Why Aren't They Here?: The Question of Life on Other Worlds [Paperback]

"'A calm, intelligent and witty survey of the history of mankind's search for extraterrestrial life' Daily Mail 'A masterpiece of science writing and journalism - in-your-face, direct and beautifully written... a gem of wisdom, scholarship and fun.' BBC Focus"

The rate of expansion of our universe is mind-blowing: imagine a pea growing to the size of the Milky Way in less time than it takes to blink. In all this infinite space that we cannot even see, let alone explore, it seems certain that there is some life on other worlds.From Aristotle to ET via radio, religion and reincarnation, Surendra Verma's fast-moving narrative examines the history of our search for alien life, and dispels the myriad myths on the subject, before focusing on the real possibilities lurking in space.In a popular and easy-to-read style, Verma uses current research to speculate what life is like on other planets, how we might communicate with it, and what Earth might seem like to visitors.

Surendra Verma is a science journalist based in Melbourne, Australia. He is the author of The Mystery of the Tunguska Fireball (Icon, 2005) The Little Book of Scientific Principles, Theories & Things (New Holland, 2006) and The Cause of Mosquitoes' Sorrow (Icon, 2007).