{"product_id":"life-in-the-universe-expectations-and-constraints-9783319976570","title":"Life in the Universe: Expectations and Constraints","description":"\u003cp\u003eExamines each of these parameters in crucial depth and makes the argument that life forms we would recognize may be more common in our solar system than many assume. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConsiders exotic forms of life that would not have to rely on carbon as the basic chemical element, solar energy as the main energy source, or water as the primary solvent and the question of detecting bio- and geosignatures of such life forms, ranging from earth environments to deep space.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSeeks an operational definition of life and investigate the realm of possibilities that nature offers to realize this very special state of matter. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAvoids scientific jargon wherever possible to make this intrinsically interdisciplinary subject understandable to a broad range of readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDirk Schulze-Makuch\u003c\/b\u003e is a professor at the Technical University Berlin, Germany, and an adjunct professor at Arizona State University and Washington State University. He is interested in all aspects of astrobiology, but particularly whether other planets and moons inside and outside our Solar System could serve as a potential habitat for life. He received the Friedrich-Wilhelm Bessel Award from the Humboldt Foundation for extraordinary achievements in theoretical biology in 2010. He is best known for his publications on extraterrestrial life, which span nearly 200 scientific articles and several books such as \u003ci\u003eCosmic Biology: How Life Could Evolve on other Worlds\u003c\/i\u003e (2011), \u003ci\u003eMegacatastrophes! Nine Strange Ways the World Could End\u003c\/i\u003e (2012), \u003ci\u003e The Extraterrestrial Encyclopedia\u003c\/i\u003e (2016) and \u003ci\u003eThe Cosmic Zoo: Complex Life on Many Worlds\u003c\/i\u003e (2017), as well as earlier editions of \u003ci\u003eLife in the Universe: Expectations and Constraints \u003c\/i\u003e(2004and 2008)\u003ci\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLouis Irwin\u003c\/b\u003e is a professor emeritus of biological sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso. He has published close to 100 research papers, reviews, encyclopedia entries, and chapters on neuroscience, astrobiology, and evolution. He is particularly interested in evolutionary trajectories under different conditions, including those that lead to intelligent and technologically capable forms of life. He has written a neuroscience memoir (\u003ci\u003eScotophobin, \u003c\/i\u003e2006), and co-authored books on evolution (\u003ci\u003eThe Evolutionary Imperative, \u003c\/i\u003e2016), and astrobiology (\u003ci\u003eLife in the Universe: Expectations and Constraints, \u003c\/i\u003e2004 and 2008) and Cosmic Biology: How Life Could Evolve on other Worlds (2011).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Springer","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50367447499026,"sku":"9783319976570","price":89.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_b0cb098d-17eb-4a41-82ee-4db34d65c63c.jpg?v=1728493022","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/life-in-the-universe-expectations-and-constraints-9783319976570","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}