Five Billion Years of Solitude: The Search for Life Among the Stars

Five Billion Years of Solitude: The Search for Life Among the Stars
ISBN-10
1617230162
ISBN-13
9781617230165
Category
Science
Pages
304
Language
English
Published
2014-10-28
Publisher
Penguin
Author
Lee Billings

Description

“A definitive guide to astronomy’s hottest field.” —The Economist Since its formation nearly five billion years ago, our planet has been the sole living world in a vast and silent universe. But over the past two decades, astronomers have discovered thousands of “exoplanets,” including some that could be similar to our own world, and the pace of discovery is accelerating. In a fascinating account of this unfolding revolution, Lee Billings draws on interviews with the world’s top experts in the search for life beyond earth. He reveals how the search for exoplanets is not only a scientific challenge, but also a reflection of our culture’s timeless hopes, dreams, and fears.

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