Alien Earths: Planet Hunting in the Cosmos
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‘Lisa Kaltenegger offers first-hand access to her expertise on the search for planets in the universe, and the life they may contain. Along the way, Lisa's breezy narrative style invites you to experience with her the challenges and joys of being a scientist on the frontier of discovery’ Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist For thousands of years, humans have wondered whether we're alone in the cosmos. Now, for the first time, we have the technology to investigate. The question should have an obvious answer: yes or no. But once you try to find life elsewhere, you realize it is not so simple. How do you find it over cosmic distances? What actually is life? Astronomer Lisa Kaltenegger works from Carl Sagan’s former office at Cornell University, where she built a team of tenacious scientists from many disciplines to find life on faraway worlds, using Earth’s diverse biosphere and its history as a Rosetta Stone. With infectious enthusiasm, she provides an eye-opening insider’s guide to the most unusual exoplanets that have shaken our worldview – planets covered in oceans of lava, lonely wanderers lost in space, and others with more than one sun in their sky – as well as the best contenders for Alien Earths. She also shows how close imagined scifi worlds come to reality. We live in an incredible new epoch of exploration. As our witty and knowledgeable tour guide, Professor Kaltenegger shows how we discover not merely new continents, like the explorers of old, but whole new worlds circling other stars – and how we could spot life there. Worlds from where aliens may even be gazing back at us. What if we're not alone?
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Solid Examination of The Field Of Planet Hunting. This is a solid look at how scientists find extra-solar planets and work to determine what they may be like - compositionally, temperature, whether life (as we understand it) may be possible, etc. Written for a general audience by a US-based Austrian native scientist working at the Carl Sagan Institute, the author clearly knows her stuff, but perhaps the English can be a touch stilted at times. It wasn't enough to distract from the book for me, but there absolutely were a few "huh, weird phrasing" moments. Which happens even with fully native English speakers even in the same country - I'm sure there are Americans reading this review who will question even my own phrasing, and I'm a son of the Southern US to the tune that parts of my family have been on the North American continent since the second generation of Europeans to get here at all.
Overall truly a fascinating book, and Kaltengger's own experiments sound quite fun and interesting to boot. The only flaw I noticed here was such a small bibliography, which is where the star deduction comes into play. Still, this is ultimately a solidly written depiction of a truly fascinating part of interplanetary science. Very much recommended.
Originally posted at bookanon.com.
A Solid Introduction to Exoplanetary Science
“Alien Earths: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos” by Lisa Kaltenegger is a decent introduction to the field of exoplanetary science, but it fails to truly excite or inspire. As a non-expert in the field, I was hoping for a more engaging and comprehensive overview of the subject.
Kaltenegger's writing is clear and concise, making it easy to follow along with the complex concepts and technical jargon. However, the book often feels like a dry recitation of facts and figures, lacking the passion and enthusiasm that one might expect from an expert in the field.
The book is divided into three main sections, each tackling a distinct aspect of exoplanetary science. The first part provides a solid history of the field, but feels overly focused on the author's own research and contributions. The second section delves into the analysis of exoplanet atmospheres, but the explanations of complex concepts like spectroscopy and transit spectroscopy are often too brief and lacking in depth.
The final section explores the search for life beyond Earth, but feels somewhat disjointed and lacking in cohesion. Kaltenegger's enthusiasm for the possibility of discovering life elsewhere in the universe is palpable, but the discussion of the challenges and opportunities in the field feels somewhat superficial.
While “Alien Earths” is a solid introduction to the field of exoplanetary science, it fails to truly inspire or engage the reader. The writing is clear, but the book often feels like a dry recitation of facts and figures rather than a compelling narrative. For those already familiar with the subject, the book may provide some useful insights and updates, but for those new to the field, there are likely better resources available.
Recommendation: This book may be suitable for readers with a basic understanding of astronomy or exoplanetary science, but those new to the subject may find it too dry and lacking in depth. For a more engaging and comprehensive introduction to the field, readers may want to consider alternative resources.
