Peter D. Ward

Donald Brownlee

What determines whether complex life will arise on a planet, or even any life at all? Questions such as these are investigated in this groundbreaking book. In doing so, the authors synthesize information from astronomy, biology, and paleontology, and apply it to what we know about the rise of life on Earth and to what could possibly happen elsewhere in the universe. Everyone who has been thrilled by the recent discoveries of extrasolar planets and the indications of life on Mars and the Jovian moon Europa will be fascinated by Rare Earth, and its implications for those who look to the heavens for companionship.

Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe

Rare Earth

Draws on current findings in astrobiology to chart the story of the second half of the planet Earth's life, predicting that the process of planetary evolution will effectively reverse itself until life discontinues and the world becomes engulfed by an expanding sun. Reprint. 17,500 first printing.

How the New Science of Astrobiology Charts the Ultimate Fate of Our World

The Life and Death of Planet Earth

Peter Douglas Ward

This is a vivid description of the second half of the life of our planet. Combining their knowledge of evolution with their understanding of the life cycle of stars and solar systems, the authors predict that the process will essentially reverse itself until only the simplest forms remain on Earth.

In a landmark work of science two distinguished scientists offer a vivid narrative describing the second half of the life of our planet Planet Earth is middle-aged. Science has worked hard to piece together the story of the evolution of our world up to this point, but only recently have we developed the understanding and the tools to describe the entire life cycle of a planet-of our planet. Peter Ward and Don Brownlee, a geologist and an astronomer respectively, are in the vanguard of the new field of astrobiology. Combining their knowledge of how the critical sustaining systems of our planet evolve through time with their understanding of how stars and solar systems grow and change throughout their own life cycles, the authors tell the story of the second half of Earth's life. The process of planetary evolution will essentially reverse itself; life as we know it will subside until only the simplest forms remain. Eventually, they too will disappear. The oceans will evaporate, the atmosphere will degrade, and, as the sun slowly expands, Earth itself will eventually meet a fiery end. In this masterful melding of groundbreaking research and captivating, eloquent science writing, Ward and Brownlee provide a comprehensive portrait of Earth's life cycle that allows us to understand and appreciate how the planet sustains itself today, and offers us a glimpse of our place in the cosmic order.

Donald Brownlee

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