Life in the Universe Book

Preface     vii
Acknowledgments     x
Introduction     xi
Alien Life: From Science Fiction to Mars Rocks     1
Alien Creatures: Science Fiction or Fact?     6
Giordano Bruno (1548-1600)     7
Percival Lowell and the Canals of Mars     9
Herbert George (H. G.) Wells and Invaders from Mars     12
Androids and Cyborgs     14
Other Influential Pre-Space Age Writers     16
The Space Age View of Mars     18
Martian Meteorites     21
Life in the Universe     26
Anthropic Principle     27
How Old Is Planet Earth?     29
Principle of Mediocrity     34
Continuously Habitable Zone     36
Extremophiles     38
Panspermia     41
We Are Made of Stardust     43
Is Earth the Galaxy's Most Unusual and Lucky Planet?     49
Gaia Hypothesis     51
Extraterrestrial Catastrophe Theory     52
Principles of Exobiology: How Scientists Search for Alien Life     56
Amino Acid     60
Extraterrestrial Life Chauvinisms     60
Spectral Classification of Stars     61
NASA'sViking Project     62
NASA's Approach to Reducing the Bioload of the Viking Landers     66
Deep Space Network (DSN)     70
NASA's Origins Program     75
Spitzer Space Telescope (SST)     78
Keck Interferometer     81
Interferometer     82
Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer     83
The Hunt for Life on Mars     85
Mars Pathfinder Mission     86
Mars Global Surveyor Mission     88
Mars Odyssey 2001 Mission     89
Mars Express Mission     90
Mars Exploration Rover (MER) 2003 Mission     91
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)     94
Smarter Robots to the Red Planet     96
Mars Sample Return Mission (MSRM)     101
First Human-Crewed Expedition to Mars     102
Searching for Life Elsewhere in the Solar System     104
Europa     105
Some Interesting Facts about Europa     105
Titan     109
Some Interesting Facts about Titan     111
Huygens Spacecraft     115
Some Interesting Facts about Enceladus     117
Exploring Small Bodies in the Solar System     117
Extraterrestrial Contamination: War of the Microbiological Worlds     121
Quarantine Protocols     122
Planetary Quarantine Program     123
Apollo Project Missions to the Moon     126
Apollo 11-The First Visit by Humans to Another World     128
Preventing Back Contamination     132
Genesis Solar Wind Sample Return Mission     134
Orbiting Quarantine Facility     136
Contamination Issues in Exploring Mars     137
Bioclean Room     138
Protecting Europa from Forward Contamination     140
Habitable Worlds around Distant Stars     142
Transit (Planetary)     147
Infrared Astronomy     150
Summary of Extrasolar Planet Hunting Techniques     151
Space Interferometry Mission     152
Biosignatures of Living Worlds     154
Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETl)     156
Discovery of the Pulsar     158
Radio Astronomy     162
Project Ozma     162
Water Hole     163
Green Bank Telescope     164
Project Cyclops     164
Drake Equation     166
Fermi Paradox-"Where Are They?"     171
Ancient Astronaut Theory      172
Laboratory Hypothesis     173
Some Speculations about the Nature of Extraterrestrial Civilizations     173
Messages to the Stars: Arecibo Message, Pioneer Plaques, Voyager Records     178
Arecibo Interstellar Message     178
Arecibo Observatory     179
What Do You Say to a Little Green Man?     184
Interstellar Journeys of the Pioneer 10 and 11 Spacecraft     186
Voyager Interstellar Mission (VIM)     191
Spreading Life Around: Designing Interstellar Probes and Starships     196
Lunar Bases and Settlements     197
Mars Outpost and Surface Base Concepts     202
Planetary Engineering     204
Large Space Settlements-Hallmark of a Solar-System Civilization     208
Androcells Everywhere!     210
Dyson Sphere     212
The Starship     214
Designing an Interstellar Probe     217
The Theory and Operation of Self-Replicating Systems     220
Extraterrestrial Impact of Self-Replicating Systems     225
Control of Self-Replicating Systems     229
Close Encounters: The Consequences of Contact     235
Unidentified Flying Object (UFO)     237
UFO Report Classifications      242
Proposed "Proof Scale" to Establish the Existence of UFOs     243
Consequences of Interstellar Contact     244
Exotheology     246
Conclusion     250
Chronology     253
Glossary     275
Further Reading     315
Index     321