Alien Life Imagined One day, astrobiologists could make the most fantastic discovery of all time: the detection of complex extraterrestrial life. As space agencies continue to search for life in our universe, fundamental questions are raised: are we awake to the revolutionary effects on human science, society and culture that alien contact will bring? And how is it possible to imagine the unknown? In this book, tells the compelling story of how the portrayal of extraterrestrial life has developed over the last two and a half thousand years. Taking examples from the history of science, philosophy, film and fiction, he showcases how scholars, scientists, film-makers and writers have devoted their energies to imagining life beyond this Earth. From Newton to Kubrick, and from Lucian to H. G. Wells, this is a fascinating account for anyone interested in the extraterrestrial life debate, from general readers to amateur astronomers and undergraduate students studying astronomical sciences. MARK BRAKE is a freelance academic and is well known for his work in communicating the relationship between space, science and culture. A former Professor of Science Communication, he founded the world s first undergraduate degree programme in astrobiology.
Alien Life Imagined Communicating the Science and Culture of Astrobiology
cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo, Delhi, Mexico City Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York Information on this title: /9780521491297 M. Brake 2013 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2013 Printed and bound in the United Kingdom by MPG Books Group A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data Brake, Mark. Alien life imagined: Communicating the Science and Culture of Astrobiology / M Brake. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-521-49129-7 (Hardback) 1. Unidentified flying object literature. 2. Unidentified flying objects. 3. Voyages, Imaginary. 4. Life on other planets. I. Title. TL788.7.B73 2013 576.8 0 39 dc23 2012022018 ISBN 978-0-521-49129-7 Hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Contents 1 Kosmos: aliens in ancient Greece 1 2 The world turned upside down: Copernicanism and the voyages of discovery 46 3 In Newton s train: pluralism and the system of the world 89 4 Extraterrestrials in the early machine age 132 5 After Darwin: The War of the Worlds 164 6 Einstein s sky: life in the new universe 206 7 Ever since SETI: astrobiology in the space age 240 Index 272