribution to understanding how science proceeds as a social as well as an intellectual activity. Recommended reading.' Richard Taylor, Spaceflight
'It is refreshing to read a balanced critique of any scientific controversy and it is to his great credit that Dick achieves this despite recent discoveries'. School Science Review
'… full of stimulating ideas and entertaining stories.' Astronomy Now
'This provides an interesting vehicle for studying the history, philosophy and sociology associated with one of the most enduring questions in science: the possibility of extraterrestrial life … an ideal reference book …'. School Science Review
The 2014 Baruch S. Dick Award went to Steven J. Dick. At the John W. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology, The Library of Congress's Kluge Center. He testified before Congress in 2013 on the topic of astrobiology. He was the Charles A.'s Charles A.'s Charles A.'s Charles A.
From 2011 to 2012, he served as the Lindbergh Chair in Aerospace History at the National Air and Space Museum, as well as NASA Chief Historian and Director of the NASA History Office (from 2003 to 2009). He is the author or editor of twenty books, including The Biological Universe (1996), and has received numerous decorations, including the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Medal. In 2006, he received the LeRoy E. The American Astronomical Society's Doggett Award for Historical Astronomy.
Minor planet 6544 stevendick was named after him by the International Astronomical Union in 2009.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780521799126 |
| ISBN 10 | 0521799120 |
| Title | Life on Other Worlds |
| Author | Steven J Dick |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Year published | 2001-03-19 |
| Number of pages | 308 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |