Astrobiology - Understanding Life in the Universe (Cockell Charles S.)(Paperback / softback)

A guide to understanding the formation of life in the Universe The revised and updated second edition of Astrobiology offers an introductory text that explores the structure of living things, the formation of the elements required for life in the Universe, the biological and geological history of the Earth, and the habitability of other planets. Written by a noted expert on the topic, the book examines many of the major conceptual foundations in astrobiology, which cover a diversity of traditional fields including chemistry, biology, geosciences, physics, and astronomy. The book explores many profound questions such as: How did life originate on Earth? How has life persisted on Earth for over three billion years? Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? What is the future of life on Earth? Astrobiology is centered on investigating the past and future of life on Earth by looking beyond Earth to get the answers. Astrobiology links the diverse scientific fields needed to understand life on our own planet and, potentially, life beyond. This new second edition: Expands on information about the nature of astrobiology and why it is usefulContains a new chapter “What is Life?” that explores the history of attempts to understand lifeContains 20% more material on the astrobiology of Mars, icy moons, the structure of life, and the habitability of planetsNew ‘Discussion Boxes’ to stimulate debate and thought about key questions in astrobiologyNew review and re
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