Understanding Life in the Universe

The two most fascinating questions about extraterrestrial life are where it is found and what it is like. In particular, from our Earth-based vantage point, we are keen to know where the closest life to us is, and how similar it might be to life on our home planet. This book deals with both of these key issues. It considers possible homes for life, with a focus on Earth-like exoplanets. And it examines the possibility that life elsewhere might be similar to life here, due to the existence of parallel environments, which may result in Darwinian selection producing parallel trees of life between one planet and another. Understanding Life in the Universe provides an engaging and myth-busting overview for any reader interested in the existence and nature of extraterrestrial life, and the realistic possibility of discovering credible evidence for it in the near future.

'A fascinating overview of life on Earth and the prospects of finding parallel forms of it on habitable exoplanets. Wallace Arthur provides an engaging, yet scientifically accurate, overview of the current knowledge and what to expect from the next Copernican revolution looming on the horizon of astronomy.' Avi Loeb, Professor of Science, Harvard University, USA

Table of Contents: