Civilized life in the universe : scientists on intelligent extraterrestrials / George Basalla.

0195171810 (alk. paper)
9780195171815 (alk. paper)

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2006.

English

xiii, 233 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm.

QB54 .B37 2006

576.8/39

"From aristotle to Stephen Hawking, some of the most prominent Western scientists have had definite perceptions and misperceptions about the existence of civilized life on other planets. Johannes Kepler, who transformed astronomy with his work on the shape of planetary orbits, was quite sure that engineers on the Moon excavated circular pits to provide shelter for lunar inhabitants. Christian Huygens, the most prominent scientist between Galileo and Newton, criticized Kepler's speculations but used probability theory to prove that "planetarians" on other worlds were much like humans and practiced the science of astronomy. Carl Sagan indicted Huygens as a biological chauvinist but failed to see that he was a cultural chauvinist when he assumed that alien life would have a technology similar to ours, though far more advanced." "This book traces the influence of one speculation on the next, showing an unbroken but twisting chain of ideas as it passes from ancient to modern times and from science to culture and back again. Throughout, the author interweaves his own view that scientific belief in and search for extraterrestrial civilizations is an impulse that is part anthropomorphic and part secularized-religious."--BOOK JACKET.
Also includes information on superior beings, CETI (Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence), Frank D. Drake, Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle, Galileo Galilei, Percival Lowell, Mars, principle of mediocrity, NASA, Carl Sagan, Giovanni Schiaparelli, SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), , etc.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-227) and index.

Publisher description
Table of contents only

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