Life in the Universe A Beginner's Guide

What actually is "life"? Could it emerge on other planets or moons? Couldlien cells be based on silicon rather than carbon, or need ammonia insteadf water? The study of life and its existence in the universe, known asstrobiology, is now one of the hottest areas of scientific research. In thisasterful introduction, Lewis Dartnell tours its latest findings, andxplores some of the most fascinating questions in science today. Startingith some of the most extreme lifeforms on Earth - those thriving in boilingcid or huddled around deep-sea volcanoes - Dartnell takes us on a tour ofhe cosmos and helps to answer one of our most pressing questions: "Is therenything out there?".

Lewis Dartnell is currently researching at CoMPLEX (the Centre for Mathematics & Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology), at University College London. He has won three national science writing prizes, including second place in the prestigious Daily Telegraph / BASF Young Science Writer Award.