Customer Reviews

Lonely Planets: The Natural Philosophy of Alien Life

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David Grinspoon has written the book I wanted to write, and he's done it so very well that I'll be forever thankful I never got to it! David's style is so direct, so personal, and so punctuated with delightful humor that it's like sitting in his living room with him. At the same time he is dealing with cutting edge scientific knowledge in the revolutionary field of astrobiology and he speaks of it from understanding his science at depth.

David covers the subject from the Epicureans of ancient Greece to the SETI Institute while passing informatively through the Copernican revolution, up to the minute astrophysics, the origins of DNA, crop circles and alien abductions along the way. If you want to know what we know today, and how we got here, this book puts it all, not only into perspective, but into relationship.

What's particularly wonderful about David's approach in this book is that he is willing to look at and deal with things which other scientific writers are unwilling to touch. He makes quite clear when he's off into speculation or his own musings on the more controversial subjects, but he nevertheless digs into them. I found myself again and again nodding my affirmation (or more truthfully, interrupting my wife to read a paragraph to her) as he approached some of the more bizarre ideas that circulate in the public mind with sympathetic understanding while not compromising his scientific grounding.

David closes the book by diving into those things we all wonder about when we let our kid come out; are we alone, who else might be "out there", will we ever make contact, and how are we related? Are we part of the plan of the universe or some freak of circumstance? The latter seeming vanishingly improbable, the unavoidable question then becomes, where are "they"? Is there some rite of passage required by the Universe for us to qualify for cosmic citizenship? Great questions to grapple with and a terrific author to hold hands with in doing so.

What planetologist David Grinspoon is working on in this book is similar to the consilience that biologist Edward O. Wilson talked about in his book of that name and what C.P. Snow dreamed about in his discussions of the two academic cultures half a century ago. But what Grinspoon is reconciling is the informed and creative speculation of the human mind with the rigorous requirements of scientific orthodoxy. He uses the almost forgotten term "natural philosophy" as a means to the end of reconciling the dreamer in his soul with the scientist in his head.

Grinspoon represents a new breed of scientist not afraid to speculate aloud and in public about matters that cannot be proven, to joke about them, to relate to them personally and passionately, and to say that it shouldn't be career-threatening for a scientist to venture into the realm of the unknown.

He realizes how complex and wondrous is all that we know and especially all that we don't know, and that in a world of uncertainty one can still make decisions and speculate while recognizing that there is a place where science ends and natural philosophy begins. In this regard is a nice quote from Bertrand Russell:

"When one admits that nothing is certain one must, I think, also add that some things are more nearly certain than others." (p. 374)

This is perhaps Grinspoon's major point. He seeks to separate not just pseudoscience from science, but the likely from the unlikely, and to allow the unproven to remain the unproven but without prejudice. He admits his biases and he gives his reasons for them. At the same time he allows that he could be wrong and hopes that in some cases he is. "Aliens on the White House lawn?--Not yet, but it could happen," might be a fair way to summarize Grinspoon's position.

This book is about why we think about alien life (which is in some sense just a metaphor for the unknown) and how our emphasis and focus have changed over time, and what we know and what we don't know, and what the prospects are for finding answers. Grinspoon is clearly on the side of the angels in spirit, but with the Skeptical Inquirer in cognition.

Grinspoon knows that the new science, like the new music, always sounds discordant to the establishment. But because he comes from a personal culture steeped in the ideas of Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov, Olaf Stapledon, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, etc., not to mention Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg, Bob Dylan and Jerry Steinfeld and, yes, even Madonna, he doesn't care. Let the establishment cope with the new sciences of complexity, astrobiology, chaos, and let them grapple with the inadequate definitions of "life" and "consciousness." Let them rankle at Gaia and squirm at group selection. Grinspoon wants to go beyond that. He wants us to become one of the "immortals"--civilizations so advanced and in tune with the cosmos that they will never die until the universe grows cold, and maybe not even then.

Here are some examples of Grinspoon's thought and expression in this wonderfully expressive and exciting book:

"[O]ther planets must be inhabited because natural selection would fashion living beings to take advantage of local conditions..." (p. 36)

Recalling Percival Lowell's Martian canals: Gaps in the "sketchy data at the limits of current abilities...may be filled by our desires, [and] by the power of suggestion..." (p. 39)

Asserting that "the planets were where we thought they'd be and...we reached them...has got to be the most solid confirmation of the scientific and technological revolutions of the past four centuries," Grinspoon adds in a characteristic footnote: "Stuff that in your socially constructed pipe and smoke it!" (p. 62)

"We don't really know what life is. We may as well try and catch the wind as pin life down with a tidy definition." (p. 98) --By the way, this incorporation of song lyric and scientific thought is something that Grinspoon does very well throughout the book. ("We really don't know life at all." --Joni Mitchell)

How did single-celled organics beget multi-celled organisms? "This, not some shadowy ape-man, is the real 'missing link' in evolution." (p. 113)

"We are the life of the sun." (p. 123) --One of my favorite ideas that is not scientific because it begs the question of the definition of life. It is an idea--typical of what Grinspoon is getting at--that needs contemplation.

"Thank Gaia..." (p. 134)

"The classical concept of the habitable zone starts to seem like a bourgeois notion invented by self-centered, Sun-worshiping surface dwellers." (p. 199)

"Who are we to say that the universe couldn't make some kind of complex, self-organizing, evolving structures using its gravitational or nuclear forces, forming living structures that are too large or small for us to notice?" (p. 265)

Our consciousness "is most likely just some vague foreshadowing of what would be called true consciousness..." (p. 396)

Grinspoon employs a self-effacing, disarming literary style that uses the idioms of popular culture to make his points. Don't be fooled! Grinspoon is an expert in several disciplines including evolutionary biology, astronomy and cosmology. Although he makes no such claim I can tell by some of what he writes that he is also an expert on world religions. (See especially pages 383-385.) It is refreshing to read a scientist who understands religion since few people do, including the so-called religious. Grinspoon rejects monotheism. He doesn't say why or for what, but I suspect he sees God as beyond any of the attributes that we can dream up for God. Perhaps Grinspoon is enamored of the God of the Vedas about which nothing can be said, a God without an attribute that we could name. Certainly he rejects "scientism" and any personal god. My guess is he is saving these ideas for a future opus. I will be reading that book. I highly recommend that you read this one.

I loved Dave's book. He covers the debate about the possibility of alien life from every angle, thoughtfully and with a strong sense of humor. I appreciate the perspective that he brings to the issues- not only is he a scientist, but he is a musician, an explorer, and he has a deep love for culture and subculture.

I know quite a few planetary scientists, and I find them in almost complete agreement on the mathematical probability that other sentient life evolved somewhere in the universe. If you run the numbers, as Dave does quite entertainingly in this book, you see how far-fetched it is to assume that we occupy the only planet in the ENTIRE UNIVERSE with organized civilisations of life forms. The universe is freaking gigantic. It's huge! And we have only the sketchiest idea of what might be out there.

I found his discussions of the various alien abduction subcultures and the people who talk about government coverups of crashed ships to be very sympathetic to the cause, and I followed him through the book with anticipation, wondering how he would come down on the myriad of issues. What's real? What's crazy? What might be out there that we can't even fathom?

Get the book, you'll love it. Even if you never watched Star Trek.

David Grinspoon is a protégé of Carl Sagan, and has quite ably taken it on himself to continue his mentor's quest for making science palatable to the masses. Grinspoon may have even beaten the master here, as he can ably combine science, culture, and religion without Sagan's Achilles Heels of condescension and strict anti-spirituality. In this fascinating book, Grinspoon takes us on a fantastic voyage of speculative thought mixed with real science concerning the possibilities of intelligent life in the universe. This is a true return to "natural philosophy" as Grinspoon is not afraid to tackle the larger spiritual and existential issues that are usually frowned upon by scientists.

After a pretty interesting history of belief in extraterrestrials, Grinspoon offers an excellent summary of all the branches of science that are involved with this new field of "astrobiology," or the study of possible alien life. Comparative planetology, physics, and geology play a large role in determining how many worlds out there would be capable of supporting life (Jupiter's moon Europa is the current local favorite). From biology we find that we don't really know exactly what life is, and we should not necessarily expect aliens to be dependent on water and oxygen. The final parts of the book, dealing with religion, psychology, and sociology (including some debunking of ufology and other fads) show that we cannot expect aliens to be similar to us in any of those areas, and they may be so different from us culturally, mentally, and physically that we may not even recognize them as other intelligent life forms, especially when they are likely to be more advanced than us.

Grinspoon has taken great pains not to sound like a stiff scientist but like a regular guy who can rap with the masses, a mission that he sometimes takes a little too far. We get language like "our punk little moon" and "you follow, G?" as well as at least two footnotes mentioning pot smokers and an endless supply of cheesy jokes. Also, the tail end of the book slows down a bit with some rather drifty explorations on the meaning of humanity in the universe and how we would react to alien life. But in the long run, Grinspoon is a brilliant thinker on all matters of science and humanity, and he is a true natural philosopher rather than a mere scientist. As for those possible aliens, I beg them to come for a visit. It's getting boring around here. [~doomsdayer520~]

I picked up "Lonely Planets" on a whim, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Grinspoon is a planetologist first, and the best part of this book lies in the author's descriptions of Venus (which he has studied intensively in his own career), Mars, Europa and other moons and planets in our solar system. Mars and Venus are probably but not certainly lifeless, but Europa--well, there's an interesting world, which may have a liquid ocean and life beneath a miles thick layer of ice. Scientists think enough of the possibility that they crashed the aging Galileo space probe into Jupiter's atmosphere rather than run the risk that it might someoday collide with (and possibly contaminate) Europa.

The balance of "Lonely Planets" reviews the history of philosophical and scientific thinking about the prospect of life on other worlds, the conditions that might give rise to life, the prospect of intelligent life evolving on other worlds (or even on this one), and the means by which "advanced" civilizations might communicate with each other.

The questions raised are thought provoking. Is life on Earth a unique phenomenon, or is it possible (likely?) that life also developed on other worlds? Is all life (or at least the life in this part of the galaxy) related by virtue of accidental or intentional "panspermia"? If life exists elsewhere, is it likely to be carbon-based, or will some other element do the trick? Does life always evolve toward intelligence as we understand it, or does it usually remain simple and gooey? If there are advanced civilizations on other worlds, why don't they call or write? Are we not cute enough (or smart enough)? Maybe other forms of intelligent life just aren't talkative--or if they are, we can't figure out how to communicate with them, or them with us (when was the last time you had a chat with a whale or dolphin?) Are alien visitors already here, or are people just imagining things?

Grinspoon does a good job of illuminating these and other fascinating questions. His style is conversational and friendly, which is not a bad trick for a rocket scientist. On the whole, a good, approachable introduction to what may be the most important scientific question of our time. If we conclude that there is life on other worlds, that's amazing; and if we learn that there isn't any life on other worlds, that's amazing, too.

Grinspoon's book is unusual in many respects. Stylistically it is casual, friendly, personal, witty, and often very funny. Quite a contrast from the often passive and impersonal style that is the norm for pop science. Lonely Planets is also impressive in the wide range of material it synthesizes, from 17th century speculations on alien life to new, provocative speculations based on knowledgeable extrapolations from the latest results of planetary exploration. Grinspoon is one of the best science explainers alive, and his description of "Cosmic Evolution" is riveting and enlightening. Occasional clever and cartoony illustrations add spice to the text. He also provides a revealing insider's view of changing scientific attitudes about the search for alien life and the recent emergence of "astrobiology" as a major priority for NASA. Along the way we are treated to amusing and telling examples of pop cultural responses to the question of alien life, from "War of the Worlds" to South Park's "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe". Grinspoon is not afraid to challenge scientific orthodoxy, but does so from a position of great authority and commanding knowledge of the field. His "Living Worlds Hypothesis" will change the way you think about which planets may have life. His explanation of why this field is not really "science" but rather "natural philosophy" will change the way you think about science. The bold final chapter of Lonely Planets, entitled "Astrotheology" contains ruminations about possible human futures which, in their frankly spiritual nature, are quite remarkable for a scientist. I found myself quite moved by this surprising and inspiring ending to a masterful work. You will finish this book with an enlarged perspective on human existence and our role in cosmic evolution. Lonely Planets is a must read not just for science fans but for lovers of great nonfiction

I did not expect to have my mind changed on the possibility of extraterrestrial life through reading this book, but it was...again, and again, and again. Grinspoon is a serious scientist with an open mind and a terrific sense of humor, who manages to cover a broad and evolving field of viewpoints with respect and appreciation, and a healthy dose of skepticism, for all.

After a fascinating tour through the history of the science (and wishful thinking) of the human search for extraterrestrial life, Grinspoon explains why there is good scientific reason for believing not only that there is life out there, but (and this one surprised me, but the logic convinced me) that there is likely to be technological sophistication out there far, far in excess of our own. On the other hand, he is equally convincing in showing how the scientific ideas about extraterrestrials is full of human- and earth-centered biases, and that we really have no idea at all what to look for. On still another hand, he shows why there are some signals that we can reasonably anticipate--a planet with an atmosphere inexplicably out of chemical equilibrium, for example--that might make more sense than the current focus on water.

Turning to the UFO crowd, Grinspoon looks intriguingly at the way their belief structure is similar to that of scientists, and how it differs. He finds that some "ufology" is truly bunk and hucksterism, but also maintains that we should not write it all off--in fact, he regrets that the hucksters may bias scientists to ignore some important evidence on Earth.

One of the great mysteries for scientists is why, if even the most conservative assumptions about alien life are correct, it has remained invisible to us on Earth. Grinspoon is perhaps at his best on this question, and true to his open-minded style, when questioning the question. But just when he starts to go into the big philosophical issues, he comes out with a remark like, "How should I know? Do I look like the Dalai Lama?" and we are reminded that the science is inherently one of speculation, and that a dose of humor is the most important ingredient of all. Grinspoon has applied the humor liberally, and with an expert hand.

A previous reviewer preferred Grinspoon to Carl Sagan, who was criticized for his condescension. This book shows how it is possible to go too far in the opposite direction. Grinspoon often is clever in approaching his subjects. Unfortunately, in lightening his work with flip language and pop culture references, he undermines the credibility of what might have been a significant book rather than an entertainment.

Lonely Planets begins with a lightweight history of thinking about the universe and the possibility that life may be scattered through it. Grinspoon's quick reviews of planetary exploration, comparative planetology, and panspermia will be useful to those who have not studied those subjects. He devotes a large section of the book to a discussion of what life is and how it might exist in other environments. His slant on these issues is more original than most. Grinspoon briefly describes SETI and the paradox associated with Fermi (he was not the first to think of it), concluding that it is premature to rule out any present or past alien presence in our solar system.

Grinspoon give us a humorous treatment of ufology, and a somewhat less whimsical approach to astrotheology. His recognition of Russian cosmism is welcome, but his attempt to outline his own version of natural philosophy will leave most readers confused.

The author intrudes too much into his subject matter through his frequent self-references. Too often, he sounds like an insider whose personal connections are as important as his ideas. His assumption that all of his readers share the musical tastes of Baby Boomers ignores the other seventy-one per cent of the population.

I'm no science whiz but like many people have an interest in the possiblity of alien life. This book is one of the most interesting books on alien life I have read so far. The author takes a very logical scientific look at the possiblity of life in space, and takes the reader through a history of scientific speculation and discovery. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something fun to read. It's fascinating from beginning to end!

I have always been interested in things about the planets and how life began so I just love this book. It's pretty easy to read and understand considering all the scientific words and ideas used. Plus it even injects some humor to it all which I loved. I think that anyone who has ever been interested in where we came from and how the earth began would love this book.