Is Anyone Out There? The Scientific Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

by Frank Drake, Dava Sobel

A pioneer in the study of extraterrestrial intelligence chronicles his thirty-year search for intelligent life in the universe, which culminated in the NASA-backed SETI Microwave Observing Project.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Astronomy, Space, History Of Science

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun scientific memoir, although not as gripping as some of the really great scientific memoirs, like James Watson's The Double Helix. Possibly because there is no great "aha!" moment of discovery in this book, on account of our not having actually detected anything that can be unambiguously identified as a signal from an extraterrestrial civilization. On the other hand, Frank Drake comes across as a really nice guy, which isn't always true of the scientists in great scientific memoirs like The Double Helix.

This book makes an excellent introduction to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence for a non-technical reader. Its main limitation in that respect is that it was published in 1992, and so doesn't cover more recent developments like the SETI At Home project.

[M-n]

I didnt read this I meant the marian keye sone

[Boštjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is a fascinating blend of memoir and science, offering a personal window into the birth and evolution of SETI.
Frank Drake shares not just the technical milestones but also the human side of the journey, his early experiments and the skepticism he faced.
One part that stuck with me was his account of Project Ozma, the first serious attempt to detect alien signals using a radio telescope. It was both humble and historic. Then there's the WOW signal from the early 1970....
Compared to Ben Bova’s "Are We Alone in the Cosmos?", this book feels more grounded and less speculative. But I still found Ben Zuckerman’s "Extraterrestrials: Where Are They?" more compelling overall.
Still, Drake and Sobel’s book is a must-read for anyone interested in the origins of SETI and the personal story behind the science. It’s engaging, historically rich, and gives you a real sense of the passion driving the search.

[April · Rating 2 out of 5]

good

[Scott Kardel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though 25 years old (published in 1992), Is Anyone Out There? is a very good autobiography for Frank Drake & history of SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence).

[Bjm Index]

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