Life of Super-Earths - by Dimitar Sasselov (Hardcover)

About the Book

Spurred by recent, unprecedented breakthroughs in biology and astronomy, expert astronomer Sasselov aims to highlight these groundbreaking findings and explain how what is learned in the laboratory informs the investigation of the universe, and vice versa.

Book Synopsis

In 1543, Nicolaus Copernicus fomented a revolution when he debunked the geocentric view of the universe, proving instead that our planet wasn't central to the universe. Almost five hundred years later, the revolution he set in motion is nearly complete. Just as earth is not the center of things, the life on it, it appears, is not unique to the planet. Or is it?The Life of Super-Earths is a breathtaking tour of current efforts to answer the age-old question: Are we alone in the universe? Astronomer Dimitar Sasselov, the founding director of Harvard University's Origins of Life Initiative, takes us on a fast-paced hunt for habitable planets and alien life forms. He shows how the search for "super-Earths" -- rocky planets like our own that orbit other stars -- may provide the key to answering essential questions about the origins of life here and elsewhere. That is, if we don't find the answers to those questions here first. As Sasselov and other astronomers have uncovered planets with mixes of elements different from our own, chemists have begun working out the heretofore unseen biochemistries that those planets could support. That knowledge is feeding directly into synthetic biology -- the effort to build wholly novel forms of life -- making it likely that we will first discover truly "alien" life forms in an earthly lab, rather than on a remote planet thousands of light years away. Sasselov tells the gripping story of a moment of unprecedented potential -- a convergence of pioneering efforts in astronomy and biology to peer into the unknown. The Life of Super-Earths offers nothing short of a transformation in our understanding of life and its place in the cosmos.

Review Quotes

Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Short, cogent and stimulating"

Andrew H. Knoll, Fisher Professor of Natural History, Harvard University, and author of Life on a Young Planet
"In engaging prose, Dimitar Sasselov explains how remarkable breakthroughs in astronomy are reframing one of humankind's oldest questions--are we alone in the universe? The Life of Super-Earths provides nutrition for the lively mind."

Hans Ulrich Obrist, Co-Director of Exhibitions and Programmes, Serpentine Gallery
"Dimitar Sasselov once told me that 'biology is the future of astronomy, ' a statement which amazed and intrigued me. In this new brilliant book he explains why his expanded notion of astronomy includes biology, and geology and chemistry, in its exciting search for new planets, new worlds, and new life. Sasselov is one of the great public intellectuals of the 21st century. He inspires artists, architects, philosophers and many others. It is urgent to read Sasselov."

Nature
"In this short, sharp look at the [extrasolar planet] subset called 'super-Earths' -- rocky or oceanic, but more massive than Earth--astronomer Dimitar Sasselov gives us the science and the speculation about life on other worlds."

New Scientist
"[W]hat is life and how did it come about? Astrophysicist Dimitar Sasselov argues that we are on the brink of being able to answer this question, and his enthusiasm is infectious.... Only by knowing what is possible, says Sasselov in this inspirational book, can we ever understand how life got going on Earth and why it has the characteristics it has."

Washington Post
"In his new book, Harvard astronomy professor Dimitar Sasselov lays out an optimistic case for extraterrestrial life and explains why super-Earths--rocky planets that are more massive and larger than Earth--may be better equipped to harbor the stuff of life."

The Daily Galaxy
"[A] brilliant new study."

Discover
"In this slim but absorbing introduction to the epic search for life on extrasolar planets, Sasselov explores how astronomy, geology, and biology are conspiring to give us a radical new vision of a universe in which our living Earth is 'just another planet.'"

Library Journal
"As the codiscoverer of several extrasolar planets, Sasselov provides an insider's view on planet hunting.... An interesting read."

About the Author

Dimitar Sasselov is a Professor of Astronomy at Harvard University and the Founder and Director of the Harvard Origins of Life Initiative. His research has been covered by the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and others. He lives in Auburndale, Massachusetts.