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The Pale Blue Data Point by Jon Willis (Hardback)
£21.00
Available
Product Ref. (e.g. ISBN, SKU)
9780226822402
Published:
30 Oct 2025
Format:
Hardback
Number of pages:
256 pages
Weight:
0.000kgs
Author:
"Is there life off Earth? Bound by the impracticalities of spaceflight, astrobiologists investigate the question by studying life on our planet. Astronomer and author Jon Willis shows us how it's done, allowing readers to imagine extraterrestrial landscapes by exploring their closest Earth analogs. With Willis, we dive into the Pacific Ocean on the submersible E/V Nautilus to ponder the uncharted seas of Saturn's and Jupiter's moons, search the Australian desert for stromatolites and consider Martian rocks, listen to dolphins in the Bahamas to imagine alien minds, and visit La Silla Observatory in Chile to listen for sounds of extraterrestrial communication. With investigations ranging from meteorite hunting to exoplanet detection, Willis speculates what life might look like on other planets by extrapolating from what we can see on Earth, our single "pale blue dot"-as Carl Sagan famously called it-or, in Willis's reframing, scientists'
A thrilling tour of Earth that shows the search for extraterrestrial life starts in our own backyard.
Is there life off Earth? Bound by the limitations of spaceflight, a growing number of astrobiologists investigate the question by studying life on our planet. Astronomer and author Jon Willis shows us how it's done, allowing readers to envision extraterrestrial landscapes by exploring their closest Earth analogs. With Willis, we dive into the Pacific Ocean from the submersible-equipped E/V Nautilus to ponder the uncharted seas of Saturn's and Jupiter's moons; search the Australian desert for some of Earth's oldest fossils and consider the prospects for a Martian fossil hunt; visit mountaintop observatories in Chile to search for the telltale twinkle of extrasolar planets; and eavesdrop on dolphins in the Bahamas to imagine alien minds.
With investigations ranging from meteorite hunting to exoplanet detection, Willis conjures up alien worlds and unthought-of biological possibilities, speculating what life might look like on other planets by extrapolating from what we can see on Earth, our single "pale blue dot"-as Carl Sagan famously called it-or, in Willis's reframing, scientists' "pale blue data point."
Is there life off Earth? Bound by the limitations of spaceflight, a growing number of astrobiologists investigate the question by studying life on our planet. Astronomer and author Jon Willis shows us how it's done, allowing readers to envision extraterrestrial landscapes by exploring their closest Earth analogs. With Willis, we dive into the Pacific Ocean from the submersible-equipped E/V Nautilus to ponder the uncharted seas of Saturn's and Jupiter's moons; search the Australian desert for some of Earth's oldest fossils and consider the prospects for a Martian fossil hunt; visit mountaintop observatories in Chile to search for the telltale twinkle of extrasolar planets; and eavesdrop on dolphins in the Bahamas to imagine alien minds.
With investigations ranging from meteorite hunting to exoplanet detection, Willis conjures up alien worlds and unthought-of biological possibilities, speculating what life might look like on other planets by extrapolating from what we can see on Earth, our single "pale blue dot"-as Carl Sagan famously called it-or, in Willis's reframing, scientists' "pale blue data point."
About the Author: Jon Willis is professor of astronomy at the University of Victoria in British Columbia where he studies both the properties of the universe we live in and the formation of life within it. He is the author of All These Worlds Are Yours: The Scientific Search for Alien Life.
| Number of pages | 256 |
|---|
We will despatch your order as quickly as we can. If, for whatever reason, a product is out of stock we will contact you to discuss the likely delivery time or an alternative product.
| First Item | 2 Items & Over | |
|---|---|---|
| UK | £3.75 | £5.00 |
| EU | £15.00 | £30.00 |
| USA & Canada | £30.00 | £50.00 |
| Rest of the World | £45.00 | £60.00 |
| Collect in Store | free | free |
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