SETI Pioneers: Scientists Talk About Their Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Swift, David W.

ISBN 10: 0816514089 / ISBN 13: 9780816514083

Published by University of Arizona Press, Tucson, AZ, 1993

About this Item

First Edition, 2nd printing. Trade PB in illustrated wraps. About Fine in lightly scuffed wraps and one bent bottom corner, else Fine and unmarked. xv, 434pp inc. new Foreword by Frank Drake, Appendix A and B, Glossary, References, Index; illustrated in photos. 434 p.

Seller Inventory # 039307

Bibliographic Details

• Title: SETI Pioneers: Scientists Talk About Their Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
• Publisher: University of Arizona Press, Tucson, AZ
• Publication Date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0816514089
• ISBN 13: 9780816514083
• Binding: Trade Paperback
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: About Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Wraps
• Book Type: Book
• Seller catalogs:
  • Non-Fiction

About this title

Synopsis

"Are there beings in some sense like you, elsewhere in the universe, or are we the only ones around It's one of the most basic questions there is." —Carl SaganCarl Sagan, when asked his assessment of the importance of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), replied, "You find out who you are. It's a basic question. Are there beings in some sense like you, elsewhere in the universe, or are we the only ones around It touches deeply into myth, folklore, religion, mythology; and every human culture in some way or another has wondered about that kind of question. It's one of the most basic questions there is." Why did some scientists decide to conduct a search for extraterrestrial intelligence What factors in their personal development predisposed them to such a quest What obstacles did they encounter along the way To learn about their search, to preserve historical information not otherwise available, and to discover more about how scientific fields originate and develop, sociologist David Swift interviewed the first scientists to be involved in this fascinating quest. These SETI Pioneers reveal not only their involvement in the search, but also the facets of their personal backgrounds that led them to participate--family, education, intellectual growth--and their speculations about the nature of extraterrestrial life. Each interviewee is asked the same set of questions to facilitate comparison of how their careers developed. Introductory text by Swift reviews the emergence of SETI and early attempts to detect extraterrestrial life; a concluding interview with Paul Horowitz, a leader in the new generation of SETI scientists, reflects on the contributions of the pioneers

Review

"Sixteen international pioneers in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence relate their involvement by answering the same 71 questions about their lives and SETI ideas. The result is a unique perspective on individual ideas, interpretations, and background." --Booklist"He allows some of the most imaginative scientific thinkers of our time to hold forth on their views regarding SETI and extraterrestrial life and on how the field has developed. . . . Readers will react with a range of opinions as broad as those concerning the likelihood of success in SETI itself." --Science"Anybody with the slightest curiosity about SETI will probably enjoy it, and even active SETI researchers may find some fruitful ideas for the future." --Icarus"A collection of 16 interviews with the scientists constituting the first generation of post-radio astronomy searchers for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). . . . Recommended." --Choice"An invaluable record of just what makes the original SETI pioneers tick. . . . a goldmine of original information." --New Scientist"A treasure of insights that humanize the field as never before." --Air & Space