‘A highly readable entertaining and mind-expanding read from a formidable scientist’ iNews
‘A highly informative survey of the current state of astrobiology’ Literary Review Over the
last few decades space exploration has revolutionised our understanding of our place in the
cosmos. We now know that there are many habitable environments within our solar system. Yet a
profound question remains: are we alone in the universe? Nathalie A. Cabrol leading
astrobiologist and director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute takes us to the
frontiers of the search for life. This book’s odyssey begins by searching for how life began on
Earth in order to understand what’s necessary for life to exist elsewhere. What role did our
moon play? And could life on Mars or another world have seeded life on Earth? Cabrol
continues this dazzling interplanetary tour illuminating the likeliest places for life in our
neighbourhood: Venus Mars the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn and Pluto. Finally we seek
life beyond our solar system looking at the recent revolution in the night sky: the
realisation that there are millions of exoplanets within our galaxy that could support life.
The Secret Life of the Universe is both a comprehensive and authoritative guide to the latest
discoveries and an awe-inspiring exploration of what this means for us as humans on Earth
today. It’s an exhilarating journey perfect for anyone who has ever looked up at the stars and
wondered what might be out there.
