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Are We Alone?: Philosophical Implications of the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life
The search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI) raises a number of scientific/philosophical questions. If we are the only conscious, intelligent species in the galaxy, why? If we are not, given that other cultures must be more technically advanced than us, why haven't we met them yet? This is explanation of these issues.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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596 people want to read
About the author
Paul C.W. Davies
76 books572 followersPaul Charles William Davies AM is a British-born physicist, writer and broadcaster, currently a professor at Arizona State University as well as the Director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science. He has held previous academic appointments at the University of Cambridge, University of London, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, University of Adelaide and Macquarie University. His research interests are in the fields of cosmology, quantum field theory, and astrobiology. He has proposed that a one-way trip to Mars could be a viable option.
In 2005, he took up the chair of the SETI: Post-Detection Science and Technology Taskgroup of the International Academy of Astronautics.
In 2005, he took up the chair of the SETI: Post-Detection Science and Technology Taskgroup of the International Academy of Astronautics.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 16, 2014
Interessante. Un breve compendio di ciò che potrebbe implicare la scoperta della vita fuori dal pianeta terra, sia in campo filosofico che religioso e scientifico.
Si può concordare in parte in toto o per nulla alle posizioni dell'autore, ma almeno sono lì, chiare e semplici; ottime basi per una discussione :)
Si può concordare in parte in toto o per nulla alle posizioni dell'autore, ma almeno sono lì, chiare e semplici; ottime basi per una discussione :)
August 20, 2008
A surprisingly deep analysis of the potential answers to the title question. Somewhat too dogmatic, but it raises some rather interesting points.
July 6, 2024
"I do not feel like an alien in this universe. The more I examine the universe and study the details of its architecture, the more evidence I find that the universe is some sense must have known that we were coming"
- Freeman Dyson, Disturbing the Universe
interesting book, didnt really like the first half but the second half was really interesting. he asked some really interesting questions about the true scientific definition of a consciousness, the relation between extraterrestrial life and religion, the evolutionary differences between ETs and homo sapiens, he also went into an interesting explanation of the relevance of quantum knowledge in identifying subatomic particles in reference to schrödinger's cat. really interesting book.
fun fact: i read this book in one sitting and i read one page per minute, which is super cool. that's around ~520 words per minute!! crazy fast,,
- Freeman Dyson, Disturbing the Universe
interesting book, didnt really like the first half but the second half was really interesting. he asked some really interesting questions about the true scientific definition of a consciousness, the relation between extraterrestrial life and religion, the evolutionary differences between ETs and homo sapiens, he also went into an interesting explanation of the relevance of quantum knowledge in identifying subatomic particles in reference to schrödinger's cat. really interesting book.
fun fact: i read this book in one sitting and i read one page per minute, which is super cool. that's around ~520 words per minute!! crazy fast,,
February 16, 2021
Heute, da fast wöchentlich neue Planeten um ferne Sonnen entdeckt werden, und Nachrichten über Hinweise auf mögliches Leben auf anderen Himmelskörpern des Sonnensystems für Aufregung sorgen, ist dieses Buch immer noch wichtig, weil es versucht, die Bedeutung für uns auf der Erde zu ermessen, wenn eines Tages wirklich außerirdisches Leben entdeckt wird. Der Titel des Originals gibt den Tenor viel besser wieder als der Titel der deutschen Übersetzung. Eines ist mir klar geworden. Wenn es zum Kontakt mit Außerirdischen kommen wird, dann sind dieser ganz sicher nicht auf der irdischen Stufe der Zivilisation, das wäre bei den Zeiträumen im Universum einfach viel zu unwahrscheinlich. Ist für SF-Fans und besonders Autoren und Autorinnen sehr lesenwert.
September 27, 2024
A CONSIDERATION OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL ASSUMPTIONS UNDERLYING THE SEARCH FOR LIFE ELSEWHERE
Paul Charles William Davies (born 1946) is an English physicist, writer and broadcaster, who is currently a professor at Arizona State University as well as the Director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science. He has written many other books, such as 'The Mind of God: The Scientific Basis for a Rational World,' 'Are We Alone?: Philosophical Implications Of The Discovery Of Extraterrestrial Life,' 'The Fifth Miracle: The Search for the Origin and Meaning of Life,' 'God and the New Physics,' etc.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1995 book, "The question of whether or not mankind is alone in the universe is one of the oldest problems of philosophy, and has deep implications for our world view... I make no attempt at a complete survey of the subjects of exobiology, or the SETI programme as such... Instead, my concern is with the philosophical assumptions that underlie the belief in, and search for, life beyond the Earth, and the impact that the discovery of alien life forms would imply for our science, religion and beliefs about mankind...
"Contrary to popular belief, the possibility of extraterrestrials was often debated, and the ramifications analyzed, in previous ages... My book is an attempt to rekindle this debate, and place it in a modern scientific context, by charting what aspects of contemporary science, and of our belief systems in general, are at stake."
He notes, "It is possible that micro-organisms can survive quite lengthy sojourns in space if conveyed within protective rocks. During the past year or two, microbes have been discovered deep beneath the ground in terrestrial rocks... It is conceivable that life originated deep underground and migrated to the surface only when conditions became favourable." (Pg. 18)
He states, "it is the job of the scientist to try to explain the world without supernatural purposive manipulation, and a number of scientific responses have been made to the problem of the enormous odds discussed above. One of these is to appeal to a larger number of 'trials' to shorten the odds. This lies behind the panspermia theories. If Earthlife did not have to originate on Earth, then there may be trillions of planets on which molecular shuffling is taking place. Given enough planets and enough time, even the most improbable molecular processes will eventually occur somewhere." (Pg. 29)
He cautions, "It is important to realize that the discovery of an alien signal would not lead rapidly to radio dialogue between our civilizations. The nearest star is over four light years away. Even on the most optimistic assumptions, the probability of an alien civilization existing within 100 light years of Earth is remote. A message from aliens 100 light years away would take 100 years to reach us, and any reply would take another 100 years to get back to them. It would take some centuries before any concept of a two-way period of adjustment during the early phase, before such a dialogue, when we would need to evaluate the consequences of contact without the benefit of a meaningful exchange." (Pg. 41-42)
He argues, "It is important to realize we cannot use the fact that we exist to argue that the formation of intelligent life is probable, any more than the winner of a lottery can argue that most punters will be successful. However improbable intelligent life may be a priori, the fact is that we DO exist. From that starting point we may reason that whatever improbable steps may be necessary for the formation of intelligent life, those steps must have happened once. It does not follow that they must have happened more than once." (Pg. 64)
On the notion that we might send "supercomputers" into space, he observes: "the recent failure of the Mars Observer mission underscores how vulnerable technology is in space. The assumption that a man- (or alien-) made machine could operate flawlessly over millions of years in a hostile environment stretches credulity." (Pg. 72)
He suggests, "the general [evolutionary] trend from simple to complex, from microbes to mind, seems to me to be built into the laws of nature in a basic way. If so, then we would expect the same general trend that has led to the emergence of life and mind on Earth to take place elsewhere in the universe." (Pg. 80) He adds, "I believe that there's a sort of 'law of increasing organized complexity' operating in the universe. It's not quite a law in the same sense as, say, Newton's law of gravity, more like a tendency or trend, but its manifestation seems unmistakable. There really does seem to be a general tendency in nature for increasing organizational complexity [or depth]." (Pg. 105)
This is an excellent discussion of many of the key issues involved with the search for extraterrestrial life, and will be great value to anyone studying this issue.
Paul Charles William Davies (born 1946) is an English physicist, writer and broadcaster, who is currently a professor at Arizona State University as well as the Director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science. He has written many other books, such as 'The Mind of God: The Scientific Basis for a Rational World,' 'Are We Alone?: Philosophical Implications Of The Discovery Of Extraterrestrial Life,' 'The Fifth Miracle: The Search for the Origin and Meaning of Life,' 'God and the New Physics,' etc.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1995 book, "The question of whether or not mankind is alone in the universe is one of the oldest problems of philosophy, and has deep implications for our world view... I make no attempt at a complete survey of the subjects of exobiology, or the SETI programme as such... Instead, my concern is with the philosophical assumptions that underlie the belief in, and search for, life beyond the Earth, and the impact that the discovery of alien life forms would imply for our science, religion and beliefs about mankind...
"Contrary to popular belief, the possibility of extraterrestrials was often debated, and the ramifications analyzed, in previous ages... My book is an attempt to rekindle this debate, and place it in a modern scientific context, by charting what aspects of contemporary science, and of our belief systems in general, are at stake."
He notes, "It is possible that micro-organisms can survive quite lengthy sojourns in space if conveyed within protective rocks. During the past year or two, microbes have been discovered deep beneath the ground in terrestrial rocks... It is conceivable that life originated deep underground and migrated to the surface only when conditions became favourable." (Pg. 18)
He states, "it is the job of the scientist to try to explain the world without supernatural purposive manipulation, and a number of scientific responses have been made to the problem of the enormous odds discussed above. One of these is to appeal to a larger number of 'trials' to shorten the odds. This lies behind the panspermia theories. If Earthlife did not have to originate on Earth, then there may be trillions of planets on which molecular shuffling is taking place. Given enough planets and enough time, even the most improbable molecular processes will eventually occur somewhere." (Pg. 29)
He cautions, "It is important to realize that the discovery of an alien signal would not lead rapidly to radio dialogue between our civilizations. The nearest star is over four light years away. Even on the most optimistic assumptions, the probability of an alien civilization existing within 100 light years of Earth is remote. A message from aliens 100 light years away would take 100 years to reach us, and any reply would take another 100 years to get back to them. It would take some centuries before any concept of a two-way period of adjustment during the early phase, before such a dialogue, when we would need to evaluate the consequences of contact without the benefit of a meaningful exchange." (Pg. 41-42)
He argues, "It is important to realize we cannot use the fact that we exist to argue that the formation of intelligent life is probable, any more than the winner of a lottery can argue that most punters will be successful. However improbable intelligent life may be a priori, the fact is that we DO exist. From that starting point we may reason that whatever improbable steps may be necessary for the formation of intelligent life, those steps must have happened once. It does not follow that they must have happened more than once." (Pg. 64)
On the notion that we might send "supercomputers" into space, he observes: "the recent failure of the Mars Observer mission underscores how vulnerable technology is in space. The assumption that a man- (or alien-) made machine could operate flawlessly over millions of years in a hostile environment stretches credulity." (Pg. 72)
He suggests, "the general [evolutionary] trend from simple to complex, from microbes to mind, seems to me to be built into the laws of nature in a basic way. If so, then we would expect the same general trend that has led to the emergence of life and mind on Earth to take place elsewhere in the universe." (Pg. 80) He adds, "I believe that there's a sort of 'law of increasing organized complexity' operating in the universe. It's not quite a law in the same sense as, say, Newton's law of gravity, more like a tendency or trend, but its manifestation seems unmistakable. There really does seem to be a general tendency in nature for increasing organizational complexity [or depth]." (Pg. 105)
This is an excellent discussion of many of the key issues involved with the search for extraterrestrial life, and will be great value to anyone studying this issue.
July 11, 2020
This is a deeply philosophical book that also has a strong grounding in scientific theory and what we do and don’t know.
It focuses itself around 3 Philosophical positions on the origins of life on Earth;
1. It was a miracle
2. It was a stupendously improbable accident
3. It was an inevitable consequence of the outworking of the laws of physics and chemistry, given the right conditions
Having established these 3 positions and the various arguments for and against them, Davies underlines why all SETI scientists argue strongly for number 3, which itself is based upon the adoption of 3 philosophical principles;
1. The Principal of Uniformity of Nature
2. The Principal of Plentitude
3. The Copernican Principle (or Principle of Mediocrity)
These 3 principles are then covered in detail before the inevitable dive into the origins of the universe, the evolution of life and consciousness, particularly at one point does consciousness manifest and — for how long — does intelligent life tend to remain alive without self-destructing. Davies talks around a number of theories, most notably the theory of intelligent life being prone to destroying itself, something that feels very likely as we observe what is occurring in the modern world, with a few focussed so much on dominating the resources, wealth and power that it restricts humans from being all they can be.
From Wikipedia: “This is the argument that technological civilizations may usually or invariably destroy themselves before or shortly after developing radio or spaceflight technology. Possible means of annihilation via major global issues, where global interconnectedness actually makes humanity more vulnerable than resilient, are many, including war, accidental environmental contamination or damage, the development of biotechnology, synthetic life like mirror life, resource depletion, climate change,or poorly designed artificial intelligence.”
On the origins of life, the Panspermia hypothesis is one that inevitably courts a lot of attention and disagreement.
Panspermia (from Ancient Greek πᾶν (pan), meaning 'all', and σπέρμα (sperma), meaning 'seed', is the hypothesis that life exists throughout the Universe, distributed by space dust, meteoroids, asteroids, comets, planetoids, and also by spacecraft carrying unintended contamination by microorganisms.
The biggest issue with the panspermia hypothesis is that Panspermia studies concentrate not on how life began, but on methods that may distribute it in the Universe.
Discussing Intelligence elsewhere in the universe or in relation to non-homo Sapiens creates a lot of heated debate and contrasting opinions around the notions of intelligence and consciousness, which do not - according to some - need to be mutually inclusive. However, it does create what is known as the “mind-body problem”.
“According to Rene Descartes , the mind is a real entity that attaches itself to human brains. It is a popular image of the mind (or soul), and was ridiculed by Gilbert Ryle as “the ghost in the machine”. Few scientists or philosophers subscribe to such a dualistic picture today.”
Some posit that Consciousness is what’s known as an “emergent phenomenon”, best described by the wetness of water. Water is wet. It has a certain quality that we recognise and it’s a real rather than an imagined quality. But it’s not a quality we would attach to an individual molecule of water: a single water molecule can’t be said to be wet in any sense. However, a large collection of such molecules does have the quality of wetness. So, we say that wetness is an emergent phenomenon because it emerges when there are a sufficient number of molecules or a sufficient level of complexity in the system. I like this explanation and it’s probably the one that resonates the most in terms of an explanation of consciousness.
However, considerations that emerge at this point if - as this theory tends to suggest - consciousness is simply a natural phenomenon disconnected from the idea of a soul and/or creator. How do we explain:
• the Hive mind phenomenon
• Past life regression
• Language arguments between Skinner vs Chomsky (Learned or Pre-Programmed)
• Conditions such as bilingual aphasia (patients who have woken up from a coma or near death experience fluent in a language they have no or limited prior knowledge of)
There is much to ponder in this book, from a theological perspective, psychological, evolutionary, scientific and - as ever - the origin story. Davies is concise in relating the key information and leaves you researching more behind each topic.
It focuses itself around 3 Philosophical positions on the origins of life on Earth;
1. It was a miracle
2. It was a stupendously improbable accident
3. It was an inevitable consequence of the outworking of the laws of physics and chemistry, given the right conditions
Having established these 3 positions and the various arguments for and against them, Davies underlines why all SETI scientists argue strongly for number 3, which itself is based upon the adoption of 3 philosophical principles;
1. The Principal of Uniformity of Nature
2. The Principal of Plentitude
3. The Copernican Principle (or Principle of Mediocrity)
These 3 principles are then covered in detail before the inevitable dive into the origins of the universe, the evolution of life and consciousness, particularly at one point does consciousness manifest and — for how long — does intelligent life tend to remain alive without self-destructing. Davies talks around a number of theories, most notably the theory of intelligent life being prone to destroying itself, something that feels very likely as we observe what is occurring in the modern world, with a few focussed so much on dominating the resources, wealth and power that it restricts humans from being all they can be.
From Wikipedia: “This is the argument that technological civilizations may usually or invariably destroy themselves before or shortly after developing radio or spaceflight technology. Possible means of annihilation via major global issues, where global interconnectedness actually makes humanity more vulnerable than resilient, are many, including war, accidental environmental contamination or damage, the development of biotechnology, synthetic life like mirror life, resource depletion, climate change,or poorly designed artificial intelligence.”
On the origins of life, the Panspermia hypothesis is one that inevitably courts a lot of attention and disagreement.
Panspermia (from Ancient Greek πᾶν (pan), meaning 'all', and σπέρμα (sperma), meaning 'seed', is the hypothesis that life exists throughout the Universe, distributed by space dust, meteoroids, asteroids, comets, planetoids, and also by spacecraft carrying unintended contamination by microorganisms.
The biggest issue with the panspermia hypothesis is that Panspermia studies concentrate not on how life began, but on methods that may distribute it in the Universe.
Discussing Intelligence elsewhere in the universe or in relation to non-homo Sapiens creates a lot of heated debate and contrasting opinions around the notions of intelligence and consciousness, which do not - according to some - need to be mutually inclusive. However, it does create what is known as the “mind-body problem”.
“According to Rene Descartes , the mind is a real entity that attaches itself to human brains. It is a popular image of the mind (or soul), and was ridiculed by Gilbert Ryle as “the ghost in the machine”. Few scientists or philosophers subscribe to such a dualistic picture today.”
Some posit that Consciousness is what’s known as an “emergent phenomenon”, best described by the wetness of water. Water is wet. It has a certain quality that we recognise and it’s a real rather than an imagined quality. But it’s not a quality we would attach to an individual molecule of water: a single water molecule can’t be said to be wet in any sense. However, a large collection of such molecules does have the quality of wetness. So, we say that wetness is an emergent phenomenon because it emerges when there are a sufficient number of molecules or a sufficient level of complexity in the system. I like this explanation and it’s probably the one that resonates the most in terms of an explanation of consciousness.
However, considerations that emerge at this point if - as this theory tends to suggest - consciousness is simply a natural phenomenon disconnected from the idea of a soul and/or creator. How do we explain:
• the Hive mind phenomenon
• Past life regression
• Language arguments between Skinner vs Chomsky (Learned or Pre-Programmed)
• Conditions such as bilingual aphasia (patients who have woken up from a coma or near death experience fluent in a language they have no or limited prior knowledge of)
There is much to ponder in this book, from a theological perspective, psychological, evolutionary, scientific and - as ever - the origin story. Davies is concise in relating the key information and leaves you researching more behind each topic.
August 26, 2025
Intriguing but beyond my pay grade.
I picked this book up on a whim a few weeks ago while perusing the charity shop for my next read. FYI, Allerton Road Bernardos is a goated spot for books. Their entire top floor is a mini book shop. Anyway. This caught my attention immediately and I read it as soon as I finished my previous book. And while I can’t say I fully understand all of what was said in this book, I did enjoy it.
Davies is clearly a well read and intelligent guy, who conveys his theories and explanations clearly and in an engaging manner. I also appreciated the tongue in cheek style in which Davies writes. While there are definitely topics and subjects that went over my head on a scientific level, Davies never rambled on with jargon that the average reader wouldn’t understand. Davies was able to find a middle ground that remains factual but is also readable. It is very tempting to rely on the terminology of your field, but an expert of their craft can explain themselves in a manner that is digestible.
I think for a short book, this certainly packs a punch with its subject matter. I definitely would want to read further on this topic. Aliens are certainly an interesting subject to discuss, but its implications span further than discovery and consequences. The ramifications for the impact on our understanding of religion, philosophy, consciousness, how life evolves etc would turn on its head! While I do believe there is life out there, what it looks like and how conscious/intelligent it is is another question. Furthermore, I do not believe that Aliens have visited earth before you think I’m crazy.
I would recommend you read this. Especially if you are more well versed in the realm of physics, philosophy, or biology. Onto Katabasis by R.F Quang!
November 9, 2018
Full disclosure: I think most UFO reports can safely be dismissed as unreliable or false.
I also think we have underestimated the possibility that intelligent alien life is out there but ignores us - that Earth might be, to use a metaphor, the galactic monkey cage.
Anyhow...
The author Paul Davies is no crank; he's a science professional who's written several popular science books on physics and astrophysics.
ARE WE ALONE? is based on his lectures about the search for extraterrestrial life. He outlines the history of speculation about aliens since antiquity; scientific theories about the number of alien civilizations (and why we haven't found any signs of them); and the actual search for alien communication signals by radio telescope.
Most interesting is Davies' argument that life is NOT a "cosmic accident" but an inevitable product of natural processes. That is, there's no rational reason to assume we are "alone" in the universe, since life will spontaneously emerge elsewhere.
I recommend this book as an introduction to serious study of SETI (=Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence), if you can find it.
I also think we have underestimated the possibility that intelligent alien life is out there but ignores us - that Earth might be, to use a metaphor, the galactic monkey cage.
Anyhow...
The author Paul Davies is no crank; he's a science professional who's written several popular science books on physics and astrophysics.
ARE WE ALONE? is based on his lectures about the search for extraterrestrial life. He outlines the history of speculation about aliens since antiquity; scientific theories about the number of alien civilizations (and why we haven't found any signs of them); and the actual search for alien communication signals by radio telescope.
Most interesting is Davies' argument that life is NOT a "cosmic accident" but an inevitable product of natural processes. That is, there's no rational reason to assume we are "alone" in the universe, since life will spontaneously emerge elsewhere.
I recommend this book as an introduction to serious study of SETI (=Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence), if you can find it.
September 25, 2025
Five stars, and I’d give a hundred if I could. This is hands down the most life changing, perspective shifting book I’ve ever read. I couldn’t put it down. Every page felt like the answers I’ve been searching for my whole life were being unveiled right in front of me.
I was shocked to see negative reviews from people who clearly expected a typical UFO book. This is so much more. Davies is that rare scientist who can effortlessly translate science into pure philosophy, making you rethink everything you thought you knew about existence and our place in the universe.
This book is the reason I read. It shot straight to the front of my all time favorites and I know I’ll reread it many times in the years ahead.
READ. THIS. BOOK.
I was shocked to see negative reviews from people who clearly expected a typical UFO book. This is so much more. Davies is that rare scientist who can effortlessly translate science into pure philosophy, making you rethink everything you thought you knew about existence and our place in the universe.
This book is the reason I read. It shot straight to the front of my all time favorites and I know I’ll reread it many times in the years ahead.
READ. THIS. BOOK.
December 12, 2024
I wanted to read this because apparently some government officials have been spotted reading it in the past. It was OK. Pretty slow, mostly rehashing, and I feel like almost any modern UFO book will cover all of this and more.
It’s not bad, but it’s just sort of vanilla and didn’t really add much to any of these questions. I certainly would not recommend it today, but in its time perhaps it was more unique.
It’s not bad, but it’s just sort of vanilla and didn’t really add much to any of these questions. I certainly would not recommend it today, but in its time perhaps it was more unique.
August 15, 2022
MY MAN NEVER MISSES
February 25, 2013
Spätnachrichten bei Radio SETI, 1.420 GHz
Die Erde wurde in 7 Tagen geschaffen. Dann kamen die Geologen und sagten "ne". Naja, immerhin steht sie im Zentrum des Universums. Bis dieser Kopernikus kommt und sagt "ne". Naja, immerhin sind wir Menschen das Ziel der Schöpfung. So ein Engländer namens Darwin sagt "ne", wir stammen vom Affen ab und alles ist nur Auslese. Uff. Na, wenigstens sind wir einzigartig im gesamten Universum. Und dann bauen die dieses vermaledeite Radioteleskop, haben die den Knall nicht gehört?
Abgesehen davon, dass ich befürchte, dass wir als erstes Signal von den Außerirdischen das arkturianische Pendant zu "Frauentausch" oder "Ab ins Beet" empfangen werden, so ist das ganze Thema doch sehr interessant - und zwar nicht nur von der rein naturwissenschaftlichen Seite aus betrachtet, sondern auch von der philosophischen. Dieses Buch beschränkt sich bei der Betrachtungsweise hauptsächlich auf die Argumente, die es für und wider die Existenz, und falls es es geben sollte, für und wider die Möglichkeit einer Kontaktaufnahme mit extraterrestrischem Leben. Dass hier kein von Däniken (den ich als Autor sehr schätze) am Werk ist, spürt man schon am distanzierten Schreibstil, und daran, dass der Autor seine Meinung zwar klar kundtut, dies aber immer als seine Meinung und nicht als Fakt deklariert. Kritiker kommen ebenso zu Wort wie Befürworter, und von der Wunderhypothese über anthropische Zustände über Panspermie bis hin zur Stringtheorie werden diverse Argumentationsketten vor dem Leser spannend und lehrreich ausgebreitet. Einen Aspekt, den andere bei ihrer Diskussion über außerirdische Intelligenz gern übersehen, wird hier besonders aufgearbeitet - was ist eigentlich Intelligenz, und wozu braucht es Intelligenz eigentlich? Ist Intelligenz und Bewusstsein vielleicht eine Zielfunktion des Universums?
Einzige Voraussetzung, diesen sehr lesbaren Text genießen zu können, ist ein allergröbstes Verständnis von Physik und Statistik. Gerade die Statistik wird in diesem Werk sehr häufig zu Rate gezogen, schließlich muss man bisher, mangels physischer Beweise, mutmaßen. Das Gesetz der großen Zahlen in Verbindung mit der Unendlichkeit des Universums scheint über die Diskussion über nichtirdisch entstandenes Leben (was nicht dasselbe ist wie außerirdisches Leben, wie wir erfahren werden) viel Spielraum für zusätzliche Spielereien, wie der des kosmischen Duplikats, zu bieten.
Die Titelgebung der englischen Werke ist hier etwas verwirrend - man sollte als Leser das vorliegende "Are we alone?" aus 1995 nicht verwechseln mit dem 2010 erschienenen "The Eerie Silence - Are We Alone in the Universe?". Auch biegt die deutsche Untertitelung die vom Autor beabsichtigten "philosophical implications" frecherweise um in schnöde "Wahrscheinlichkeit". Einige recht simple Illustrationen sowie eine Bibliografie komplettieren das Werk.
Komplexe Vorgänge, auch für Laien verständlich erläutert, und mit viel Stoff zum Nachdenken angefüllt, dabei ohne Fantasiererei, Fanatismus oder Pseudowissenschaft. Ein wirklich tolles Buch für alle, die nicht wissen, wie sie ihr kosmisches Duplikat finden können.
Die Erde wurde in 7 Tagen geschaffen. Dann kamen die Geologen und sagten "ne". Naja, immerhin steht sie im Zentrum des Universums. Bis dieser Kopernikus kommt und sagt "ne". Naja, immerhin sind wir Menschen das Ziel der Schöpfung. So ein Engländer namens Darwin sagt "ne", wir stammen vom Affen ab und alles ist nur Auslese. Uff. Na, wenigstens sind wir einzigartig im gesamten Universum. Und dann bauen die dieses vermaledeite Radioteleskop, haben die den Knall nicht gehört?
Abgesehen davon, dass ich befürchte, dass wir als erstes Signal von den Außerirdischen das arkturianische Pendant zu "Frauentausch" oder "Ab ins Beet" empfangen werden, so ist das ganze Thema doch sehr interessant - und zwar nicht nur von der rein naturwissenschaftlichen Seite aus betrachtet, sondern auch von der philosophischen. Dieses Buch beschränkt sich bei der Betrachtungsweise hauptsächlich auf die Argumente, die es für und wider die Existenz, und falls es es geben sollte, für und wider die Möglichkeit einer Kontaktaufnahme mit extraterrestrischem Leben. Dass hier kein von Däniken (den ich als Autor sehr schätze) am Werk ist, spürt man schon am distanzierten Schreibstil, und daran, dass der Autor seine Meinung zwar klar kundtut, dies aber immer als seine Meinung und nicht als Fakt deklariert. Kritiker kommen ebenso zu Wort wie Befürworter, und von der Wunderhypothese über anthropische Zustände über Panspermie bis hin zur Stringtheorie werden diverse Argumentationsketten vor dem Leser spannend und lehrreich ausgebreitet. Einen Aspekt, den andere bei ihrer Diskussion über außerirdische Intelligenz gern übersehen, wird hier besonders aufgearbeitet - was ist eigentlich Intelligenz, und wozu braucht es Intelligenz eigentlich? Ist Intelligenz und Bewusstsein vielleicht eine Zielfunktion des Universums?
Einzige Voraussetzung, diesen sehr lesbaren Text genießen zu können, ist ein allergröbstes Verständnis von Physik und Statistik. Gerade die Statistik wird in diesem Werk sehr häufig zu Rate gezogen, schließlich muss man bisher, mangels physischer Beweise, mutmaßen. Das Gesetz der großen Zahlen in Verbindung mit der Unendlichkeit des Universums scheint über die Diskussion über nichtirdisch entstandenes Leben (was nicht dasselbe ist wie außerirdisches Leben, wie wir erfahren werden) viel Spielraum für zusätzliche Spielereien, wie der des kosmischen Duplikats, zu bieten.
Die Titelgebung der englischen Werke ist hier etwas verwirrend - man sollte als Leser das vorliegende "Are we alone?" aus 1995 nicht verwechseln mit dem 2010 erschienenen "The Eerie Silence - Are We Alone in the Universe?". Auch biegt die deutsche Untertitelung die vom Autor beabsichtigten "philosophical implications" frecherweise um in schnöde "Wahrscheinlichkeit". Einige recht simple Illustrationen sowie eine Bibliografie komplettieren das Werk.
Komplexe Vorgänge, auch für Laien verständlich erläutert, und mit viel Stoff zum Nachdenken angefüllt, dabei ohne Fantasiererei, Fanatismus oder Pseudowissenschaft. Ein wirklich tolles Buch für alle, die nicht wissen, wie sie ihr kosmisches Duplikat finden können.
May 17, 2014
The biggest shortcoming of this book is the fact that I read it 20 years after its publication. There's no doubt that its contents would be dramatically different if it were written in 2014, not because we've discovered life outside our planet, but because the heart of the book is a philosophical exploration of consciousness and patterns of evolution. I'm sure these fields have grown in interesting ways since 1995.
This book is exactly what I expected it to be: An overview of the SETI program, coupled with an interrogation of the philosophical issues related to the potential for life on other planets. Davies writes with an engaging style, probing accepted truths with individual acumen and thorough understanding of the subject matter.
My favorite passage is one wherein he explains his view that intelligent life is neither a crazy accident, nor a miraculous act of the divine:
I'm always happy to find science writing that moves beyond simplistic materialism, and this is one of those moments. Highly recommended.
This book is exactly what I expected it to be: An overview of the SETI program, coupled with an interrogation of the philosophical issues related to the potential for life on other planets. Davies writes with an engaging style, probing accepted truths with individual acumen and thorough understanding of the subject matter.
My favorite passage is one wherein he explains his view that intelligent life is neither a crazy accident, nor a miraculous act of the divine:
I believe that consciousness is not as trivial a thing as it appears in the standard biological picture. In fact, it's not a trivial thing at all. It's a fundamental property -- a fundamental emergent property -- of nature, a natural consequence of the outworkings of the laws of physics. In other words consciousness is something that doesn't depend crucially on some specific little accident somewhere along the evolutionary way. To nbe sure, the details of our mentality will depend on the minor and accidental specifics of evolutionary history, but the emergence of consciousness, somewhere and somewhen, in the universe is more or less guaranteed, I claim.
I'm always happy to find science writing that moves beyond simplistic materialism, and this is one of those moments. Highly recommended.
January 17, 2017
I enjoyed the book but I found it a bit frustrating too. Davies identifies two fundamental issues that I have been pondering since reading.
1. Is it the case that life is inevitable given our universe, or is it a stupendous chance, or did it arise from miraculous intervention? Davies believes it is the former - but he doesn't offer any convincing reasons for that belief. However, it is interesting to note that if he is right, other life forms must exist in our vast universe - and as Davies points out, they will probably have had a much longer time to evolve into something far more intelligent than us.
2. The universe is finely tuned in a way that makes life form possible. Once again, this can be a massive fluke - but the odds against it are astronomical. Alternatively, there could be multiple (billions?) universes and therefore one of them will beat those odds. (Davies, and I think that to be unlikely). Lastly, it could be a case of intelligent intervention. Davies doesn't say which he prefers but if he rejects the multiverse option, the intelligent intervention options seems the only realistic one left standing.
I don't think Davies goes deeply into the philosophical implications of alien life. The book was too short really.
1. Is it the case that life is inevitable given our universe, or is it a stupendous chance, or did it arise from miraculous intervention? Davies believes it is the former - but he doesn't offer any convincing reasons for that belief. However, it is interesting to note that if he is right, other life forms must exist in our vast universe - and as Davies points out, they will probably have had a much longer time to evolve into something far more intelligent than us.
2. The universe is finely tuned in a way that makes life form possible. Once again, this can be a massive fluke - but the odds against it are astronomical. Alternatively, there could be multiple (billions?) universes and therefore one of them will beat those odds. (Davies, and I think that to be unlikely). Lastly, it could be a case of intelligent intervention. Davies doesn't say which he prefers but if he rejects the multiverse option, the intelligent intervention options seems the only realistic one left standing.
I don't think Davies goes deeply into the philosophical implications of alien life. The book was too short really.
August 27, 2009
When I looked this book up, I was astounded that there were no reviews on it. I believe I've loaned this one out 2 or 3 times. This is an amazing scientific essay on the possibility of life on other planets, particularly intelligent life. It is also a mathematical contemplation on just how possible that life could sail to our planet and interact with human beings.
Davies discusses the stage of life that is possible in our universe given the elements of the number of years invested in dying suns, the probability of intelligent life given the number of habital planets, while a great deal is given to the amount of space in between possible worlds. There is a lot of assumptions but they are all based on mathematical fact.
Learn about the nature of our universe, how planets are made and the proportion of binary star systems, and elements of necessary conditions that would make other worlds condusive to not only survival of species but survival of intelligent life. That is the gift of the book.
The conclusion is; of course we are not alone but the odd of anyone else surviving long enough to find us are nearly impossible.
Davies discusses the stage of life that is possible in our universe given the elements of the number of years invested in dying suns, the probability of intelligent life given the number of habital planets, while a great deal is given to the amount of space in between possible worlds. There is a lot of assumptions but they are all based on mathematical fact.
Learn about the nature of our universe, how planets are made and the proportion of binary star systems, and elements of necessary conditions that would make other worlds condusive to not only survival of species but survival of intelligent life. That is the gift of the book.
The conclusion is; of course we are not alone but the odd of anyone else surviving long enough to find us are nearly impossible.
December 26, 2015
Paul Davis makes an erudite speculative inquiry into the burning question of extraterrestrial life.
I say, does any scientifically grounded person doubt that there may be other life forms out there in the putatively infinite universe?
With new planets being identified in our galaxy by the Kepler Mission, it is only a matter of time before other planets are discovered in the 'Goldilocks' habitable zone of their stars, planets which may well support life at some stage of evolution.
We are not likely to ever set foot on such a planet, given the travel time involved; but we will surely devise ways of observing them up close.
Regarding this exciting prospect, Stephen Hawking counsels, "Be careful what you wish for!"
I say, does any scientifically grounded person doubt that there may be other life forms out there in the putatively infinite universe?
With new planets being identified in our galaxy by the Kepler Mission, it is only a matter of time before other planets are discovered in the 'Goldilocks' habitable zone of their stars, planets which may well support life at some stage of evolution.
We are not likely to ever set foot on such a planet, given the travel time involved; but we will surely devise ways of observing them up close.
Regarding this exciting prospect, Stephen Hawking counsels, "Be careful what you wish for!"
July 10, 2014
This book is realistic and down to Earth, no pun intended. It is a scientific analyses of the possibility of intelligent life on other planets. It covers not only our current time but eons back and forward. It is exceptionally informative and you come away, not only with a thorough understanding of the question "Are we alone", but a thorough understanding of the answer. The statistics revealed, the realism, the science behind the question is presented in nothing but rationality by Paul Davies. Spoiler......We are definitely not alone, but the chances of meeting other forms of intelligent life are ridiculous. The universe is just plain too big. So put away your aluminum foil hats and delete the resources you've saved on Area 52 and Roswell. It just didn't happen and never will.
May 2, 2016
Fascinating, thorough, and insightful. Davies does a good job of plumbing the science of the universe through a philosophical lens, and drawing conclusions based on his philosophic-scientific analysis. Davies considers multiple working theories on the likelihood of life elsewhere as well as the origins of life on earth. Though he doesn't espouse many of the theories he puts forward, this comparative analysis makes his conclusions and opinions that much stronger vis-a-vis other points of view.
Great read for anyone looking to gain some scientific and philosophical (and religious) insight into how and why we're here, and who else may be out there.
Great read for anyone looking to gain some scientific and philosophical (and religious) insight into how and why we're here, and who else may be out there.
February 3, 2016
Based on lectures, Davies reviews philosophic thought on Man's Place in the Universe, from Copernicus through Christian dogma - was God made alien to save the aliens from their sins too? - and the origins of intelligent life and DNA. Much the same as the previous book I read, but from a slightly different angle. Essentially, why SETI.
June 11, 2016
Let's Go!
Davies presents a good survey of the science, theology and philosophy involved in considering the question, "are we alone in the universe."
And there is all sorts of value in exploring, with rockets and radios, to answer the question. Even when our results are unclear, the tools and techniques we created extend our capabilities.
Davies presents a good survey of the science, theology and philosophy involved in considering the question, "are we alone in the universe."
And there is all sorts of value in exploring, with rockets and radios, to answer the question. Even when our results are unclear, the tools and techniques we created extend our capabilities.
January 2, 2017
Well written essay on the implications and possibilities of other life in the universe. While the book laid out a variety of possibilities, it never went deep enough to ever make a point of what would happen to humans, society, religion, etc.
Worthwhile, but not nearly what I was hoping it would be based on previous reviews.
Worthwhile, but not nearly what I was hoping it would be based on previous reviews.
January 8, 2013
Looks at some of the science of searching for and communicating with ET, and general stuff on life in the universe. As with many of Davies books, looks at philosophical aspects. Thought provoking even if you don't agree with his conclusions on the impacts of hearing from ET for theology
May 6, 2012
This has some pretty interesting insights on extraterrestrial life.
December 30, 2012
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11613537
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11613537
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