Lucky planet : why Earth is exceptional-- and what that means for life in the universe
(Book)
Author
Published
New York : Basic Books, [2014].
Format
Book
ISBN
9780465039999, 0465039995
Physical Desc
ix, 198 pages ; 24 cm
Status
Lawson McGhee Library - Books
577.22 WALT
1 available
577.22 WALT
1 available
Copies
Location | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Lawson McGhee Library - Books | 577.22 WALT | On Shelf |
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More Details
Published
New York : Basic Books, [2014].
Language
English
ISBN
9780465039999, 0465039995
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
Humankind has long fantasized about life elsewhere in the universe. And as we discover countless exoplanets orbiting other stars--among them, rocky super-Earths and gaseous Hot Jupiters--we become ever more hopeful that we may come across extraterrestrial life. Yet even as we become aware of the vast numbers of planets outside our solar system, it has also become clear that Earth is exceptional. The question is: why? In Lucky Planet, astrobiologist David Waltham argues that Earth's climate stability is one of the primary factors that makes it able to support life, and that nothing short of luck made such conditions possible. The four-billion-year stretch of good weather that our planet has experienced is statistically so unlikely, he shows, that chances are slim that we will ever encounter intelligent extraterrestrial others. Describing the three factors that typically control a planet's average temperature--the heat received from its star, how much heat the planet absorbs, and the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere--Waltham paints a complex picture of how special Earth's climate really is.
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Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Waltham, D. (2014). Lucky planet: why Earth is exceptional-- and what that means for life in the universe . Basic Books.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Waltham, David. 2014. Lucky Planet: Why Earth Is Exceptional-- and What That Means for Life in the Universe. Basic Books.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Waltham, David. Lucky Planet: Why Earth Is Exceptional-- and What That Means for Life in the Universe Basic Books, 2014.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Waltham, David. Lucky Planet: Why Earth Is Exceptional-- and What That Means for Life in the Universe Basic Books, 2014.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
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