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Michael Wall

Out There: A Scientific Guide to Alien Life, Antimatter, and Human Space Travel (For the Cosmically Curious) Hardcover – Illustrated, November 13, 2018

by Michael Wall PhD (Author), Karl Tate (Illustrator)

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In the vein of Randall Munroe's What If? meets Brian Green's Elegant Universe, a senior writer from Space.com leads readers on a wild ride of exploration into the final frontier, investigating what's really "out there."

We've all asked ourselves the question. It's impossible to look up at the stars and NOT think about it: Are we alone in the universe? Books, movies and television shows proliferate that attempt to answer this question and explore it. In Out There Space.com senior writer Dr. Michael Wall treats that question as merely the beginning, touching off a wild ride of exploration into the final frontier. He considers, for instance, the myriad of questions that would arise once we do discover life beyond Earth (an eventuality which, top NASA officials told Wall, is only drawing closer).

What would the first aliens we meet look like?
Would they be little green men or mere microbes?
Would they be found on a planet in our own solar system or orbiting a star far, far away?
Would they intend to harm us, and if so, how might they do it?
And might they already have visited?

Out There is arranged in a simple question-and-answer format. The answers are delivered in Dr. Wall's informal but informative style, which mixes in a healthy dose of humor and pop culture to make big ideas easier to swallow. Dr. Wall covers questions far beyond alien life, venturing into astronomy, physics, and the practical realities of what long-term life might be like for we mere humans in outer space, such as the idea of lunar colonies, and even economic implications. Dr. Wall also shares the insights of some of the leading lights in space exploration today, and shows how the next space age might be brighter than ever.

Print length

256 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Grand Central Publishing
Publication date

November 13, 2018
Dimensions

5.75 x 0.88 x 8.63 inches
ISBN-10

1538729377
ISBN-13

978-1538729373
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This look at some of the key questions of the cosmos and human interactions--it is brain food with flair, and nearly impossible to put down--what a fun ride this book is!"―Alan Stern, principal investigator of NASA's New Horizons Pluto mission and former head of the space agency's Science Mission Directorate

"Perhaps since the dawn of language, humankind's most profound quest has been to answer the question-'Are we alone?' Mr. Wall's book takes us on an insightful, engaging, and at times humorous journey through the cosmos, and explains why we may now be on the verge of answering that question!"―Bill Diamond, president and CEO of the SETI Institute.

"With a humorous, accessible tone, Wall, a senior writer for Space.com, answers questions about alien life and space travel...this should appeal to anyone who has ever looked up into the sky and wondered what is out there."―Publishers Weekly

"Wall's witty and readable style is never preachy, and he readily acknowledges that new discoveries continue to turn long-held assumptions upside down (although it's probably safe to rule out moon-dwelling lunarians). This approach is effective in conveying lots of technical information within a context of manageable scenarios, bolstered by multiple pop-culture references."―Booklist

"This book provides a simple introduction to possibilities of other intelligent species in a conversational approach that should appeal to a wide range of readers."―Library Journal

"Out There is a refreshingly playful romp through the most exciting aspects of space exploration."―Scientific American

"[A] succinct and accessible summary of the search for extraterrestrial life in the 21st Century...Out There goes a long way toward fostering a basic, scientific literacy on its topic. For anyone interested in research-based information about the search for ET, Wall proves the perfect guide and a sure hand. As an introduction for lay-readers, it's the perfect primer."―-Scientific Inquirer

About the Author

Dr. Michael Wall is a senior writer at Space.com who has written extensively about the search for alien life. His work also has appeared in Scientific American, NBC News, Fox News, and a number of other outlets. He holds a graduate certificate in science journalism from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Before becoming a writer, Dr. Wall worked as a biologist; he earned a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Sydney in Australia and has 15 peer-reviewed publications. He's based in San Francisco, where he also chronicles the space tech revolution in Silicon Valley. Illustrations by Karl Tate.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing; Illustrated edition (November 13, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1538729377
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1538729373
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.88 x 8.63 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #540,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #574 in Cosmology (Books)
- #886 in Astrophysics & Space Science (Books)
- #992 in Astronomy (Books)

Customer Reviews:
228 ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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An excellent logical and scientific approach to space travel, alien life and other topics.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 12, 2021

Verified Purchase

I have had a lifelong interest in astronomy, cosmology, space travel, time travel and alien life, and when I saw this book (Out There: A scientific guide to alien life, antimatter, and human space travel for the cosmically curious) on Amazon for a bargain price I decided to purchase it.

What I liked immediately about this book was the clear minded, logical and scientific approach the author uses to explain each topic. This excellent book is organized into two parts.

Part one (What’s out there?) focuses on where is everybody? Are we all Martians? What does E.T look like? Do aliens have sex? What are we looking for? Where is ET hiding? How would the world be told? Could we talk to ET? How would the world respond? Have we already found ET? And will aliens kills us all?

Part two (Getting out there) covers the following questions: Will we colonize the Moon and Mars? Can we go interstellar? Will there be Homo Spaciens? Is time travel possible? What will happen to us? There is also a bibliography and index section.

In conclusion if you like the scientific approach rather than the mystical musings concerning alien life, space travel, time travel and other topic this book is for you. I loved it.
Ratings: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Tactical Principles of the most effective Combative Systems).

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Peter Letheby

Much better than the negative reviews here

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 7, 2022

Verified Purchase

I have been reading astronomy and "life in outer space" books for 30 years and don't understand the negative reviews here. Sure, the author sticks in some attempts at humorous observations here and there, and if he had not included those the book might have been 5-10 pages shorter. Still, I found the information engrossing, even though I knew some of it before I opened the book. It's a good summary on perhaps one of man's greatest future quests -- making contact with E.T. or simply discovering primitive life or signs of past primitive life in our own solar system. The time travel chapters near the end can be daunting, but the author makes them easy to grasp. I recommend it for people interested in astronomy and the search for E.T.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

George Gay

It appeals to both scientist and lay reader.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 3, 2022

Verified Purchase

Scientifically accurate (I'm a scientist) --but "science light". Entertaining enough and explained well enough to appeal to anyone. Well written and entertaining too.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Justme

Great fun read on the possibility of ET.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 19, 2020

Verified Purchase

It's a great read. Stimulates thought and makes you chuckle at yourself as well as the author. Certainly not for someone looking for "hard science" or for the ufo fanatic looking for affirmation that Star Trek is really happening nearby.
As someone who tends to view life as Mystery Science Theater 3000 I felt like I was sitting on my deck with the author having a fun chat on the subject that i love but also find those that get all serious about something like this subject are well.... they're up on the screen and Mike Wall is having some fun with you ala MST 3000. Read and enjoy. Looking forward to what Mike Wall tackles for his next book.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Alisa

Very Enjoyable Read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 5, 2019

Verified Purchase

This was a really interesting read. Some of this I knew, and a good amount I did not, but it was nice to have all the scattered bits of information that I have picked up along the years formatted into a book like this. The author writes in a very friendly matter-of-fact way. He does fantastic at explaining complex things in layman terms. In each small chapter there is an attempt at one or two jokes, many fall flat :-) but that's okay because I think it's important to throw in a bit of levity with this type of subject matter.

I really enjoyed reading this and it was interesting to hear the author's thought experiments regarding aliens, living on Mars, and even the end of the universe itself.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

William Holmes

It’s Life, Jim, But Not As We Know It

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 1, 2019

Verified Purchase

This is an entertaining, light weight survey of the search for other life in the universe and the prospects that humans or their progeny will leave this planet (or this time). If you are familiar with SETI, exobiology or the search for exoplanets, this book will seem pretty basic, albeit fun. Perfect for someone new to the topic who is looking for a high-level overview leavened with a bit of humor. The book includes a short bibliography and plenty of references to weightier tomes.

11 people found this helpful

Helpful

Alfred J. LiVecchi

Good read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 27, 2021

Verified Purchase

Relatively comprehensive look at the possibilities. Pretty quick but enjoyable read. Thought provoking but head ache provoking. Try it you’ll like it.

Helpful

Rob A.

Fascinating look at the universe

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 17, 2020

Verified Purchase

This book may be a bit too technical for some, but I enjoyed reading it and loved the subject matter. During our day-to-day lives I think we take our world and universe for granted but this book brings home how amazing and wondrous the universe is.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

MRS C E PRECIOUS

Uninformative and just plain boring

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 18, 2022

Verified Purchase

I read a lot of popular science and was looking forward to finding out more about antimatter and space travel etc, however found nothing in here I haven't known since school. Antimatter destructs on contact with matter and interstellar travel takes a long long time unless you get yourself a wormhole. No shine Sherlock!

Richard

Informative but overly ambitious.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 2, 2019

Verified Purchase

Michael Wall appears to be knowledgable about the topics he writes, but attempts to cram too much into one book. The continuous jokes throughout the book only distract from what are already very complex subjects to grasp.

One person found this helpful

Robert Hook

lOVED THIS BOOK

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 27, 2019

Verified Purchase

Just finished reading this excellent book.
In simple language it describes the various scenarios of "is life out there"
Can we find it.Will they find us.Do we want to be found!
What will happen to us in the short term medium term and very very long term.
This book sure makes you think of where we are in the worlds

calamity Jane

Great book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 7, 2021

Verified Purchase

This book covers a great deal as outlined in the title

david

Alien existence ,brilliant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 20, 2019

Verified Purchase

An amusing well written romp through the great intriguing alien existence .

One person found this helpful

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Out There: A Scientific Guide to Alien Life, Antimatter, and Human Space Travel (For the Cosmically Curious) Hardcover – Illustrated, November 13, 2018

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