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Title details for The Eerie Silence by Paul Davies - Available

The Eerie Silence

Renewing Our Search for Alien Intelligence

by Paul Davies
George K. Wilson
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
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2 of 2 copies available
Fifty years ago, a young astronomer named Frank Drake pointed a radio telescope at nearby stars in the hope of picking up a signal from an alien civilization. Thus began one of the boldest scientific projects in history, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). But after a half century of scanning the skies, astronomers have little to report but an eerie silence—eerie because many scientists are convinced that the universe is teeming with life. The problem, argues leading physicist and astrobiologist Paul Davies, is that we've been looking in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and in the wrong way. Davies should know. For more than three decades, he has been closely involved with SETI and now chairs the SETI Post-Detection Taskgroup, charged with deciding what to do if we're confronted with evidence of alien intelligence. In this extraordinary book, he shows how SETI has lost its edge, then offers a new and exciting road map for the future.


Davies believes that our search so far has been overly anthropocentric: we tend to assume an alien species will look, think, and behave like us. He argues that we need to be far more expansive in our efforts, and in this book he completely redefines the search, challenging existing ideas of what form an alien intelligence might take, how it might try to communicate with us, and how we should respond if we ever do make contact. A provocative and mind-expanding journey, The Eerie Silence will thrill fans of science and science fiction alike.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 13, 2010

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781400195510
      • File size: 292470 KB
      • Duration: 10:09:18

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This year marks the 50th anniversary of the SETI (Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence) program, which is yet to produce any otherworldly findings. Author and astrobiologist Dr. Paul Davies attempts to uncover the truth behind the project's failings by analyzing the data and questioning the assumptions being made about the intelligence of alien beings by SETI scientists. Narrator George K. Wilson delivers a steady reading highlighted by stellar pacing and solid pronunciation. Wilson's delivery is steadfast; the weighty material never manages to overwhelm his resolve to keep the listener thoroughly engaged. L.B. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 18, 2010
      In what has become known as Fermi's Paradox, the great nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi once asked, if there are aliens out there, where is everybody? After 50 years of looking, the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) project has likewise failed to find anybody. Cosmologist Davies (The Mind of God
      ), winner of the 1995 Templeton Prize, believes that SETI's search for narrow-band radio signals from planets around other stars needs to be broadened to look for other possible signs of life. Aliens may be using far more advanced technology than radio to signal the cosmos, such as manipulating pulsars to act as beacons or even neutrino signaling. Davies also puts forth the possibility that alien probes may be silently trolling the solar system. The author surveys popular topics in science fiction such as Dyson spheres, time travel, and wormholes, and decides that they're not feasible under physics as we understand it. He concludes with a far-ranging look at what might happen here on Earth when we make first contact. Highly recommended for both science fiction and astronomy buffs. Illus.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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