Light of the Stars: Alien Worlds and the Fate of the Earth (Paperback)
Winner of the 2019 Phi Beta Kappa Award for Science
"A valuable perspective on the most important problem of our time." —Adam Becker, NPR
Light of the Stars tells the story of humanity’s coming of age as we realize we might not be alone in this universe. Astrophysicist Adam Frank traces the question of alien life from the ancient Greeks to modern thinkers, and he demonstrates that recognizing the possibility of its existence might be the key to save us from climate change. With clarity and conviction, Light of the Stars asks the consequential question: What can the likely presence of life on other planets tell us about our own fate?
Adam Frank is a professor of astrophysics at the University of Rochester. He is a co-founder of NPR’s 13.7: Cosmos and Culture blog and an on-air commentator for All Things Considered. He also served as the science consultant for Marvel Studio’s Dr. Strange. He lives in Rochester, New York.
[An] engaging and accessible book.… Frank enlivens the text with his passion, opinions and even some of his own projections of our possible fates.
— Alan Lightman - New York Times Book Review
Light of the Stars provides a marvelous perspective on how astronomy could make us all better Earthlings.
— Lee Billings - Scientific American
Adam Frank relies on elegant prose and conversational writing to make modern science comprehensible and illuminating for the nonspecialist.… [A] profoundly important book.
— Forbes
This enthralling book by a leading astrophysicist places our human drama in its proper cosmic context, showing why civilizations must use their technology to safeguard rather than sabotage their planet's climate.
— Max Tegmark, best-selling author of Life 3.0
— Alan Lightman - New York Times Book Review
Light of the Stars provides a marvelous perspective on how astronomy could make us all better Earthlings.
— Lee Billings - Scientific American
Adam Frank relies on elegant prose and conversational writing to make modern science comprehensible and illuminating for the nonspecialist.… [A] profoundly important book.
— Forbes
This enthralling book by a leading astrophysicist places our human drama in its proper cosmic context, showing why civilizations must use their technology to safeguard rather than sabotage their planet's climate.
— Max Tegmark, best-selling author of Life 3.0