Science, Reviews, aliens
The Science Of Aliens





Out-of-this-world speculation on extraterrestrial life that will fascinate fans of Star Trek, The X-Files, and sci-fi of all kinds.

"Run, leap, scurry and scoot to your nearest bookstore and get [Pickover's] books." -Byte

"Bucky Fuller thought big, Arthur C. Clarke thinks big, but Cliff Pickover outdoes them both." -WIRED

"Pickover inspires a new generation of Da Vincis to build unknown flying machines and create new Mona Lisas." -Christian Science Monitor

If extraterrestrials ever landed on earth, they would find us extremely strange. Their first intimation of our existence might well be a presidential speech or the Olympic Games, a mud-wrestling match or Third Rock from the Sun.

What would aliens look like? An intelligent octopus-like creature is certainly plausible. What about odd numbers of limbs-a three-legged alien with three arms and three eyes? Could creatures live at extremely high pressures and temperatures? Would they have any interest in abducting us? Would they want to have sex with us?

In classic Pickover style, here is scientifically based speculation at the far edge of knowledge-and beyond.Scientist and author Clifford Pickover poses the question, "Can creatures dream of things beyond their sensory capacity?" Clearly Pickover thinks humans can--to some extent, at least. To this end, he wrote The Science of Aliens, an intriguing book featuring chapters such as "What Aliens Look Like," "Origin of Alien Life," and "Alien Abduction." And, of course, "Alien Sex." (Don't say you weren't curious.) To stimulate the reader's imagination, Pickover focuses on the characteristics of the earth's creatures--their appearance, their senses, their environments, their sexual behaviors--and argues that this diversity pales in comparison to the far wider possibilities in alien worlds.

Whether or not you believe in life on other planets, the artist's renditions of creatures such as Cheelas, Mesklinites, and Radiates from SF novels, as well as mathematical "alien messages" to decipher, are a real treat. (Here's an easy one: "Aliens are waiting for humanity to replace the question mark with the next value in the sequence before they will consider us worthy for further communication: 77, 49, 36, 18, ?") He also raises interesting issues; for example, what form would art take for creatures sensitive to smells or heat rather than light? To top it off, Pickover includes examples of potential interplanetary humor taboos: "Don't make puns around Scolexes because it outrages their sense of linguistic symmetry, which they've fought holy wars over." SF fans will enjoy this entertaining and thought-provoking book. --C.B. Delaney









List Price: $ 15.00



Price: $ 13.21

Other posts like this, by keyword:

Science:

Introduction to Computational Science: Modeling and Simulation for the Sciences ...
Hidden Light: Science Secrets of the Bible ...
Biochar for Environmental Management: Science and Technology ...
From Neurons to Neighborhoods : The Science of Early Childhood Development ...
Computational Number Theory and Digital Signal Processing (Computer Science & Engineering) Reviews ...
Natural Reflections: Human Cognition at the Nexus of Science and Religion (The Terry Lectures Series) ...
The Savior of Science ...
A Drop in the Ocean: The Story of Water (Science Works) ...
Faith, Science, and Reason: Theology on the Cutting Edge ...
Introduction to Architectural Science, Second Edition: The Basis of Sustainable Design ...
Reviews:

HOBBY, GLADYS LOUNSBURY (1910-1993): An entry from Gale’s World of Microbiology and Immunology Reviews ...
The 2009 Import and Export Market for Iron or Steel Nails, Tacks, and Staples Excluding Staples in Strips for Office Use and Articles with C ...
Making Creativity Accountable: How Successful Advertisers Manage Their Television and Print Reviews ...
Introduction to Laser Diode-Pumped Solid State Lasers (SPIE Tutorial Texts in Optical Engineering Vol. TT53) Reviews ...
The Art Of Date Selection : Personal Date Selection For Personal Activities and Endeavours Reviews ...
Family-Style Meals at the Hali’imaile General Store Reviews ...
Naturally Curious: A Photographic Field Guide and Month-by-Month Journey Through the Fields, Woods, and Marshes of New England Reviews ...
The TOON Treasury of Classic Children’s Comics Reviews ...
Angels Dance And Angels Die: The Tragic Romance of Pamela and Jim Morrison Reviews ...
Joan of Arc and Spirituality (New Middle Ages) Reviews ...
aliens:

Paranormal World Ghosts, Hauntings, Bigfoot, Aliens, Bermuda Triangle, Atlantis And More ...
A Holy Bloody Day: Prologue to the Unholy Fire of Blood Trilogy ...