Astrobiology: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) 1st Edition by David C. Catling (PDF)

Description

Astrobiology is an exciting new subject, and one, arguably, more interdisciplinary than any other. Astrobiologists seek to understand the origin and evolution of life on Earth in order to illuminate and guide the search for life on other planets. In this Very Short Introduction, David C. Catling introduces the subject through our understanding of the factors that allowed life to arise and persist on our own planet, and for the signs we are looking for in the search for extraterrestrial life.About the Series:Oxford’s Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects–from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative–yet always balanced and complete–discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “An engaging and well-written book for those who want to learn more about this emerging scientific field”. -The Guardian”I particularly enjoyed the chapter on life in our solar system, in which the author gives a longer list of planetary bodies that may carry life than the typical handful, and with compelling reasoning…highly recommended”. -Chemistry World”…an excellent short introduction…punctuated by shafts of humor. It provides an accessible presentation of a vast swathe of science relevant to life in the Universe…and is full of interesting insights.” -Contemporary Physics”…splendid introduction to the co-evolution of life and the environment…excellent summary of the conditions on Venus, Mars and the icy worlds of the outer Solar System…writing is clear, compact and elegant” -David Morrison, Reports of the National Center for Science and Education From the Inside Flap How did life originate on Earth? Is it unique to this planet? What should we look for in seeking other inhabited worlds?These are the central questions of Astrobiology. Space missions have given us intriguing close-up views of planets and moons within the Solar System, and we now know that there are many planets around other stars. We are also learning more about the remarkable range of microbes and finding signs of very early life on Earth. In this Very Short Introduction, David C. Catling describes what we know about how life arose on Earth and the habitability of other worlds, and the clues these provide in the search for extraterrestrial life. About the Author David C. Catling, Department of Earth and Space Sciences and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.David Catling is a Professor of Earth and Space Sciences. After a doctorate at the University of Oxford, he worked as a planetary scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center near San Francisco, from 1995-2001. In 2001, he was appointed as one of the world’s first astrobiology professors at the University of Washington in Seattle. From 2005-2008, Prof. Catling was European Union Marie Curie Chair in Earth System and Planetary Studies at the University of Bristol, before returning to Seattle in 2009. He has taught astrobiology courses for over a decade and has published over eighty papers and articles in areas ranging from the geology of Mars, to the biochemistry of complex life, to the co-evolution of Earth’s atmosphere and biosphere. Read more

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐The book provides very well written introduction to the currently most probable scenario of evolution of Earth and life on Earth. From the first chapter containing the definition of the astrobiology, the author continues with brief description of evolution of the whole Universe, stars, the solar system, Earth and Earth’s life. Other chapters contain discussion on possibility of life on other bodies in the solar system and exoplanets generally.Overall, the book provides basics information on theory how life on Earth become and evolved. It is easily readable and understandable with only a little background in natural sciences. The book ignited a couriosity about the astrobiology in me, so I think I will buy some more advanced book to expand my knowledge further.

⭐I’m a wannabe scifi writer and I read this mostly for ideas of what hypothetical alternative biochemistries on other worlds might look like. The book certainly addressed that in detail and in a way that was accessible to the educated layperson. If I was disappointed after that section, it was certainly not the fault of the author; for complex life, carbon/water based life might be the only game in the universe.Another section of interest to me was the discussion of possible abodes of extraterrestrial life in our own solar system, particularly the icy moons of our gas giants. I read almost every article about Europa and Enceladus I come across so there wasn’t much new information for me, but if you are interested in the possibility of extraterrestrial life and have not heard about the exciting discoveries concerning these two bodies, then this book is a fine place to learn about them. Prepare to have a new obsession.In short, this book covers star and planet formation, possible origins of life, biochemistry, atmospheric chemistry and planet detection in a compact, accessible package. If you’re interested in more than one of those subjects, you ought to pick it up.

⭐As an astrobiologist myself, I found this book to be an absolute joy to listen to and read. It was my constant companion on a few long drives, and the result was a significant reshaping and polishing of the way I deliver my own spin on the astrobiology perspective to both professional and lay audiences. Although I have picked up all of this material in the course of my own studies, listening to this little book was so helpful in (a) remembering many things I’d forgotten or perhaps never fully considered certain details of and (b) witnessing a certain flow in how all the pieces can fit together into a coherent story both for myself and for sharing with others. In a field so broad and deep, we rely heavily on each other for good examples in interpreting and communicating the latest findings. Dr. Catling also does a fantastic job at conveying certain points of disagreement and past or ongoing debate (three examples I can think of off hand are: the interpretation of ALH84001 “biosignatures,” the rare earth argument and counterpoints, and the habitability of planets orbiting M stars). I think this is a valuable find for both interested laypeople and professionals. What a great book!

⭐This little book is great! Learned a lot about my new major for college, I used this book to help me learn more while I took a semester off to move across country. Very easy to read if you’re a science buff!

⭐Reading it for an Astrobiology course. All of the questions that arise within my mind are later answered in this text as I grew closer to finishing. Loved how insightful this text was!!

⭐The book is just what it claims to be: a very short introduction to the topic. However, it is jammed full of important concepts and recent research from the field of astrobiology, so it is quite interesting and useful. This series of books are kind of like highly literate Cliff Notes for upper level college students. A great buy considering the information content and excellent science writing.

⭐Excellent introduction. The key take-away: The search for extraterrestrial life and the search for the origin of life on earth merged into a single science, astobiology.

⭐Wonderful & approachable

⭐I was disappointed after reading The Planets: A Sunday Times Bestseller – it was shallow and did not offer much in-depth information after watching the TV series. Astrobiology is not related to the series in any way but covers the same topic more or less. How did it fare?It offers more insight into life, the formation of planets, solar systems and galaxies. It is a short introduction yet it is much more thorough and each page is covered with so much information. It is mind blowing how much we actually know so much about the formation of our planets and the possible origins of life – sometimes by studying microscopic small pieces of evidence as that is all that remains after billions of years. The book explains that everything is intertwined from the smallest elements to the largest galaxies. It is balanced and doesn’t take stands – it offers different perspectives which is great.As the book is designed to be brought along with you the format is small and can easily fit in a pocket. Because of this and the limited number of pages the font has a rather small size. I’m fine with it but I can see why some people might struggle to read it. The complexity falls somewhere between a scientific paper and popular science – at times you may have to concentrate or reread a bit to ensure you fully grasp what the author is sharing (if you work in the field this should not be an issue but then you will probably not read this book ;-)). This is not a blocker and I find it helpful to get access to more challenging concepts that are usually avoided in documentaries and other literature.One of my favourite passages that shows where we stand in time is:”Rocky planets, like the one we inhabit, are a natural consequence of the physics of starlight. We also know that the Sun is at least a second-generation star because we have supernova elements on earth such a gold. But since the Sun is only 4.6 billion years old in a 13.2-billion-year-old Milky Way, many stars came and went before life arose on Earth. Did earlier stars support planets and life, or even intelligent life, and what happened to them?” (p. 21)Getting all this information makes me hungry for more. I can highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading more about life, earth and the universe. It’s a great concise guide that will teach you a lot. It took me a couple of evenings to finish and it was well worth it. The book is part of a large series of scientific books and I already more on other topics to expand my knowledge further :-).

⭐This is a great little book that touches on most of the main issues relating to the study of how life may have developed on Earth, and how it may also develop on other worlds both within and outside of the solar system.As such is indeed both a short introduction but also a very good one, and a great way for anyone interested in the subject to get a general overview. For the more serious student, it serves as a nice springboard to general topics explored in much more detail in other books.

⭐Very much enjoyed this. I recommend it as a casual, interesting read to those wondering about life elsewhere in the universe and its origins here. I also recommend it to those studying science as a helpful resource and guide.

⭐I had a basic idea about how scientists have been finding various exoplanets over the last few years but this book added plenty of detail and interest. It also gives a good account of theories for the development of life on Earth and points towards some very interesting developments in the field in the future.

⭐I enjoyed this book so much I read it three times in two weeks. It is very well written and the author pulls all the various topics together in an effective and very readable manner. I am now keen to understand more about this fascinating subject. A secondary but very pleasing benefit is that I look at nature in a VERY different way…

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