Brief Guide to Aliens

Astrophysicist Adam Frank guides us through the search for extraterrestrial life and the questions we stand ready to answer. ‘With wit and brio, Frank separates current nonsense about aliens from the serious and fascinating search for extraterrestrial life’ Carlo Rovelli, New York Times bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics ‘Adam Frank has written a page-turner on the search for intelligent life in the universe’ Scott Derrickson, director of Marvel Studio’s Doctor Strange Everyone is curious about life in the Universe, UFOs and whether ET is out there. Over the course of his thirty-year career as an astrophysicist, Adam Frank has consistently been asked about the possibility of intelligent life in the universe. Are aliens real? Where are they? Why haven’t we found them? What happens if we do? We’ve long been led to believe that astronomers spend every night searching the sky for extraterrestials, but the truth is we have barely started looking. Not until now have we even known where to look or how. In A Brief Guide to Aliens, Frank, a leading researcher in the field, takes us on a journey to all that we know about the possibility of life outside planet Earth and shows us the cutting-edge science that has brought us to this unique moment in human history: the one where we go find out for ourselves. In this little book with big stakes, Frank gives us a rundown of everything we need to know, from the scientific origins of the search for intelligent life, the Fermi Paradox, the Kardashev Scale, the James Webb Telescope, as well as UFOs and their conspiracy theories. Drawing from his own work and that of other scientists studying the possibility of alien life, he brings together the latest scientific thinking, data, ideas, and discoveries to equip us with the critical facts as we stand at what may be the last moment in human history where we still believe we are all alone. This book is about everything we do―and do not―know about life, intelligent or otherwise beyond Earth. In language that is engaging, entertaining and fun, A Brief Guide to Aliens provides a comprehensive first look at how close we are to finding out if others actually exist―and if they do, what they might be like. Humankind is on the precipice of finding its neighbours. So, what comes next? No person is better suited to answer that question – and lead the search – than Adam Frank. ‘This wonderful book unravels the tangled ball of humanity’s thinking about aliens, and tells the whole story with high humor and immense clarity’Kim Stanley Robinson, author of The Ministry for the Future and the Mars trilogy ‘Frank’s book is science writing at its best, revealing the awe-inspiring capacity of science to help us understand, and navigate, the universe’Annaka Harris ‘Aliens and UFOs have held perennial fascination for us all. Now, Adam Frank gives us an entertaining romp through our quickly changing attitudes to these topics’ Martin Rees ‘If aliens do land on Earth one day, I hope they choose Adam Frank’s backyard. They will be up for an awesome first encounter with a first-rate scientist and human being’ Marcelo Gleiser ‘With a chatty mix of wit and wisdom, Adam Frank comprehensively covers a wide range of topics from historical details to claims of modern-day sightings, while shedding light on our enduring fascination with the concept of aliens’ Sara Seager ‘This is a whirlwind tour from Roswell to the James Webb Space Telescope that stays firmly rooted in physics and the scientific method’ Jason T. Wright ‘At the bottom of this engaging book is the profound question: Are we alone in the universe?’ Alan Paige Lightman