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Is there anybody out there? [Book review]
The Daily Camera ^ | 16November 2003 | David Grinspoon (Clay Evans, reviewer)

Posted on 11/17/2003 12:17:14 PM PST by PatrickHenry

[Review of Lonely Planets: The Natural Philosophy of Alien Life by David Grinspoon.]

Not many scientists have the reputation of being witty or entertaining, even when their subject matter is rich with possibility. But more and more scientists are allowing their Renaissance sides to emerge and publishing books explaining complex, scientific subjects and debates in lively prose.

David Grinspoon, principal scientist in the Department of Space Studies at Boulder's Southwest Research Institute and an adjunct professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences at the University of Colorado, is one of those. His first book, "Venus Revealed" (1997) explored Earth's erstwhile "twin" (turns out the relationship is much more fraternal — if even that — than identical) in loving detail, making the book as poetic and awestruck as it was informed.

Now Grinspoon steps into the Cosmos-sized shoes of the late Carl Sagan with "Lonely Planets," the best, most entertaining examination of the possibility of other life in the universe since Sagan's best work. And he's got a head start: Grinspoon grew up around Sagan, a family friend.

Like Sagan, he brings a joyous, open, even boisterous enthusiasm — "billions and billions!" — to his writing. If you think a survey of "natural philosophical" history regarding the possibility of alien life might be dry, think again. There's something here for a wide audience, from scientists to dreamers to fans of UFOs.

You can tell Grinspoon is having fun early on, when he describes the delight he takes in not just hard science, but the "fringe" beliefs and tales of UFO abductions.

[Snip]

But despite coming up dry so far in our immediate spatial neighborhood (Grinspoon thinks we're spending too much time perusing Mars), like Sagan, he believes it's a near mathematical certainty that civilization exists elsewhere in the big, beautiful universe we live in.

[Snip]

"Who are we to say that our Earth is such a special place? Like parents certain that their baby is the cutest ever born, of course we think our planet is the chosen one."

(Excerpt) Read more at bouldernews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: alienlife; bookreview; crevolist; lonelyplanets; seti
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To: longshadow
I can outrun a clam.
21 posted on 11/17/2003 4:39:11 PM PST by PatrickHenry (Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.)
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To: PatrickHenry
"My very rough guess is that the "rare earth" factors are cancelled out by the "abundant planetary systems" factor. "

Yes... It is interesting while our further studies of Earth make it seem rarer and rarer (just because of a whole string of 'unique' phenomena), at the same time the sheer number of 'terrestrial' planets seems to grow at an explosive rate.

Most will be like either Venus (dry) or Mars (cold). For the 'just right' orbit some may have higher life forms.

I think of the 'intelligent alien' here on Earth, the octopus.

My hope and wish is for many (peaceful and wise) life forms, of course. Carl Sagan's writing and his 'billions and billions' lured me to my line of work decades ago.
22 posted on 11/17/2003 4:43:11 PM PST by edwin hubble
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To: PatrickHenry
I can outrun a clam.

Not if it has a thousand year life-span.....

;-)

23 posted on 11/17/2003 4:44:54 PM PST by longshadow
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To: longshadow; PatrickHenry
"Not very stimulating company, but at least they might taste good."

This recalls the wise alien in the movie who walked around with a serious-looking book entitled "To Serve Man".
He was lionized by the liberal press.

Turned out to be a cookbook.
24 posted on 11/17/2003 4:46:14 PM PST by edwin hubble
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To: edwin hubble
I think of the 'intelligent alien' here on Earth, the octopus.

We have quite a few large-brained species on earth. Those in the oceans (octopi, whales, dolphins) will never develop technology, of course. No fire, thus no metallurgy. No metals, not much else. No language that we can detect. But on land, where a technological species can emerge, we have a few to think about: apes and elephants, for example have rather large brains. But alas, no technology, no language. Thus, no inter-species intercourse (in the traditional sense of the word).

So we may, perhaps, encounter some amazing creatures out there, some with very large brains; but we may still find ourselves alone. That's not necessarily bad.

25 posted on 11/17/2003 4:54:47 PM PST by PatrickHenry (Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.)
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To: edwin hubble
Turned out to be a cookbook.

It was an episode of the "Twilight Zone"..... a classic, I might add. At first, only the title ("To Serve Man") was translated, and this convinced most people that the aliens were benign. Only at the last moment, as earthlings who had accepted the aliens' invitation were boarding the space ship to "visit" the alien world, was the rest of the book deciphered, and it was realized that it was a recipe book. By then it was too late -- the appetizers had already left!

26 posted on 11/17/2003 4:54:54 PM PST by longshadow
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To: general_re
It would be somewhat disappointing if the intelligent races of the universe were more interested in the unique oropendula than in yet another boring old language-using species ;)
LOL! I must admit, that I sometimes find animals like the oropendula more interesting than some (allegedly) intelligent people.
27 posted on 11/17/2003 4:56:28 PM PST by anguish (while science catches up.... mysticism!)
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To: longshadow
Not if it has a thousand year life-span....

Only you and Zeno think I can't outrun a clam.

28 posted on 11/17/2003 4:59:17 PM PST by PatrickHenry (Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.)
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To: longshadow
Yes, Twilight Zone. I was thinking of The Day the Earth Stood Still. I'll have to rent that one or look up the plot again.

I must say I enjoyed adding the reference to the the 'benign' alien being 'lionized by the liberal press'.
29 posted on 11/17/2003 5:02:45 PM PST by edwin hubble
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To: PatrickHenry
You can not only outrun a clam, but you're better at math than the typical gazelle.
30 posted on 11/17/2003 5:04:30 PM PST by VadeRetro
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To: PatrickHenry
Only you and Zeno think I can't outrun a clam.

Are you trying to turn this discussion into some sort of slugfest? Slimes! Slimes!

</ end G3k Memorial whiner mode>

31 posted on 11/17/2003 5:05:31 PM PST by longshadow
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To: VadeRetro
Thanks for the praise. You can dance better than a sloth.
32 posted on 11/17/2003 5:07:05 PM PST by PatrickHenry (Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.)
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To: longshadow
The SlimeCube.
33 posted on 11/17/2003 5:09:10 PM PST by PatrickHenry (Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.)
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To: PatrickHenry
You can dance better than a sloth.

You are handsomer than the typical male mandrill, if not quite up to warthog standards.

34 posted on 11/17/2003 5:15:11 PM PST by VadeRetro
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To: VadeRetro
G3k was right. You're trying to get the thread pulled!


35 posted on 11/17/2003 5:23:27 PM PST by PatrickHenry (Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.)
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To: PatrickHenry
OTOH, that could have been me in my Air Force days after a bad night out.
36 posted on 11/17/2003 5:24:50 PM PST by VadeRetro
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To: PatrickHenry
The aliens are probably saying, "Okay, people, RADIO SILENCE! Those earthlings have just figured out fission and fusion weapons, and they're a trigger-happy lot!"
37 posted on 11/17/2003 5:26:28 PM PST by Poohbah ("Would you mind not shooting at the thermonuclear weapons?" -- Major Vic Deakins, USAF)
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To: VadeRetro
You are as industrious as this little fellow:


38 posted on 11/17/2003 5:27:02 PM PST by PatrickHenry (Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.)
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To: PatrickHenry
Actually, I would never try to roll anything home that much bigger than me. And if that ball is what I think it is, it already rolls downhill in my experience.
39 posted on 11/17/2003 5:30:09 PM PST by VadeRetro
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To: edwin hubble; Junior; PatrickHenry; RightWhale; longshadow; Physicist; VadeRetro; ...
The only issue I have is that it is automatically assumed that life must evolve in our exact niche. When you see the diversity of the environments that life exists on this planet alone, it lends credence to life evolving elsewhere. If planets are as abundant as it is now believed, and life seemed to have started quite early (like it is a natural progression), this universe maybe teeming with life.

Rare Earth assumes life must be just like us. Remember, we evolved to fit the niche, not the other way around.

The other issue is the distances involved. Since relativity does not appear to lend itself to FTL, it would be terribly difficult to travel from star to star.

IMHO, SETI is our best bet for discovering if another tool building species is out there. You may have noticed I did not say intelligent. There may be lots of intelligent races, however, if they never build tools or use EM for communications, it will be nigh too impossible to discover they exist. Using spectroscopy, we can find the signature of life, however, if they don’t build tools we will never realize their intelligence.

40 posted on 11/17/2003 7:18:20 PM PST by RadioAstronomer
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