In the present book the authors attempt an operatinal defintion of life and investigate all possibilities that nature offers to realize this very special state of matter. Of particular interest are exotic life foorms, i.e. those which would not have…
This compilation of a special issue of Scientific American magazine brings together some of the top names in science, who explore the major theories and issues surrounding astronomy and the development of life in the universe. From speculations on…
A NASA-funded team of scientists has announced that there is evidence of previous life on Mars. This book analyses the results from the meteorite ALH84001, critically interprets the information from the Vikings 1 and 2 space probes to Mars and looks…
SETI -- the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence -- is undergoing something of a renaissance, and alongside the work of the scientists almost a million PC users round the world are participating in the SERENDIP IV project through the "SETI at…
Don DeNevi: Naar de grenzen van het Heelal. Plannen en ideeën van ruimtewetenschappers die, zo dachten ze toen dit boek in 1979 werd uitgegeven, in het jaar 2000 werkelijkheid zouden zijn geworden.
"De eeuw van Star Trek en Star Wars is aangebroken",…
In this classic of biology and modern science, Sir D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson (1860-1948), one of the most distinguished scientists of the modern era, sets forth his seminal theory of transformation - that one species evolves into another not by…
Is er leven buiten onze planeet? En als de vraag daarop bevestigend moet worden beantwoord: heeft dat leven ons dan al ontdekt en hebben ze ervoor gekozen om geen contact met ons te zoeken? Willen wij eigenlijk wel contact met mogelijke…
This concise and beautifully illustrated book traces the evolution of the Cosmos from the Big Bang to the development of intelligent life on Earth, conveying clear science in an engaging narrative. By mapping the history of the Universe for…
How did life on earth originate? Did replication or metabolism come first in the history of life? In this book, Freeman Dyson examines these questions and discusses the two main theories that try to explain how naturally occurring chemicals could…