From a noted Cambridge zoologist, a wildly fun and scientifically
sound exploration of what alien life must be like, using universal laws
that govern life on Earth and in space.
Scientists are
confident that life exists elsewhere in the universe. Yet rather than
taking a realistic approach to what aliens might be like, we imagine
that life on other planets is the stuff of science fiction. The time has
come to abandon our fantasies of space invaders and movie monsters and
place our expectations on solid scientific footing.
But short of
aliens landing in New York City, how do we know what they are like?
Using his own expert understanding of life on Earth and Darwin's theory
of evolution--which applies throughout the universe--Cambridge zoologist
Dr. Arik Kershenbaum explains what alien life must be like: how these
creatures will move, socialize, and communicate. For example, by
observing fish whose electrical pulses indicate social status, we can
see that other planets might allow for communication by electricity. As
there was evolutionary pressure to wriggle along a sea floor, Earthling
animals tend to have left/right symmetry; on planets where creatures
evolved in midair or in soupy tar, they might be lacking any symmetry at
all.
Might there be an alien planet with supersonic animals? A
moon where creatures have a language composed of smells? Will aliens
scream with fear, act honestly, or have technology? The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy answers these questions using the latest science to tell the story of how life really works, on Earth and in space.
