Extraterrestrial
Page 21
Cox, T. J., and A. Loeb. “The Collision Between the Milky Way and Andromeda.” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2008), https://arxiv.org/pdf/0705.1170.pdf.
Forbes, J. C., and A. Loeb. “Evaporation of Planetary Atmospheres Due to XUV Illumination by Quasars.” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2018), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1705.06741.pdf.
Loeb, A. “Long-Term Future of Extragalactic Astronomy.” Physical Review D (2002), https://arxiv.org/pdf/astro-ph/0107568.pdf.
———. “Cosmology with Hypervelocity Stars.” Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (2011), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1102.0007.pdf.
———. “Why a Mission to a Visiting Interstellar Object Could Be Our Best Bet for Finding Aliens.” Gizmodo, October 31, 2018, https://gizmodo.com/why-a-mission-to-a-visiting-interstellar-object-could-b-1829975366.
———. “Be Kind to Extraterrestrials.” Scientific American, February 15, 2019, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/be-kind-to-extraterrestrials/.
———. “Living Near a Supermassive Black Hole.” Scientific American, March 11, 2019, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/living-near-a-supermassive-black-hole/.
12. Seeds
Ginsburg, I., M. Lingam, and A. Loeb. “Galactic Panspermia.” Astrophysical Journal (2018), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1810.04307.pdf.
Lingam, M., I. Ginsburg, and A. Loeb. “Prospects for Life on Temperate Planets Around Brown Dwarfs.” Astrophysical Journal (2020), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1909.08791.pdf.
Lingam, M., and A. Loeb. “Subsurface Exolife.” International Journal of Astrobiology (2017), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1711.09908.pdf.
———. “Brown Dwarf Atmospheres as the Potentially Most Detectable and Abundant Sites for Life.” Astrophysical Journal (2019), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1905.11410.pdf.
———. “Dependence of Biological Activity on the Surface Water Fraction of Planets.” Astronomical Journal (2019), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1809.09118.pdf.
———. “Physical Constraints for the Evolution of Life on Exoplanets.” Reviews of Modern Physics (2019), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1810.02007.pdf.
Loeb, A. “In Search of Green Dwarfs.” Scientific American, June 3, 2019, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/in-search-of-green-dwarfs/.
———. “Did Life from Earth Escape the Solar System Eons Ago?” Scientific American, November 4, 2019, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/did-life-from-earth-escape-the-solar-system-eons-ago/.
———. “What Will We Do When the Sun Gets Too Hot for Earth’s Survival?” Scientific American, November 25, 2019, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/what-will-we-do-when-the-sun-gets-too-hot-for-earths-survival/.
———. “Surfing a Supernova.” Scientific American, February 3, 2020, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/surfing-a-supernova/.
Siraj, A., and A. Loeb. “Transfer of Life by Earth-Grazing Objects to Exoplanetary Systems.” Astrophysical Journal Letters (2020), https://arxiv.org/pdf/2001.02235.pdf.
Sloan, D., R. A. Batista, and A. Loeb. “The Resilience of Life to Astrophysical Events.” Nature Scientific Reports (2017), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1707.04253.pdf.
13. Singularities
Broderick, A., and A. Loeb. “Portrait of a Black Hole.” Scientific American, 2009, https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~loeb/sciam2.pdf.
Forbes, J., and A. Loeb. “Turning Up the Heat on ‘Oumuamua.” Astrophysical Journal Letters (2019), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1901.00508.pdf.
Loeb, A. “ ‘Oumuamua’s Cousin?” Scientific American, May 6, 2019, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/oumuamuas-cousin/.
———. “It Takes a Village to Declassify an Error Bar.” Scientific American, July 3, 2019, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/it-takes-a-village-to-declassify-an-error-bar/.
———. “Can the Universe Provide Us with the Meaning of Life?” Scientific American, November 18, 2019, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/can-the-universe-provide-us-with-the-meaning-of-life/.
———. “In Search of Naked Singularities.” Scientific American, May 3, 2020, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/in-search-of-naked-singularities/.
Siraj, A., and A. Loeb. “Discovery of a Meteor of Interstellar Origin.” Astrophysical Journal Letters (2019), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1904.07224.pdf.
———. “Probing Extrasolar Planetary Systems with Interstellar Meteors.” Astrophysical Journal Letters (2019), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1906.03270.pdf.
———. “Halo Meters.” Astrophysical Journal Letters (2019), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1906.05291.pdf.
Conclusion
Lingam, M., and A. Loeb. “Searching the Moon for Extrasolar Material and the Building Blocks of Extraterrestrial Life.” Publications of the National Academy of Sciences (2019), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1907.05427.pdf.
Loeb, A. “Science Is an Infinite-Sum Game.” Scientific American, July 31, 2018, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/science-is-an-infinite-sum-game/.
———. “Why Should Scientists Mentor Students?” Scientific American, February 25, 2020, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/why-should-scientists-mentor-students/.
———. “Why the Pursuit of Scientific Knowledge Will Never End.” Scientific American, April 6, 2020, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/why-the-pursuit-of-scientific-knowledge-will-never-end/.
———. “A Sobering Astronomical Reminder from COVID-19.” Scientific American, April 22, 2020, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/a-sobering-astronomical-reminder-from-covid-19/.
———. “Living with Scientific Uncertainty.” Scientific American, July 15, 2020, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/living-with-scientific-uncertainty/.
———. “What If We Could Live for a Million Years?” Scientific American, August 16, 2020, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-if-we-could-live-for-a-million-years/.
Siraj, A., and A. Loeb. “Detecting Interstellar Objects through Stellar Occultations.” Astrophysical Journal (2019), https://arxiv.org/pdf/2001.02681.pdf.
———. “A Real-Time Search for Interstellar Impact on the Moon.” Acta Astronautica (2019), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1908.08543.pdf.
Index
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
abiogenesis, 134–35
actions and consequences, 9
adulthood, 5, 8
ALH84001 (meteorite), 169, 170, 171
alien spaceship, hypothetical trip on, xv
Alpha Centauri, 53, 55–56, 185
Andromeda galaxy, 110–11
anomalies of ‘Oumuamua, 27–45
ancientness and vastness of the universe and, 109–10
brightness/luminosity of, 28–29, 31–32, 38, 44, 61
deviation in trajectory, 33, 34, 35–45, 61
first interstellar object observed in our solar system, 27
lightsail hypothesis as explanation for, 63–71
LSR occupation of, 80–85, 86
natural origin explanation for, 74–78
size and shape, 28–31, 44–45, 61, 64–65
solar radiation pressure and, 42–43, 45, 64–66, 86–87, 164
antibiotic resistance, 124
anti-satellite missile technology, 121
anti-Semitism, 125
Apollo, 13, 57, 60–61
“Are We Alone in the Universe?” (Churchill), 128–29
Aristotle, 181–82
arrogance, 103–6, 152, 156–57, 158, 160
artificial light, 52, 142, 144
artificial meteors, 141
artificial molecules, 143
arXiv.org, 66
asteroids. See also meteorites and panspermia
interstellar, 75–76
‘Oumuamua compared to, 4–5, 30, 31, 35, 38, 61
> Pan-STARRS detection of, 2, 7–8
simplest explanation for ‘Oumuamua and, 27, 62
astro-archaeology. See space archaeology
astro-linguistics, 162
astronomy, x, 21–22, 105, 111, 126, 131–32
Astrophysical Journal, 59, 187
Astrophysical Journal Letters, 66, 67
astrophysics, 20–21, 25–26, 94–95, 98–99, 101
Aztec Empire, 155
B
Bacillus subtilis, 170, 171
bacteria, 170–71
Bahcall, John, 19–21
Battle of Verdun, 124–25
beach trash, 73–74
Beit Hanan, Israel, 12–16, 19, 22, 23
BHI (Black Hole Initiative), 183–90
Bialy, Shmuel, 64–66, 68, 69, 86
Big Bang, 22, 112, 114–16, 177, 190
binary stars, 138
biofilm, 170
biosignatures, 93–94, 132–33
blackbody radiation, 100, 186
Black Hole Initiative (BHI), 183–90
black holes, 25–26, 104, 115, 183–90
Borisov, Gennadiy, 78
Bracewell, Ronald, 92
Breakthrough Initiatives and Prize, 53–54, 130. See also Starshot Initiative
Brin, Sergey, 53
Broderick, Avery, 187, 188
Bromm, Volker, 113
brown dwarf stars, 139–40
Bryan, Richard, 93
Bulgaria and Bulgarian Orthodox Church, 14–15
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 18
buoy analogy, 83–85, 130
C
Caenorhabditis elegans, 171
Camus, Albert, 158
carbon, 38, 39, 41
carbon dioxide, 38
Catholic Church, 33–34, 155
Chesler, Paul, 189–90
children, 99–100, 107, 148–49, 192–93
China, 121, 122
Churchill, Winston, 127–29
climate change, xiii, 106–7, 124
CNN interview, 154
Cocconi, Giuseppe, 90–91
coincidences, 8
Cold War, 8, 18
Columbia University, 105
comets. See also meteorites and panspermia
interstellar, 75–76, 78–79
‘Oumuamua compared to, 4–5, 30, 31, 35, 36–43, 61
Pan-STARRS detection of, 2, 7–8
simplest explanation for ‘Oumuamua and, 27, 62
tails of dust and water vapor, 36–37, 61
Communism, 155–56
complexity vs. simplicity, 181–83
consensus vs. truth, 101
conservatism in science, xi, 50–51, 101–2, 127, 149
Copernicus, Nicolaus, x, 149, 178, 181
Cortés, Hernán, 155
cosmic dawn, 21, 48, 90, 111, 112
cosmic expansion. See under universe
Cosmos 2251 satellite, 121
“Could Solar Radiation Pressure Explain ‘Oumuamua’s Peculiar Acceleration?,” 66
Cox, T. J., 111
Crab Nebula, 165
Crab Pulsar, 165
Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, 110–11
cryobiosis, 172
D
dark ages of the universe, 112, 113
dark energy, 25, 96, 142
dark matter, 25, 26, 68, 96, 142
Darwin, Charles, and Darwinian evolution, 167, 169, 171–72
Deinococcus radiodurans, 171
Der Spiegel, 72
devolatilization hypothesis, 43
disintegration hypothesis, 41–42
Doeleman, Shep, 187–88
Doomsday Clock, 18
Drake, Frank, 91, 123, 132
Drake equation, 91–93, 132, 142
dwarf stars, 110–11, 136, 138–40. See also Proxima Centauri
Dyson, Freeman, 19, 52, 59–60, 144, 183
Dyson sphere, 144, 145
E
Earth, 50, 135–39, 141, 169
Eddington, Arthur, 23
EHT (Event Horizon Telescope), 187–88
Einstein, Albert, 22, 23, 100, 183–84, 185, 186
Eliot, T. S., xii–xiii
entanglement, 100
Environmental Protection Agency, U.S., 122
Epsilon Eridani, 91
Escherichia coli, 171
Eta Carinae, 136, 164–65
eugenics, 155
European Extremely Large Telescope, 116
event horizons, 188
Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), 187–88
evidence, following, 5–6
e-waste, 122
existentialism, xiv, 15–16, 157–58, 160
exoplanets, 128, 137–39, 143. See also Proxima b
extraordinary vs. unique, 177–78
extra-spatial dimensions, 49, 51, 95, 96
extraterrestrial life. See also Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)
betting on likelihood of (See ‘Oumuamua’s wager)
discovery of, and humility, 7, 134, 146, 156, 158
discovery of, and impact on human civilization, 151–52
encountering, 156, 157, 162–63, 190
existentialism and, 157–58
extinction danger (See great filter)
history of the universe and, 112
international protocols on response to, 162–63
lightsail hypothesis and (See lightsail hypothesis)
microwave beams and, 59
possibility of, x–xi
primitive vs. intelligent, 132–34
radio signal eavesdropping on, 47–49, 51, 90, 178
religious vs. secular question, 155–57
science and understanding of, 116–17
in science fiction, xii, 47
scientific community and search for, 89–96, 107–8, 149
space archaeology and search for (See space archaeology)
Starshot Initiative and search for, 53, 55–60
F
Falling Walls Conference, 67
farm in Beit Hanan, 12–16, 21
fashionable trends in science, xi, 95, 98–99
Fengyun-1C weather satellite, 121
Fermi, Enrico, 123–24
51 Pegasi b, 138
filters, 123–27, 132. See also great filter
first law of motion, 34
Forward, Robert, 57
Foundational Questions Institute (FQXi), 49
G
Gagarin, Yuri, 54–55, 60
galaxies, formation of, 113, 116
Galilei, Galileo, x, xv, 33–34, 51, 56–57, 102, 184–85
gas giants, 138
general relativity, theory of, 103, 183–84, 185, 186
Germany, 124–25, 127
Giant Magellan Telescope, 116
giant stars, 136
Ginsburg, Idan, 169
Global E-Waste Monitor, 122
Gonzales, Gonzalo, 143
gravity and black holes, 190
great filter, 126–27, 132–33, 144, 153, 166, 181
“The Great Filter” (Hanson), 123–24
Great Pacific Garbage Patch, 74
Greaves, Jane, 197
green dwarf stars, 140
greenhouse-gas emissions, 122, 123
Guillochon, James, 59, 178–79
Gutenberg, Johannes, 167
H
habitable-zone boundaries around stars, 136, 137
Haiman, Zoltan, 112
Hale, George Ellery, 104
Haleakala (volcano), 2, 7
Haleakala Observatory, 2, 28
Hanson, Robin, 123–24, 126
Harvard College Observatory, 104
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 53
Harvard University, 7, 12, 21–22, 64, 70, 105, 167, 183–87
Haskovo, Bulgaria, 14–15
Hawaii, 2–3, 7–8, 28, 74, 106
Hawking, Stephen, 59, 60, 183, 184, 186
Hawking radiation, 95
heat redi
stribution on the surface of a planet, 142
heat reflected from objects in space, 30, 38
Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 17
heliocentric theory of the solar system, 33–34, 178, 181
heliopause, 56
HERA (Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array), 116
Heraclitus of Ephesus, 90–91
Hirohito, 158–59
Hitler, Adolf, 14, 127
Hoang, Thiem, 39–40
Hoerner, Sebastian von, 92
“The Hollow Men” (Eliot), xii–xiii
Holmes, Sherlock, 66, 109, 116, 130
Holocaust, 13, 125, 155
Hubble, Edwin, 104
Hubble Space Telescope, 52, 116, 121, 133, 178
human civilization
broadcasting our existence, 146
discovery of extraterrestrial life, and impact on, 151–52
in multiverse, 130
noise made by, 178
possibility of extinction, xiii, 123–24, 126–27, 130, 152, 153, 167 (See also great filter)
venturing out and, 6–7
humanity
of 1940s, 129–30
of adulthood, 8
claim to universal intelligence, 26
clues to other intelligent life and, 5–7
collective well-being and, 146
discovery of extraterrestrial life and transformation of, 108, 160
ordinariness of, 181
‘Oumuamua’s wager and, 159–60, 166–67