What do you think?
Rate this book
The Living Cosmos: Our Search for Life in the Universe
Astrobiology–the study of life in space–is one of today’s fastest growing and most popular fields of science. In this compelling, accessible, and elegantly reasoned new book, award-winning scholar and researcher Chris Impey explores the foundations of this rapidly developing discipline, where it’s going, and what it’s likely to find.
The journey begins with the earliest steps of science, gaining traction through the revelations of the Renaissance, including Copernicus’s revolutionary declaration that the Earth was not the center of the universe but simply a planet circling the sun. But if Earth is not the only planet, it is so far the only living one that we know of. In fascinating detail, The Living Cosmos reveals the incredible proliferation and variety of life on Earth, paying special tribute to some of its hardiest life forms, extremophiles, a dizzying array of microscopic organisms compared, in Impey’s wise and humorous prose, to superheroes that can survive extreme heat and cold, live deep within rocks, or thrive in pure acid.
From there, Impey launches into space, where astrobiologists investigate the potential for life beyond our own world. Is it to be found on Mars, the “death planet” that has foiled most planetary missions, and which was wet and temperate billions of years ago? Or on Venus, Earth’s “evil twin,” where it rains sulfuric acid and whose heat could melt lead? (“Whoever named it after the goddess of love had a sorry history of relationships.”) The answer may lie in a moon within our Solar System, or it may be found in one of the hundreds of extra-solar planets that have already been located. The Living Cosmos sees beyond these explorations, and imagines space vehicles that eschew fuel for solar- or even nuclear-powered rockets, all sent by countries motivated by the millions to be made in space tourism.
But The Living Cosmos is more than just a riveting work about experiment and discovery. It is also an affecting portrait of the individuals who have devoted their lives to astrobiology. Illustrated throughout, The Living Cosmos is a revelatory book about a science that is changing our view of the universe, a mesmerizing guide to what life actually means and where it may–or may not–exist, and a stunning work that explains our past as it predicts our future.
The journey begins with the earliest steps of science, gaining traction through the revelations of the Renaissance, including Copernicus’s revolutionary declaration that the Earth was not the center of the universe but simply a planet circling the sun. But if Earth is not the only planet, it is so far the only living one that we know of. In fascinating detail, The Living Cosmos reveals the incredible proliferation and variety of life on Earth, paying special tribute to some of its hardiest life forms, extremophiles, a dizzying array of microscopic organisms compared, in Impey’s wise and humorous prose, to superheroes that can survive extreme heat and cold, live deep within rocks, or thrive in pure acid.
From there, Impey launches into space, where astrobiologists investigate the potential for life beyond our own world. Is it to be found on Mars, the “death planet” that has foiled most planetary missions, and which was wet and temperate billions of years ago? Or on Venus, Earth’s “evil twin,” where it rains sulfuric acid and whose heat could melt lead? (“Whoever named it after the goddess of love had a sorry history of relationships.”) The answer may lie in a moon within our Solar System, or it may be found in one of the hundreds of extra-solar planets that have already been located. The Living Cosmos sees beyond these explorations, and imagines space vehicles that eschew fuel for solar- or even nuclear-powered rockets, all sent by countries motivated by the millions to be made in space tourism.
But The Living Cosmos is more than just a riveting work about experiment and discovery. It is also an affecting portrait of the individuals who have devoted their lives to astrobiology. Illustrated throughout, The Living Cosmos is a revelatory book about a science that is changing our view of the universe, a mesmerizing guide to what life actually means and where it may–or may not–exist, and a stunning work that explains our past as it predicts our future.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published December 11, 2007
23 people are currently reading
548 people want to read
About the author
Chris Impey
26 books144 followersChris Impey is a University Distinguished Professor in the Astronomy Department and Associate Dean in the College of Science at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He has written popular articles on astronomy and is the author of a number of popular science books. The Living Cosmos is a tour of the search for life in the universe, and the pair of books How It Ends and How It Began cover the origin and fate of everything in the universe. Talking About Life is a series of conversations with pioneers in astrobiology. With Holly Henry, he wrote about the scientific and cultural impact of a dozen iconic NASA missions, Dreams of Other Worlds. A book about his experiences teaching cosmology to Tibetan monks, Humble Before the Void was published in 2014, and his book about the future of humans in space, called Beyond, was published in 2015. His first novel is called Shadow World.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 10, 2019
Outstanding introduction to astrobiology
I have read a number of books on the prospects for extraterrestrial life over the years, and this is one of the best. Here are four other good ones published in recent years:
Darling, David. Life Everywhere: The Maverick Science of Astrobiology (2001
Grinspoon, David. Lonely Planets: The Natural Philosophy of Alien Life (2003)
Michaud, Michael A.G. Contact with Alien Civilizations (2007)
Webb, Stephen. Where Is Everybody?: Fifty Solutions to the Fermi Paradox and the Problem of Extraterrestrial Life (2002)
(See my reviews at Amazon.)
Notwithstanding all this ink, astrobiology is still looking for the first object of its contemplation. But Prof. Impey is not deterred. In this outstanding work he attempts to lay the foundation for this seemingly nescient science by exploring all aspects of life on earth and comparing what he has found to environments in space. What is extraordinary about this book is the sheer breadth of knowledge that Impey displays. More than that though is the enthusiasm he brings to the subject and the readability of his prose.
The Living Cosmos is first a book about life on earth, how it might have begun and how it has evolved, and second on how that knowledge might apply to the larger cosmos. To understand this epic story and what it might imply about life in the universe as a whole it is necessary to have some understanding of many allied sciences including chemistry, geology, physics, ecology, genetics, and many others. In extrapolating what we know about life on earth to the heavens, knowledge of astronomy, cosmology, and mathematics is necessary. It is amazing that Impey is so well vested in all these subjects. Frankly I am dazzled and reminded again of how little I know.
Impey begins with an examination of the scientific approach and how it has led us to know what we know today. Then he examines life’s origins, beginning with the birth in the stars of the elements necessary for life (life as we know it, of course!). He follows this with a chapter on “Extreme Life,” recent knowledge of which has greatly expanded our ideas about where life might be found, such as under the ice on Europa or under the barren surface of Mars. Chapter 4 is about how the forces of the planet and impacts from outer space have shaped life on earth. Chapter 5 looks at the possibilities for life in our solar system, while Chapter 6 goes to the stars and beyond. Finally in Chapter 7 Impey recalls Fermi’s flippant but penetrating question, “Where are they?”and explores the speculations and ideas about extraterrestrial life. He recounts Drake’s famous equation in some serious depth and brings us up to date on the latest thinking.
The question arises: why study astrobiology when there is as yet nothing to study, and indeed when there may never be anything to study? This book is in a sense an answer to this question. By looking at life from the point of view of how it might exist elsewhere broadens our understanding of life. By considering how differing and perhaps bizarre environments might affect life—from the surface of a brown dwarf to an interstellar gas cloud to the atmosphere of Jupiter, to the surface of Venus, etc., we gain insight into what life is and what forms it might take. A very real bugaboo for astrobiology is the possibility that we may encounter extraterrestrial life and not recognize it. This book is in part a preparation for that day in the hope that extensive knowledge about how different life can be will help us see life even if it takes on very strange forms. Another problem is how to communicate with alien forms of life. As Impey points out, we haven’t a clue how to communicate with an octopus, so how can we expect to talk to E.T.? Just the recognition that these are potential problems is a first step toward solving them.
Impey distinguishes himself not only by the breadth of his knowledge, but through the wit and wisdom of his prose. Here are three examples:
“One extremophile’s toxic dump may be another’s pleasure palace.” (p. 220)
“About 20 percent of [NASA] missions fail completely. This worry leaves most NASA engineers with just enough hair for a bad comb job.” (p. 257)
“The debate over the existence of ETs might never be settled by observations, but it certainly can’t be settled without them.” (pp. 294-295)
This is a handsomely produced book with 29 pages of endnotes, a glossary, a list for further reading sorted by chapter, a list of media resources including web sites, CDs and DVDs, and a useful index. There are many grayscale illustrations and charts throughout the book; however for these old eyes they are a bit on the small side.
I have one small pet peeve. I don’t care for the nouveau practice of providing reading lists by chapters. I would prefer a return to the old fashioned bibliography in which all the sources are listed in one place alphabetically by author. As it is here, the reader has to go through each chapter listing looking for a particular author or book. Better yet, have two lists, one by chapter subject matter (as here) and the other a conventional bibliography.
--Dennis Littrell, author of “The World Is Not as We Think It Is”
I have read a number of books on the prospects for extraterrestrial life over the years, and this is one of the best. Here are four other good ones published in recent years:
Darling, David. Life Everywhere: The Maverick Science of Astrobiology (2001
Grinspoon, David. Lonely Planets: The Natural Philosophy of Alien Life (2003)
Michaud, Michael A.G. Contact with Alien Civilizations (2007)
Webb, Stephen. Where Is Everybody?: Fifty Solutions to the Fermi Paradox and the Problem of Extraterrestrial Life (2002)
(See my reviews at Amazon.)
Notwithstanding all this ink, astrobiology is still looking for the first object of its contemplation. But Prof. Impey is not deterred. In this outstanding work he attempts to lay the foundation for this seemingly nescient science by exploring all aspects of life on earth and comparing what he has found to environments in space. What is extraordinary about this book is the sheer breadth of knowledge that Impey displays. More than that though is the enthusiasm he brings to the subject and the readability of his prose.
The Living Cosmos is first a book about life on earth, how it might have begun and how it has evolved, and second on how that knowledge might apply to the larger cosmos. To understand this epic story and what it might imply about life in the universe as a whole it is necessary to have some understanding of many allied sciences including chemistry, geology, physics, ecology, genetics, and many others. In extrapolating what we know about life on earth to the heavens, knowledge of astronomy, cosmology, and mathematics is necessary. It is amazing that Impey is so well vested in all these subjects. Frankly I am dazzled and reminded again of how little I know.
Impey begins with an examination of the scientific approach and how it has led us to know what we know today. Then he examines life’s origins, beginning with the birth in the stars of the elements necessary for life (life as we know it, of course!). He follows this with a chapter on “Extreme Life,” recent knowledge of which has greatly expanded our ideas about where life might be found, such as under the ice on Europa or under the barren surface of Mars. Chapter 4 is about how the forces of the planet and impacts from outer space have shaped life on earth. Chapter 5 looks at the possibilities for life in our solar system, while Chapter 6 goes to the stars and beyond. Finally in Chapter 7 Impey recalls Fermi’s flippant but penetrating question, “Where are they?”and explores the speculations and ideas about extraterrestrial life. He recounts Drake’s famous equation in some serious depth and brings us up to date on the latest thinking.
The question arises: why study astrobiology when there is as yet nothing to study, and indeed when there may never be anything to study? This book is in a sense an answer to this question. By looking at life from the point of view of how it might exist elsewhere broadens our understanding of life. By considering how differing and perhaps bizarre environments might affect life—from the surface of a brown dwarf to an interstellar gas cloud to the atmosphere of Jupiter, to the surface of Venus, etc., we gain insight into what life is and what forms it might take. A very real bugaboo for astrobiology is the possibility that we may encounter extraterrestrial life and not recognize it. This book is in part a preparation for that day in the hope that extensive knowledge about how different life can be will help us see life even if it takes on very strange forms. Another problem is how to communicate with alien forms of life. As Impey points out, we haven’t a clue how to communicate with an octopus, so how can we expect to talk to E.T.? Just the recognition that these are potential problems is a first step toward solving them.
Impey distinguishes himself not only by the breadth of his knowledge, but through the wit and wisdom of his prose. Here are three examples:
“One extremophile’s toxic dump may be another’s pleasure palace.” (p. 220)
“About 20 percent of [NASA] missions fail completely. This worry leaves most NASA engineers with just enough hair for a bad comb job.” (p. 257)
“The debate over the existence of ETs might never be settled by observations, but it certainly can’t be settled without them.” (pp. 294-295)
This is a handsomely produced book with 29 pages of endnotes, a glossary, a list for further reading sorted by chapter, a list of media resources including web sites, CDs and DVDs, and a useful index. There are many grayscale illustrations and charts throughout the book; however for these old eyes they are a bit on the small side.
I have one small pet peeve. I don’t care for the nouveau practice of providing reading lists by chapters. I would prefer a return to the old fashioned bibliography in which all the sources are listed in one place alphabetically by author. As it is here, the reader has to go through each chapter listing looking for a particular author or book. Better yet, have two lists, one by chapter subject matter (as here) and the other a conventional bibliography.
--Dennis Littrell, author of “The World Is Not as We Think It Is”
September 10, 2018
Excellent description of astrobiology by the author. Overview of beginning of the life to probable finding of microbial or intelligent life in the universe other than our solar system in the expected and unexpected places is articulated nicely. Astrobiology is such an exciting subject with lot of questions pondering for humanity and Chris has justified the excitement of the subject. Author has described how we are attempting to get an response from the outer world to know that we are not alone and what are the odds of finding intelligence other than human race. As we don't have any other example than ourselves as intelligent civilization, how thinking about outer space life in anthropologic way is limiting our approach to contact extraterrestrial life. A superb read if you have ever thought about the question , "Are we really alone ?"
October 22, 2011
I can't say enough good things about this book. As I read this book, I found myself enthralled with this new science of Astrobiology. I kept lists of books I wanted to read that were mentioned throughout the book because I wanted to learn all I could. It renewed my love of science and recommend it to anyone - it's written in such a way that anyone can enjoy it, regardless of their knowledge in science.
March 27, 2018
Excellent
This is such a great book. A while ago I had the pleasure of following a video astronomy course taught by Chris Impey and I was fascinated by the style. Had this book on my wishlist for a while and I am glad I purchased it. The narrative style is great and the book provides a lot of information spanning across very different scientific domains as well as historical notes. The way Chris explains the concepts is so great, funny and captivating, you don't even realize the topics being debated are definitely not so straightforward. Funnily enough the JWST mission has just been delayed as I write this review... I guess we will have to hold our breaths for a little longer!
This is such a great book. A while ago I had the pleasure of following a video astronomy course taught by Chris Impey and I was fascinated by the style. Had this book on my wishlist for a while and I am glad I purchased it. The narrative style is great and the book provides a lot of information spanning across very different scientific domains as well as historical notes. The way Chris explains the concepts is so great, funny and captivating, you don't even realize the topics being debated are definitely not so straightforward. Funnily enough the JWST mission has just been delayed as I write this review... I guess we will have to hold our breaths for a little longer!
August 25, 2020
Ok, so this book has seven sections. For the first five, I was enraptured – one of the best primers on astrobiology and just a fascinating read. Impey takes you through the history of science to reach where we are in terms of how life exists, what life is, and if life could be on other planets. Just great writing, and a fascinating subject.
Once he gets into chapter 6, which to be honest, really explains what astrobiology does these days on a practical, astrophysical level, it gets a bit dry because essentially they are looking at the flickering of distant stars on extremely powerful telescopes. This week there was a news story about a red dwarf essentially “sneezing” – this is how they determine that sort of thing. Still interesting, but to be honest, a bit on the dry side.
Then the last chapter goes into things like the Drake Equation and gets into more science fiction-y theorizing. It seems Impey has expounded on parts of Chapters 6 (and maybe 7) as his follow-up is Our Life in Space which is one of the sections of sixth chapter. I’m intrigued because I’m fascinated with the subject. In all honesty, to maintain the level of interest that Impey creates in the first 5 sections of the book is extremely difficult so I applaud him for that.
Once he gets into chapter 6, which to be honest, really explains what astrobiology does these days on a practical, astrophysical level, it gets a bit dry because essentially they are looking at the flickering of distant stars on extremely powerful telescopes. This week there was a news story about a red dwarf essentially “sneezing” – this is how they determine that sort of thing. Still interesting, but to be honest, a bit on the dry side.
Then the last chapter goes into things like the Drake Equation and gets into more science fiction-y theorizing. It seems Impey has expounded on parts of Chapters 6 (and maybe 7) as his follow-up is Our Life in Space which is one of the sections of sixth chapter. I’m intrigued because I’m fascinated with the subject. In all honesty, to maintain the level of interest that Impey creates in the first 5 sections of the book is extremely difficult so I applaud him for that.
April 10, 2021
This is one of the better books on the subject of astrobiology I've read lately, mostly for the breadth and detail of its review of stellar evolution, the Solar System at large, earth history, abiogenesis, evolution and terrestrial life history, extremophiles, exoplanetology, the history of astronomy and astrobiology, the Drake equation and the role of alien life in human culture. He doesn't really speculate much about the routes life might take elsewhere, except to point out the recurrent invention of sight and flight on earth, and only briefly touches on exotic biochemistries.
Much better than What Does a Martian Look Like, and a good companion for Life in Darwin's Universe, Civilized Life in the Universe, and Extraterrestrial Civilizations.
Much better than What Does a Martian Look Like, and a good companion for Life in Darwin's Universe, Civilized Life in the Universe, and Extraterrestrial Civilizations.
August 21, 2023
This is a good broad overview of astrobiology (up to 2007) from University of Arizona Professor of Astronomy Chris Impey, which covers discussions of the origins and evolution of life on Earth, the search for life in the solar system (e.g., Mars, Europa, Enceladus, Titan, etc.), the detection of extrasolar planets, and, finally, SETI ...
September 24, 2021
I wish there was a little bit more of a definitive answer on probability of life, but the book does a good job at pointing out both perspectives.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2011
I didn't read all of Impey's book, but got a pretty good taste with several chapters read and others skimmed. This is Impey's first book written for popular consumption and it shows. It's not that he's unable to write for a popular audience. He certainly is, with a scientific and clear style. Additionaly, the book is filled with mostly helpful diagrams, charts, and graphs, that help the novice (such as myself) grasp his argument.
But I think where he showed his inexperience in this genre was in the scope of task he takes on. The first hint one has at this is the incongruity between (ostensibly) the publisher's subtitle of the book ("Our Search for Life in the Universe") and the project as Impey himself details it in the introduction (essentially, to detail the current state of astrobiology). One then turns the next page and realizes Impey hasn't told the reader the half of it. The seven oversized chapters deal with the history of scientific discovery and cosmology, life's origins, and evolution before turning to astronomy and then finally to astrobiology.
It's not as though the argument doesn't flow, but as a popular reader, pushing through a couple hundred pages of smallish font to get to the punch was daunting.
The other comment I'll make regards my specific interest, namely theology. Such a book necessitates answers to questions from those with a religious worldview, and Impey does attempt to answer some of those questions along the way. I found the answers, though, dismissive and lacking the care that Impey invests in the rest of his book. To his credit, however, he doesn't suggest that all theists hold to the same views on these issues. On a theological front, though, perhaps more bothersome to me were his final two sentences of the book: "The best we can do is create meaning with each breath, each original though, each act of compassion and love. There is bliss in our science and our art--we must treasure both." The statement reveals a theological framework Impey is writing from that is, at least in my reading, more self-contradictory and sloppy than the classical theism he dismisses.
But I think where he showed his inexperience in this genre was in the scope of task he takes on. The first hint one has at this is the incongruity between (ostensibly) the publisher's subtitle of the book ("Our Search for Life in the Universe") and the project as Impey himself details it in the introduction (essentially, to detail the current state of astrobiology). One then turns the next page and realizes Impey hasn't told the reader the half of it. The seven oversized chapters deal with the history of scientific discovery and cosmology, life's origins, and evolution before turning to astronomy and then finally to astrobiology.
It's not as though the argument doesn't flow, but as a popular reader, pushing through a couple hundred pages of smallish font to get to the punch was daunting.
The other comment I'll make regards my specific interest, namely theology. Such a book necessitates answers to questions from those with a religious worldview, and Impey does attempt to answer some of those questions along the way. I found the answers, though, dismissive and lacking the care that Impey invests in the rest of his book. To his credit, however, he doesn't suggest that all theists hold to the same views on these issues. On a theological front, though, perhaps more bothersome to me were his final two sentences of the book: "The best we can do is create meaning with each breath, each original though, each act of compassion and love. There is bliss in our science and our art--we must treasure both." The statement reveals a theological framework Impey is writing from that is, at least in my reading, more self-contradictory and sloppy than the classical theism he dismisses.
June 23, 2008
Fascinating though Impey likes to go on tangents. The book examines the field of astrobiology - the science of life off of the earth. Obviously we haven't found life off of earth, so at the moment it deals with possibilities. Figuring out the origins of life on earth, studying the life forms that live in extreme environmental conditions, finding planets, studying the other places in our solar system where we think life is possible... the list goes on. It's intriguing stuff. I also really enjoyed his descriptions of his fellow scientist.
October 31, 2011
Not the book for me and I'm not exactly sure who it is for. I was hoping for a book about astrobiology. I got that. But also got short introduction to just about everything in science, whether or not it was relevant to the topic, from dark matter to evolution to geology to the multiverse. As a result I didn't learn much.
That said, the book is comprehensive and the chapters on the solar system and the search for extra solar planets are reasonably interesting.
That said, the book is comprehensive and the chapters on the solar system and the search for extra solar planets are reasonably interesting.
August 31, 2009
This was definately an interesting read. Impey is not the greatest author, but he is definately readable, and I never felt bored. I saw him give a presentation at a local book festival, and he did a great job. He is a teacher by profession, and definately knows what he is talking about. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about astrobiology.
November 9, 2012
Sou do Brasil, este é o único livro espacifico de astronomia lançado no Brasil, o melhor livro sobre astrobiologia então vou ter que comprar livros de astronomia importados para ler, este é fantastico.
February 22, 2010
"If it just us, seems like an awful waste of space."
August 2, 2011
Insightful and appealing to novices interested in the field of astrobiology and serious astronomers.
June 26, 2013
A great read. Lots of useful information.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews