‘Comets and the Origin of Life’ by Janaki Wickramasinghe, Chandra Wickramasinghe & William Napier
This is a short book (199 pages) that summarises a particular world-view of astrobiology that has almost vanished today. Working from the perspective purely of astronomy it aims to show that dust is widespread in space and that the dust shows astronomical signs (via extinction curves) for a variety of complex molecules. This is now surely accepted. However, the book also contains the long-standing view of Sir Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe that some of these spectra can also be fit by bacteria and spores. This idea has never convinced a wide audience, and the book repeats the claim...
Read More‘Atom’ by Piers Bizony
“In the year 1900, a deeply conservative physicist called Max Plank concluded, somewhat reluctantly, that energy is not smooth and continuous. It is divided into discreet amounts, mysterious packets, which he called ‘quanta’. It was a discovery which would revolutionise all of science.” A companion to the BBC TV series of the same name, Atom charts the development of atomic theory from its genesis in ancient Greece, through its true beginnings in the 18th century, right up to the present day, all viewed through the lives of the scientists who made the discoveries. This method makes Bizony’s...
Read More‘Astrochemistry: From Astronomy to Astrobiology’ by Andrew Shaw
Astrochemistry is a relatively young and interdisciplinary subject. Researchers and students alike approach it from backgrounds in different fields – astrophysics, chemistry, physics, and even mathematics – each of which has its own conventions, terminology and perspective. Most texts that have covered the subject of astrochemistry have been written from an astrophysical view. This book stands out for being written by a chemist, with a chemist’s perspective. The author notes in the preface that the book grew from an undergraduate lecture course. This is evident in its style and content. The...
Read More‘Astrobiology of Earth: The Emergence, Evolution and Future of Life on a Planet’ by Joseph Gale
Joseph Gale’s background is in environmental physiology with a parallel career in military and civilian aviation. Currently, he is Emeritus Professor at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, where he teaches a course on astrobiology. Astrobiology of Earth is written partly to assist students “to see the forest, not just the trees” and in this it is successful. The first chapter consists of an attempt to define life as we know it and the role of water. Successive chapters then examine the Universe from a biological point of view before moving on to how the formation and history of the Solar...
Read More‘Astrobiology – A Brief Introduction’ by Kevin W. Plaxco & Michael Gross
Astrobiology is a young and vibrant field of research, incorporating knowledge from across the whole spectrum of science and combining it to gain a better understanding of our place in the Universe. Astrobiology – A Brief Introduction is an enjoyable and interesting summary of astrobiological research, history, and aims. It captures the youthful vitality of the field and explores the astonishingly diverse array of subjects that provide information on life and its beginnings. The authors, biochemists Kevin Plaxco and Michael Gross, have produced a well structured and clearly written book that...
Read More