Michael Wall

Even for a pop science book this one is overly "lite" The author does a decent overview of his topic including "Where is ET? ""What are We Looking For?", "Could We Talk to ET?" As an introductory book for teens this would be okay as the author makes continual jokes related to TV/movie scifi memes but for anyone actually interested in this topic the tone is condescending and simplistic. Seriously- on page 202 the author actually writes "The quantum world is freaky. Don't try too hard to understand it; it can break your brain." Seriously? Okay, I don't have a background in physics but give me a chance.… (altro)

What if we’re not alone in the universe? If there are aliens, where are they? What will they look like? How will we find/meet them?

Can we colonize the Moon? Or Mars? What is the prognosis for mankind?

Despite the author’s credentials, readers may find it difficult to take this book seriously since there’s an over-abundance of lame humor and cringeworthy jokes offered in what seems to be an attempt to “entertain” the reader. But the “humor” quickly wears thin and, after a while, readers are apt to feel more frustrated than informed. [However, a bibliography provides places for readers to find additional information.]

Readers searching for a studied, serious, or more in-depth discussion of the topic might consider looking elsewhere. Overall, “Out There” is simply disappointing.… (altro)

Intelligent life is a self-limiting phenomenon. It follows from the necessary implications of 'life', all of which involve consumption and reproduction, and 'intelligence', which involves tool use and the ability to use technology.

Now, the irruptions of behaviorally modern humans into Europe, Asia, the Americas, Australia, Madagascar, and New Zealand precipitated mass extinctions everywhere, very quickly. The extinctions were always followed by a human die-off as well; populations start to recover when they enter the trap of agriculture, which creates possibilities for inequality and militarism on an unprecedented scale. Contemporary humans are enacting this on a planetary scale. The oil wars of the last century are but a glimpse of what the future holds. Even if climate change does not result in a massive die-off of the human population, fighting over the dwindling scraps needed to sustain current economies and cultures will eventually do each other in.

We are a bipeds with binocular vision, using tools and language, because our ancestors were hunters capable of great collective violence. The same things enabled human intelligence, and the calorie count needed to feed the human brain. They were ways of winning in a harsh environment.

Alien life on other worlds will have the same sort of thing in its past. They will not be products of a paradise of plenty; if they lived in such a world they would find no motive to pay the metabolic costs of an intelligent organ. They will be as mean and destructive as we are. And their cultures will flame out like ours is doing, before they ever reach beyond their home star systems.

Or we are but a step in the evolution of intelligence to be held by another, not carbon.

And then not carbon based, we considered below them on a evolutionary scale, would then be inclined to learn our communications and communicate with us? We do indeed do all the things mentioned.

The likelihood of discovering alien life doesn't just depend on where you are in the universe, but when you are. If you define intelligent life as the ability to communicate using electromagnetic waves we have only had this ability for the last 70 years. Assuming our civilization last another 200 years, that's a brief communication window of 300 years in 2 million. By the time a far off alien race replies we could be long gone. More chance of winning the lotto...

The universe may also be infinite. But at this point in our development, we're still limited by c (3 x 10^8 m/s). Assuming it is infinite, which is our present assumption, the question is indeed not how many things similar to us exist at any one time, as they also are infinite in number then, but the distances to be accomplished. Is there a solution to the speed of light? No. But we do know, as I mentioned above, light may be affected by things such as gravitation. Can light be sped up or slowed down by mechanism not present here, by element constitution elsewhere perhaps, I would safely say yes it may, in the realm of theory and with that infinite designation. Infinite implies all possibilities exercised, even the most remote within time.… (altro)

Are we alone in the universe? It is a good question to ask. Given the size of the universe and the diversity of life on earth, it seems rather unusual for us to insist that we are the only intelligent beings. Out There is a measured, scientific look at Extraterrestrial Life and the implications it would have for all of us on Earth. The author, Michael Wall, sprinkles little bits of humor here and there that add a touch of flavor to what he is saying.

Most of the book focuses on aliens and methods to communicate with them. Wall discusses SETI, the methodology used in case intelligent life or any life is found, the implications it would have for religious people, and other such inane topics. For example, it might make headline news for a few days. The heads of state don’t need to be informed. The UN doesn’t have an official chain of command for such an event. In fact, from what I understand, they don’t particularly care. In this case, I can understand that though, I imagine it is far more important to manage international affairs.

So in that sense, the book was interesting. While it wasn’t particularly stupendous, it did briefly touch upon ideas of colonizing other planets, intergalactic space travel, different forms of communication that we might be unfamiliar with and other such trivia. The book explores every little possibility. Is there life on other planets? Is this life intelligent? Could the aliens be hostile, like in a lot of Action Movies? Maybe the aliens would be lovable or make saucy quips. Other than our knowledge of the sheer vastness of space, it is difficult to even say with certainty that there would be life on other planets. However, space is massive. It is impossible to grasp this concept with our puny human minds. Probability is in favor of there being at least a few planets where life could flourish and I tend to agree.… (altro)