The once casual and often puzzling questions about whether humankind has relatives elsewhere in the universe has grown into a serious scientific pursuit.  A variety of powerful land-based and space telescopes are concentrating on finding and cataloging stars and their orbiting planetary bodies. The terms extra-solar and exoplanets have come into common parlance among scientists and the public.

Planetary scientist and astrophysicist, Sara Seager, PhD is one of the leading researchers in this field and she has written a delightful and highly readable book. She explains how scientists are going about finding out whether there is other life in the universe.  She does it in a most conversational manner as if the reader is sitting chatting with Dr. Seager about life in the universe.  Her enthusiasm and obvious firm belief that we will find a “sister Earth” is infectious and stimulating.  You will turn the pages quickly, not from haste or boredom, but from an eagerness to know more.

In an earlier interview I had with Dr. Seager she firmly stated that we are “stardust people” and from that implies that the universe possesses and passes around all of those magical elements that support the formation of life.  All that is needed is a host planet that is considered habitable.  This is a major theme of Sara Seager’s book. She fully explains and illustrates the science and research involved in finding our “Earth twin.”

When I finished “Is There Life Out There”, I had no doubts. Like Dr. Seager I am convinced that the answer is yes, and that, in time, we will find other life in the universe. I strongly urge you to order this wonderful book and sit down for a most informative and exciting conversation with this remarkable scientist.

To learn more about the book and its author, please visit with Sara Seager here.