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What Does a Martian Look Like?: The Science of Extraterrestrial Life
 
 
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What Does a Martian Look Like?: The Science of Extraterrestrial Life (Paperback)

by Jack Cohen (Author), Ian Stewart (Author) "CAIN AND ABEL have walked and drifted in many strange places - 'walked' was not appropriate for many of them ..." (more)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Ebury Press; New Ed edition (5 Feb 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0091886163
  • ISBN-13: 978-0091886165
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.6 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 58,778 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #21 in  Books > Mind, Body & Spirit > Paranormal & Unexplained Phenomena > UFOs

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Product Description

Terry Pratchett

"These men know their aliens."


Product Description

Most books about alien life are by astrophysicists, and spend their time arguing whether other planets and solar systems are habitable. This one is different. The authors point out that aqueous planets are common and where water exists life is likely. The test here is to find those features of life and evolution that are universal, and then to work out how they might have operated to produce life in other worlds. Along the way, the authors use examples of the aliens on offer via films, books and TV. Many have entirely reasonable biologies, others - cuddlies like ET, or dragons like the Alien - fail to measure up to the tests the authors set, but help narrow the search for the 'scientific alien'. The authors conclude that humans are not alone as intelligent entities, and that many others have appeared, and will appear, on other planets. And now, they argue, we can even surmise what they will look like and why.
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CAIN AND ABEL have walked and drifted in many strange places - 'walked' was not appropriate for many of them. Read the first page
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What Does a Martian Look Like?: The Science of Extraterrestrial Life 4.5 out of 5 stars (2)
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A great book, but be warned..., 2 April 2004
Be warned, this is actually the same book as Evolving the Alien: The Science of Extraterrestrial Life, which is what it was called in hardback. It is a great book and nowhere near as dumb as the new title suggests - nor will it tell you what a Martian looks like, but it does contain a lot of deep but fairly easily accessible science about how alien life might develop in a variety of weird ways.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Well, what does a Martian look like?, 5 May 2004
By Trevor Sproston (Hertfordshire.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Those of us who have had the pleasure of meeting Jack, and of listening to his lectures on alien life, will relish this book. Together with Ian Stewart [the two becoming a composite entity known as JACK&IAN], he provides us with the extra detail that he never really has time to develop within the limited time of a one hour lecture, and which the listener longs for.

Although this book is about possible alien life, it has to start from life on Earth - the only example we possess. JACK&IAN take[s] us on a tour of the bewildering, amazing and downright weird ways living things have found of getting on with the business of Life on Earth. If your knowledge of terrestrial flora and fauna is limited to the cosy, well-ordered diagrams of school text books, then you will find here real food for thought.

Unlike some other books on the possibility of alien life, this one roots itself firmly in real science, by people who know their subjects, and it attempts successfully to demonstrate that, even if alien life occurs on a planet similar to our own, it will be far more odd [to us] and interesting than the feeble fare dished up by Star Trek and similar. The book exudes the enthusiasm that its author/s have for the subject, but there is also a strong message for us to keep open minds, and not to impose our own rigid prejudices and misapprehensions,perhaps not just on this the subject. I believe it was Nils Bohr, who, when starting a lecture, would say "Treat everything I say to you as a question" - sorry if I've got that wrong,Jack.

JACK&IAN ably follow[s] this dictum. However, this is a thought-provoking book for the informed reader, not one for casual dipping. It will be occasionally useful to have a dictionary on hand to look up genetic terms - but that's no bad thing.

As for what Martians look like? Well, whatever they want to seems to be the idea, and not like the Martian "sponge" I once gave Jack as a souvenir.

As usual for these two gentlemen, their mutual contributions merge seamlessly, and this book is an excellent addition to their canon. If it is the first of their works you have read, let it lead you to their other works.

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