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Michael Wall
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Out There: A Scientific Guide to Alien Life, Antimatter, and Human Space Travel (For the Cosmically Curious) Hardcover – Illustrated, November 13, 2018

by Michael Wall PhD (Author), Karl Tate (Illustrator)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 342 ratings
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In the vein of Randall Munroe's What If? meets Brian Green's Elegant Universe, a senior writer from Space.com leads readers on a wild ride of exploration into the final frontier, investigating what's really "out there."

We've all asked ourselves the question. It's impossible to look up at the stars and NOT think about it: Are we alone in the universe? Books, movies and television shows proliferate that attempt to answer this question and explore it. In Out There Space.com senior writer Dr. Michael Wall treats that question as merely the beginning, touching off a wild ride of exploration into the final frontier. He considers, for instance, the myriad of questions that would arise once we do discover life beyond Earth (an eventuality which, top NASA officials told Wall, is only drawing closer).
  • What would the first aliens we meet look like?
  • Would they be little green men or mere microbes?
  • Would they be found on a planet in our own solar system or orbiting a star far, far away?
  • Would they intend to harm us, and if so, how might they do it?
  • And might they already have visited?

Out There is arranged in a simple question-and-answer format. The answers are delivered in Dr. Wall's informal but informative style, which mixes in a healthy dose of humor and pop culture to make big ideas easier to swallow. Dr. Wall covers questions far beyond alien life, venturing into astronomy, physics, and the practical realities of what long-term life might be like for we mere humans in outer space, such as the idea of lunar colonies, and even economic implications. Dr. Wall also shares the insights of some of the leading lights in space exploration today, and shows how the next space age might be brighter than ever.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Grand Central Publishing
  4. Publication date
    November 13, 2018
  5. Dimensions
    5.75 x 0.88 x 8.63 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1538729377
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1538729373
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This look at some of the key questions of the cosmos and human interactions--it is brain food with flair, and nearly impossible to put down--what a fun ride this book is!"―Alan Stern, principal investigator of NASA's New Horizons Pluto mission and former head of the space agency's Science Mission Directorate

"Perhaps since the dawn of language, humankind's most profound quest has been to answer the question-'Are we alone?' Mr. Wall's book takes us on an insightful, engaging, and at times humorous journey through the cosmos, and explains why we may now be on the verge of answering that question!"―Bill Diamond, president and CEO of the SETI Institute.

"With a humorous, accessible tone, Wall, a senior writer for Space.com, answers questions about alien life and space travel...this should appeal to anyone who has ever looked up into the sky and wondered what is out there."―Publishers Weekly

"Wall's witty and readable style is never preachy, and he readily acknowledges that new discoveries continue to turn long-held assumptions upside down (although it's probably safe to rule out moon-dwelling lunarians). This approach is effective in conveying lots of technical information within a context of manageable scenarios, bolstered by multiple pop-culture references."―Booklist

"This book provides a simple introduction to possibilities of other intelligent species in a conversational approach that should appeal to a wide range of readers."―Library Journal

"Out There is a refreshingly playful romp through the most exciting aspects of space exploration."―Scientific American

"[A] succinct and accessible summary of the search for extraterrestrial life in the 21st Century...Out There goes a long way toward fostering a basic, scientific literacy on its topic. For anyone interested in research-based information about the search for ET, Wall proves the perfect guide and a sure hand. As an introduction for lay-readers, it's the perfect primer."―-Scientific Inquirer

About the Author

Dr. Michael Wall is a senior writer at Space.com who has written extensively about the search for alien life. His work also has appeared in Scientific American, NBC News, Fox News, and a number of other outlets. He holds a graduate certificate in science journalism from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Before becoming a writer, Dr. Wall worked as a biologist; he earned a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Sydney in Australia and has 15 peer-reviewed publications. He's based in San Francisco, where he also chronicles the space tech revolution in Silicon Valley. Illustrations by Karl Tate.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing; Illustrated edition (November 13, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1538729377
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1538729373
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.88 x 8.63 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 342 ratings

About the author

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Michael Wall

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
342 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

George Gay
5.0 out of 5 stars It appeals to both scientist and lay reader.
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2022
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Scientifically accurate (I'm a scientist) --but "science light". Entertaining enough and explained well enough to appeal to anyone. Well written and entertaining too.
One person found this helpful
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Alisa
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Enjoyable Read
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2019
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This was a really interesting read. Some of this I knew, and a good amount I did not, but it was nice to have all the scattered bits of information that I have picked up along the years formatted into a book like this. The author writes in a very friendly matter-of-fact way. He does fantastic at explaining complex things in layman terms. In each small chapter there is an attempt at one or two jokes, many fall flat :-) but that's okay because I think it's important to throw in a bit of levity with this type of subject matter.

I really enjoyed reading this and it was interesting to hear the author's thought experiments regarding aliens, living on Mars, and even the end of the universe itself.
6 people found this helpful
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John Wang
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2023
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Great read. good pace and very humurous.
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Joseph J. Truncale
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent logical and scientific approach to space travel, alien life and other topics.
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2021
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I have had a lifelong interest in astronomy, cosmology, space travel, time travel and alien life, and when I saw this book (Out There: A scientific guide to alien life, antimatter, and human space travel for the cosmically curious) on Amazon for a bargain price I decided to purchase it.

What I liked immediately about this book was the clear minded, logical and scientific approach the author uses to explain each topic. This excellent book is organized into two parts.

Part one (What’s out there?) focuses on where is everybody? Are we all Martians? What does E.T look like? Do aliens have sex? What are we looking for? Where is ET hiding? How would the world be told? Could we talk to ET? How would the world respond? Have we already found ET? And will aliens kills us all?

Part two (Getting out there) covers the following questions: Will we colonize the Moon and Mars? Can we go interstellar? Will there be Homo Spaciens? Is time travel possible? What will happen to us? There is also a bibliography and index section.

In conclusion if you like the scientific approach rather than the mystical musings concerning alien life, space travel, time travel and other topic this book is for you. I loved it.
Ratings: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Tactical Principles of the most effective Combative Systems).
5 people found this helpful
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J. Essid
4.0 out of 5 stars A Beginner's Guide, But Too Beginner
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2023
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This book would work well for a younger reader who is curious, but not for anyone seeking depth about Fermi's Paradox or the Drake Equation. Dr. Wall writes well for Space.com but here the tone is too light-hearted, and the jokes (which won't enjoy a long shelf-life) often fall a little flat.

That said, he does communicate complex ideas well to a general, novice reader. The book won't work for college first-years in my course, so I'm considering Avi Loeb's Extraterrestrial instead. That one retains the wonder of space and the potential of First Contact without being boring or dreary.

Dr. Wall's book is never boring; it's just not the book for readers who already know something about the topic.
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Peter Letheby
5.0 out of 5 stars Much better than the negative reviews here
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2022
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I have been reading astronomy and "life in outer space" books for 30 years and don't understand the negative reviews here. Sure, the author sticks in some attempts at humorous observations here and there, and if he had not included those the book might have been 5-10 pages shorter. Still, I found the information engrossing, even though I knew some of it before I opened the book. It's a good summary on perhaps one of man's greatest future quests -- making contact with E.T. or simply discovering primitive life or signs of past primitive life in our own solar system. The time travel chapters near the end can be daunting, but the author makes them easy to grasp. I recommend it for people interested in astronomy and the search for E.T.
One person found this helpful
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TF843
3.0 out of 5 stars Much like a novel
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2019
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Mostly poppycock.
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Justme
5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun read on the possibility of ET.
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2020
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It's a great read. Stimulates thought and makes you chuckle at yourself as well as the author. Certainly not for someone looking for "hard science" or for the ufo fanatic looking for affirmation that Star Trek is really happening nearby.
As someone who tends to view life as Mystery Science Theater 3000 I felt like I was sitting on my deck with the author having a fun chat on the subject that i love but also find those that get all serious about something like this subject are well.... they're up on the screen and Mike Wall is having some fun with you ala MST 3000. Read and enjoy. Looking forward to what Mike Wall tackles for his next book.
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Top reviews from other countries

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K B Dixon
5.0 out of 5 stars A masterly guide to the likelihood of alien life, antimatter and human space travel.
Reviewed in Canada on March 5, 2022
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This is a well written up to date account of today's understanding and knowledge of these matters. Unreservedly recommended to the Cosmically Curious'.
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Gonnord Michel
2.0 out of 5 stars Uniquement compatible Kindle avec impossibilité de le convertir dans un autre format.
Reviewed in France on March 4, 2022
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Je n'achèterai plus des ebooks format kindle.
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Georgio
3.0 out of 5 stars Interessant
Reviewed in Germany on May 6, 2020
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Definitiv lesenswert. Viele Sachen wusste ich bereits, aber die wurden mir dennoch auf eine neue Art und Weise mitgeteilt, sodass man es gerne noch einmal liest. Generell bei diesen Büchern denke ich ist es wichtig, nicht so viele Rezensionen zu lesen, sondern einfach mal bestellen, lesen und sich eine Meinung bilden.
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Robert Hook
5.0 out of 5 stars lOVED THIS BOOK
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 27, 2019
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Just finished reading this excellent book.
In simple language it describes the various scenarios of "is life out there"
Can we find it.Will they find us.Do we want to be found!
What will happen to us in the short term medium term and very very long term.
This book sure makes you think of where we are in the worlds
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ernest
4.0 out of 5 stars good buy
Reviewed in Canada on February 1, 2024
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Covered a vast topic concisely.
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