CONTENTS Introduction: Where Is Everybody? by Jim Al-Khalili -- 1 1 Aliens and Us: Could Post-humans Spread through the Galaxy? by Martin Rees -- 11 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS 2 (Un)welcome Visitors: Why Aliens Might Visit Us by Lewis Dartnell -- 25 3 Flying Saucers: A Brief History of Sightings and Conspiracies by Dallas Campbell -- 35 4 Aliens on Earth: What Octopus Minds Can Tell Us about Alien Consciousness by Anil Seth -- 47 5 Abducted: The Psychology of Close Encounters with Extraterrestrials by Chris French -- 58 WHERE TO LOOK FOR LIFE ELSEWHERE 6 Home Sweet Home: What Makes a Planet Habitable? by Chris McKay --73 7 The Next-Door Neighbours: The Search for Life on Mars by Monica Grady -- 83 8 Further Out: Could the Moons of the Gas Giants Harbour Life? by Louisa Preston -- 93 9 Monsters, Victims, Friends: Aliens in Science Fiction Writing by Ian Stewart -- 103 LIFE AS WE KNOW IT 10 Randomness Versus Complexity: The Chemistry of Life by Andrea Sella -- 117 11 Electric Origins in Deep-Sea Vents: How Life got Started on Earth by Nick Lane -- 127 12 Quantum Leap: Could Quantum Mechanics Hold the Secret of (Alien) Life? by Johnjoe McFadden --137 13 A Cosmic Imperative: How Easy Is It for Life to Get Started? by Paul C. W. Davies -- 147 14 Alone in the Universe: The Improbability of Alien Civilisations by Matthew Cobb -- 156 ALIEN HUNTING 15 It Came from Beyond the Silver Screen! Aliens in the Movies by Adam Rutherford -- 169 16 What Are We Looking For? An Overview of the Search for Extraterrestrials by Nathalie Cabrol -- 178 17 Are They Out There? Technology, the Drake Equation, and Looking for Life on Other Worlds by Sara Seager -- 188 18 Good Atmosphere: Identifying the Signs of Life on Distant Worlds by Giovanna Tinetti -- 197 19 What Next? The Future of the SEarch for Extraterrestrial Intelligence by Seth Shostak -- 208 Further Reading -- 221 Contributors -- 226 a Sella -- 117 11 Electric Origins in Deep-Sea Vents: How Life got Started on Earth by Nick Lane -- 127 12 Quantum Leap: Could Quantum Mechanics Hold the Secret of (Alien) Life? by Johnjoe McFadden --137 13 A Cosmic Imperative: How Easy Is It for Life to Get Started? by Paul C. W. Davies -- 147 14 Alone in the Universe: The Improbability of Alien Civilisations by Matthew Cobb -- 156 ALIEN HUNTING 15 It Came from Beyond the Silver Screen! Aliens in the Movies by Adam Rutherford -- 169 16 What Are We Looking For? An Overview of the Search for Extraterrestrials by Nathalie Cabrol -- 178 17 Are They Out There? Technology, the Drake Equation, and Looking for Life on Other Worlds by Sara Seager -- 188 18 Good Atmosphere: Identifying the Signs of Life on Distant Worlds by Giovanna Tinetti -- 197 19 What Next? The Future of the SEarch for Extraterrestrial Intelligence by Seth Shostak -- 208 Further Reading -- 221 Contributors -- 226a Sella -- 117 11 Electric Origins in Deep-Sea Vents: How Life got Started on Earth by Nick Lane -- 127 12 Quantum Leap: Could Quantum Mechanics Hold the Secret of (Alien) Life? by Johnjoe McFadden --137 13 A Cosmic Imperative: How Easy Is It for Life to Get Started? by Paul C. W. Davies -- 147 14 Alone in the Universe: The Improbability of Alien Civilisations by Matthew Cobb -- 156 ALIEN HUNTING 15 It Came from Beyond the Silver Screen! Aliens in the Movies by Adam Rutherford -- 169 16 What Are We Looking For? An Overview of the Search for Extraterrestrials by Nathalie Cabrol -- 178 17 Are They Out There? Technology, the Drake Equation, and Looking for Life on Other Worlds by Sara Seager -- 188 18 Good Atmosphere: Identifying the Signs of Life on Distant Worlds by Giovanna Tinetti -- 197 19 What Next? The Future of the SEarch for Extraterrestrial Intelligence by Seth Shostak -- 208 Further Reading -- 221 Contributors -- 226a Sella -- 117 11 Electric Origins in Deep-Sea Vents: How Life got Started on Earth by Nick Lane -- 127 12 Quantum Leap: Could Quantum Mechanics Hold the Secret of (Alien) Life? by Johnjoe McFadden --137 13 A Cosmic Imperative: How Easy Is It for Life to Get Started? by Paul C. W.
Davies -- 147 14 Alone in the Universe: The Improbability of Alien Civilisations by Matthew Cobb -- 156 ALIEN HUNTING 15 It Came from Beyond the Silver Screen! Aliens in the Movies by Adam Rutherford -- 169 16 What Are We Looking For? An Overview of the Search for Extraterrestrials by Nathalie Cabrol -- 178 17 Are They Out There? Technology, the Drake Equation, and Looking for Life on Other Worlds by Sara Seager -- 188 18 Good Atmosphere: Identifying the Signs of Life on Distant Worlds by Giovanna Tinetti -- 197 19 What Next? The Future of the SEarch for Extraterrestrial Intelligence by Seth Shostak -- 208 Further Reading -- 221 Contributors -- 226in Deep-Sea Vents: How Life got Started on Earth by Nick Lane -- 127 12 Quantum Leap: Could Quantum Mechanics Hold the Secret of (Alien) Life? by Johnjoe McFadden --137 13 A Cosmic Imperative: How Easy Is It for Life to Get Started? by Paul C. W. Davies -- 147 14 Alone in the Universe: The Improbability of Alien Civilisations by Matthew Cobb -- 156 ALIEN HUNTING 15 It Came from Beyond the Silver Screen! Aliens in the Movies by Adam Rutherford -- 169 16 What Are We Looking For? An Overview of the Search for Extraterrestrials by Nathalie Cabrol -- 178 17 Are They Out There? Technology, the Drake Equation, and Looking for Life on Other Worlds by Sara Seager -- 188 18 Good Atmosphere: Identifying the Signs of Life on Distant Worlds by Giovanna Tinetti -- 197 19 What Next? The Future of the SEarch for Extraterrestrial Intelligence by Seth Shostak -- 208 Further Reading -- 221 Contributors -- 226.