Book contents
- Understanding Life in the Universe
- Understanding Life
- Understanding Life in the Universe
- Copyright page
- Reviews
- Contents
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 The Search for Extraterrestrial Life
- 2 Where in the Universe to Look?
- 3 Evolution – Here and Elsewhere
- 4 The Key Concept of Habitability
- 5 Life in the Solar System
- 6 Life in Other Planetary Systems
- 7 The Nature of Extraterrestrial Life
- 8 Intelligence – Here and Elsewhere
- Concluding Remarks
- Summary of Common Misunderstandings
- References and Further Reading
- Figure Credits
- Index
5 - Life in the Solar System
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 October 2022
Book contents
- Understanding Life in the Universe
- Understanding Life
- Understanding Life in the Universe
- Copyright page
- Reviews
- Contents
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 The Search for Extraterrestrial Life
- 2 Where in the Universe to Look?
- 3 Evolution – Here and Elsewhere
- 4 The Key Concept of Habitability
- 5 Life in the Solar System
- 6 Life in Other Planetary Systems
- 7 The Nature of Extraterrestrial Life
- 8 Intelligence – Here and Elsewhere
- Concluding Remarks
- Summary of Common Misunderstandings
- References and Further Reading
- Figure Credits
- Index
Summary
The thought of there being millions of planets with life in the observable universe is inspirational. But it’s only that – a thought. Or perhaps a bit more than that – a thought with probability on its side. But the gap between probability and certainty is a huge one. We won’t really feel the presence of extraterrestrial life until we know for sure that it’s there. So we need evidence. I started the book with a look at a paper that focused on the need for a cool assessment of evidence and the importance of not jumping to conclusions. In this chapter we’ll return to that issue.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Understanding Life in the Universe , pp. 77 - 90Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022