ALONE BUT NOT LONELY,

EXPLORING FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE

 

CHAPTERS and their conclusions

1. The Search for Extraterrestrial Life – From Religion to Science 
   Is human life unique in the Universe or is it ubiquitous?  A profound and popular question

2. Intelligence
   There is no evidence that intelligence helps species to survive.  There is some evidence against it.

3. Where are They?  - We Are Alone
   Empirical evidence suggests that intelligent life is, at most, rare in the Universe.

4. An Abundance of Worlds – An Abundance of Life
   The Universe may have no other intelligent life but it is teeming with simpler life -- on billions of worlds.

5. Exploring New Worlds - We Are Not Lonely
   Exploration of potentially habitable worlds provides humankind with unlimited adventure and opportunities for discovery.

6. Visiting Exoplanets: Interstellar Flight, A Bridge Too Far
   Space is too big and our lives too short to reach the stars -- at least physically.

7. Using Nature’s Telescope
   Nature (and Einstein) has provided us with a scientific instrument capable seeing exoplanets - up close and personal.  It is far out, but within our reach.

8. Real Interstellar Exploration
   The bridge too far of interstellar flight can be crossed virtually making real exploration possible.

9. Comparative Astrobiology
   The future holds the promise of discovering and studying life on many worlds.  This will lead to a new field of comparative astrobiology, whose results (like those of comparative planetology and of a heliocentric solar system) are unpredictable, but certain to be far-reaching.

 

Appendix A - Interstellar Messaging

Appendix B  - Mayr vs. Sagan, A Debate on Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Appendix C – The Search for Our Terrestrial Intelligence

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                                     COMMENTS 

“In Alone but Not Lonely, Dr. Friedman takes a courageous dive into the mystery of the sky above us and endeavors to divine our place and future in this universe and whether we will ever meet our neighbors, face to face, in person.”

—Mae Jemison, MD and NASA astronaut

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“From the birth of Earth through the emergence of AI, Friedman’s wide-ranging and incisive review of space exploration bursts a ton of bubbles—yet paints a galactic future abound with adventure.”

—Greg Pass, founding chief entrepreneurial officer of Cornell Tech and former CTO of Twitter

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“This is an important book by a true expert in the field. Lou Friedman has spent his life pondering the question of life in the universe and participated in many of the relevant space missions. Much has been written about alien civilizations, both in fiction and in fact. This book is an essential antidote to wild speculation.”

—Simon P. Worden, chairman of the Breakthrough Prize Foundation

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“No human has devoted more lifespan to our future in space than Louis Friedman. Here he takes a bold stand on the giant question of intelligent life in the universe.”

—David Brin scientist, and author of EARTH and The Postman

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“Dr. Friedman argues that we are alone, absolutely alone in the cosmos, and that this is a feature not a bug. He acknowledges and celebrates the idea that there are almost certainly a great many bugs out there, that primitive life must be extant all over the cosmic place. Whereas intelligent life, life that can make its presence known in the cosmos, is so unlikely that we humans are, in Lou’s view, the absolute only example. Is it heartbreaking or a wonderful insight? It’s certainly something for intelligent beings to ponder. Read on.

- Bill Nye, CEO The Planetary Society

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