Lucky Planet

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Humankind has long fantasized about life elsewhere in the universe And as we discover countless exoplanets orbiting other stars among them, rocky super Earths and gaseous Hot Jupiters we become ever hopeful that we may come across extraterrestrial life Yet even as we become aware of the vast numbers of planets outside our solar system, it has also become clear that Earth is exceptional The question is why In Lucky Planet, astrobiologist David Waltham argues that Earth s climate stability is one of the primary factors that makes it able to support life, and that nothing short of luck made such conditions possible The four billion year stretch of good weather that our planet has experienced is statistically so unlikely, he shows, that chances are slim that we will ever encounter intelligent extraterrestrial others.Describing the three factors that typically control a planet s average temperature the heat received from its star, how much heat the planet absorbs, and the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere Waltham paints a complex picture of how special Earth s climate really is He untangles the mystery of why, although these factors have shifted by such massive measures over the history of life on Earth, surface temperatures have never fluctuated so much as to make conditions hostile to life Citing factors such as the size of our Moon and the effect of an ever warming Sun, Waltham challenges the prevailing scientific consensus that other Earth like planets have natural stabilizing mechanisms that allow life to flourish.A lively exploration of the stars above and the ground beneath our feet, Lucky Planet seamlessly weaves the story of Earth and the worlds orbiting other stars to give us a new perspective of the surprising role chance plays in our place in the universe. Free Read [ Lucky Planet ] By [ David Waltham ] For Kindle ePUB or eBook – kino-fada.fr For the most part, I found Lucky Planet interesting enough, though at times there were gaps when it comes to the possibilities for life elsewhere and no mention at all of the idea that there could be life somewhere else on Earth which uses molecules of the opposite chirality to us, suggestingthan one separate origin of life There was nothing about the Viking biological experiments, which per Michael Brooks pop science books are still thought by some to have shown evidence for life on M For the most part, I found Lucky Planet interesting enough, though at times there were gaps when it comes to the possibilities for life elsewhere and no mention at all of the idea that there could be life somewhere else on Earth which uses molecules of the opposite chirality to us, suggestingthan one separate origin of life There was nothing about the Viking biological experiments, which per Michael Brooks pop science books are still thought by some to have sh...The book is on the trail of Rare Earth but principally focussed on the stability of climate and average global temperaturas in the last 500 million years although the sun has increased his power roughly a 5% and by that time the autor says the temperaturas has followed a descending trend as consecuence of very improbable encompass of geological and biological process.Also makes a incursi n in cosmolgy saying we live in a friendly life universo with the adecuate value of physical constants as the The book is on the trail of Rare Earth but principally focussed on the stability of climate and average global temperaturas in the last 500 million years although the sun has increased his power roughly a 5% and by that time the autor says the temperaturas has followed ...How likely is it that there is a lot of intelligent life in the universe This book considers what it took to get life on earth I had previously read Rare Earth Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe, to which the present author briefly refers, and so thought that I wouldn t be learning that much that was new But even though Waltham reaches much the same verdict that Ward does, he gets there by a different route, focusing on climate stability For life to develop, we need not just an e How likely is it that there is a lot of intelligent life in the universe This book considers what it took to get life on earth I had previously read Rare Earth Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe, to which the present author briefly refers, and so thought that I wouldn...God, Gaia or Goldilocks The author is an astrobiologist and a geophysicist at the University of London, so he looks at the last two and leans toward Goldilocks the earth, like the porridge, just happens to be right for life, not too hot, not too cold It may just be coincidence that explains earth s 4 billion years of good weather, that is, climate favorable to life, and that s how we ve avoided frying or freezing as would have happened to us on other planets In the book we learn odds and end God, Gaia or Goldilocks The author is an astrobiologist and a geophysicist at the University of London, so he looks at the...I bought this book because I am always curious about life in the universe, but I tend not to believe the little green men and flying saucer type of stories.This book offers plenty of cohesive evidence that our planet is indeed a very special place, and in the grand scheme of things, there may not be too many similar in our back yard Perhaps just one per galaxy.However, Waltham argues that this is not because life...The book captured my attention, because I m very curious about the Universe, and I thought that she would add some interest.Generally, a review could be placed in two words anthropic principle that s what it s all about.Mostly, the book is boring hard to read, had to skip a couple of chapters Ho...Waltham is trying to be conversational, but failing and I cannot muster enough interest in sediment to continue I was expecting a lotabout space and less about Earth s climate and geology Stopped in Chapter 7.There were a number of interesting facts in this, but that didn t compensate for the deficiencies in style and tone The writer clearly doesn t like gaia theory so straw mans it a few too many times.I made some interesting discoveries whilst reading this hugely entertaining science book.Schiaparelli is infamous as the astronomer who popularised the myth of canals on the Red Planet Oddly enough it s also the surname of an Italian fashion designer named Elsa who introduced the world to padded shoulders and the shade known as shocking pi...Few argue the point that we are blessed to live on the planet we do, with all the ingredients necessary to create and sustain life But how did this wonderful life sustaining balance come to be Did an omnipotent creator bestow this paradise on mankind Does life itself help balance the forces of Earth, moderating geological and climate swings to offer an opening for intelligent life Or are we simply the beneficiaries of extraordinarily good fortune on a cosmic scale Based on the title, it s obv Few argue the point that we are blessed to live on the planet we do, with all the ingredients necessary to create and sustain life But how did this wonderful life sustaining balance come to be Did an omnipotent creator bestow this paradise on mankind Does life itself help balance the forces of Earth, moderating geological and climate swings to offer an opening for intelligent life Or are we simply the beneficiaries of extraordinarily good fortune on a cosmic scale Based on the title, it s obvious that Waltham casts his lot with the latter group We are lucky, he says, to live in a universe with fundamental laws of physics that allow for the creation of galaxies and planets and the basic building blocks of life We are lucky to live in a solar system which provides the right raw materials and protection against solar wind...

Lucky Planet
  • 23 January 2017
  • Hardcover
  • 208 pages
  • 0465039995
  • David Waltham
  • Lucky Planet