The Possibility of Life
Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos
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Narrated by:
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Jaime Green
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By:
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Jaime Green
About this listen
“Every page of this book makes our shared universe feel larger and more interesting than ever before, a true gift of fascinating science and engrossing storytelling.”—Matt Bell, author of Appleseed
A spellbinding exploration of alien life and the cosmos, examining how the possibility of life on other planets shapes our understanding of humanity
One of the most powerful questions humans ask about the cosmos is: Are we alone? While the science behind this inquiry is fascinating, it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It is a reflection of our values, our fears, and most importantly, our enduring sense of hope.
In The Possibility of Life, acclaimed science journalist Jaime Green traces the history of our understanding, from the days of Galileo and Copernicus to our contemporary quest for exoplanets. Along the way, she interweaves insights from science fiction writers who construct worlds that in turn inspire scientists. Incorporating expert interviews, cutting-edge astronomy research, philosophical inquiry, and pop culture touchstones ranging from A Wrinkle in Time to Star Trek to Arrival, The Possibility of Life explores our evolving conception of the cosmos to ask an even deeper question: What does it mean to be human?
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A witty and inventive satire of "men of science" and their thinking, as a team of scientists races to decode a mysterious message from space. "I had the feeling that I was standing at the cradle of a new mythology. A last will and testament...we as the posthumous heirs of Them...."
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Excelent and entertaining
- By Jakub on 01-10-12
By: Stanislaw Lem
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The Complete (Short) Guide to Absolutely Everything
- Adventures in Math and Science
- By: Adam Rutherford, Hannah Fry
- Narrated by: Hannah Fry, Adam Rutherford
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Geneticist Adam Rutherford and mathematician Hannah Fry guide listeners through time and space, through our bodies and brains, showing how emotions shape our view of reality, how our minds tell us lies, and why a mostly bald and curious ape decided to begin poking at the fabric of the universe.
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Humour and understandability.
- By Chris B on 09-08-24
By: Adam Rutherford, and others
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Confessions of an Alien Hunter
- A Scientist's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
- By: Seth Shostak
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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This engaging memoir reveals the true story of the Search for ExtraterrestrialIntelligence (SETI), and discloses what we may very soon discover. Chronicling the program’s history with insight and humor, SETI senior astronomer Seth Shostak assures us that if there is sentient life in the universe, we are within decades of picking up its signal.
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Somewhat Disappointed...
- By Tim on 11-12-10
By: Seth Shostak
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The Big Picture
- On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself
- By: Sean Carroll
- Narrated by: Sean Carroll
- Length: 17 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Already internationally acclaimed for his elegant, lucid writing on the most challenging notions in modern physics, Sean Carroll is emerging as one of the greatest humanist thinkers of his generation as he brings his extraordinary intellect to bear not only on the Higgs boson and extra dimensions but now also on our deepest personal questions. Where are we? Who are we? Are our emotions, our beliefs, and our hopes and dreams ultimately meaningless out there in the void?
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ABSOLUTE MUST READ!
- By serine on 05-12-16
By: Sean Carroll
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The Island of Knowledge
- The Limits of Science and the Search for Meaning
- By: Marcelo Gleiser
- Narrated by: William Neenan
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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How much can we know about the world? In this audiobook physicist Marcelo Gleiser traces our search for answers to the most fundamental questions of existence, the origin of the universe, the nature of reality, and the limits of knowledge. In so doing he reaches a provocative conclusion: Science, like religion, is fundamentally limited as a tool for understanding the world. As science and its philosophical interpretations advance, we face the unsettling recognition of how much we don't know.
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Island of knowledge
- By Joshua Kring on 07-26-15
By: Marcelo Gleiser
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The Human Cosmos
- Civilization and the Stars
- By: Jo Marchant
- Narrated by: Jo Marchant
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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For at least 20,000 years, we have led not just an earthly existence, but a cosmic one. Celestial cycles drove every aspect of our daily lives. Our innate relationship with the stars shaped who we are - our art, religious beliefs, social status, scientific advances, and even our biology. But over the last few centuries we have separated ourselves from the universe that surrounds us. It's a disconnect with a dire cost.
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This book has changed the way I think about my own mortality!
- By Jerry on 02-04-21
By: Jo Marchant
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Know This
- Today's Most Interesting and Important Scientific Ideas, Discoveries, and Developments
- By: John Brockman
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman, Dan John Miller
- Length: 14 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Scientific developments radically alter our understanding of the world. Whether it's technology, climate change, health research, or the latest revelations of neuroscience, physics, or psychology, science has, as Edge editor John Brockman says, "become a big story, if not the big story". In that spirit this new addition to Edge.org's fascinating series asks a powerful and provocative question: What do you consider the most interesting and important recent scientific news?
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Pete and Repeat and Re-repeat
- By Daniel L on 02-25-18
By: John Brockman
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On the Future
- Prospects for Humanity
- By: Martin Rees
- Narrated by: Martin Rees, Samuel West
- Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Humanity has reached a critical moment. Our world is unsettled and rapidly changing, and we face existential risks over the next century. Various outcomes - good and bad - are possible. Yet our approach to the future is characterized by short-term thinking, polarizing debates, alarmist rhetoric, and pessimism. In this short, exhilarating book, renowned scientist and best-selling author Martin Rees argues that humanity’s prospects depend on our taking a very different approach to planning for tomorrow.
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Science, the future, and great wisdom
- By Philomath on 10-29-18
By: Martin Rees
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What the Bleep Do We Know
- Discovering the Endless Possibilities for Altering Your Everyday Reality
- By: William Arntz, Betsy Chase, Mark Vicente
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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With the help of 14 leading physicists, scientists, and spiritual thinkers, this book guides listeners on a course from the scientific to the spiritual, and from the universal to the personal. Along the way, it asks such questions as: Are we seeing the world as it really is What is the relationship between our thoughts and our world? How can I create my day every day? What the Bleep answers this question and others through an innovative new approach to self-help and spirituality.
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Attacking straw men
- By Henrik on 08-06-11
By: William Arntz, and others
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The Upright Thinkers
- The Human Journey From Living in Trees to Understanding the Cosmos
- By: Leonard Mlodinow
- Narrated by: Leonard Mlodinow
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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In this fascinating and illuminating work, Leonard Mlodinow guides us through the critical eras and events in the development of science, all of which, he demonstrates, were propelled forward by humankind's collective struggle to know. From the birth of reasoning and culture to the formation of the studies of physics, chemistry, biology, and modern-day quantum physics, we come to see that much of our progress can be attributed to simple questions - why? how? - bravely asked.
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10/10 Got What I Wanted.
- By Austin on 09-22-15
By: Leonard Mlodinow
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About Time
- Cosmology, Time and Culture at the Twilight of the Big Bang
- By: Adam Frank
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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The Big Bang is all but dead, and we do not yet know what will replace it. Our universe's "beginning" is at an end. What does this have to do with us here on Earth? Our lives are about to be dramatically shaken again - as altered as they were with the invention of the clock, the steam engine, the railroad, the radio and the Internet.
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More fluff than science
- By Ivan the Reviewer on 04-15-13
By: Adam Frank
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Our Mathematical Universe
- My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality
- By: Max Tegmark
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Max Tegmark leads us on an astonishing journey through past, present and future, and through the physics, astronomy, and mathematics that are the foundation of his work, most particularly his hypothesis that our physical reality is a mathematical structure and his theory of the ultimate multiverse. In a dazzling combination of both popular and groundbreaking science, he not only helps us grasp his often mind-boggling theories, but he also shares with us some of the often surprising triumphs and disappointments that have shaped his life as a scientist.
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Wow!
- By Michael on 02-02-14
By: Max Tegmark
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Excellent Book, As the Weinersmiths Are Known to Do!
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What listeners say about The Possibility of Life
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jylene Livengood
- 10-01-23
a sweet book about falling in love with wonder
There's enough science to tempt listener/readers to go deeper, and a pretty good review of the highlights of a lot of this research. Definitely a book by a member of a media saturated generation, author reaches out by the shared experience of books and TV. But the heat of this book is the wonder of how planets form, how life arises, and what shapes us, as one such lifeform
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1 person found this helpful
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- Michael & Cora
- 09-21-23
The Best Narration
Even though some of it was a little bit over my head, I really did enjoy this book. The author looked at all the possibilities of life on other planets in a thought provoking way. She cited history, science, science-fiction books and movies, as well as her own musings. She covered topics such as linguistics, how might the life forms spread or develop to other planets, how we might interact. She just really did cover it all. This book would be suitable for all ages of inquisitive minds although it did contain one curse word (but it wasn't too shocking).
The narration (by the author) was so good. I would love to have all the books I listen to read by Jaime Green. I think I my mind would have wandered had this book been narrated by anyone else.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-12-23
General discussion with some technical data.
The book was interesting and the narrator did a good job. It is the sort of book that addresses the issues at 5,000 ft. Some technical details but more philosophical.
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1 person found this helpful
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- William
- 09-22-23
More like a book review than a book
If I had wanted to listen to someone tell me the plot lines of every science fiction book dealing with alien contact, then this would have been a great choice. Otherwise, no. All this book does is talk about other books, movies, and TV shows dealing with the topic of extraterrestrial contact. Really, just a terrific waste of time, except that I did add a few of the books mentioned into my Audible Wish List 😊
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- Jeff
- 05-05-23
Live out there.
Good. Very imaginative. The book looks at the possibilities more than the stats. could there be others?
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10 people found this helpful
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- Grace Harris
- 07-05-24
Lots of Interesting Ideas
This book is a bit “all over the map.” That said, it’s definitely fun. Lots of references to Science Fiction and the plausible ideas and those maybe not so. Thoughts on linguistics and communication and just how magnificent we humans are that we can think such things.
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- E. McDermott
- 08-11-23
A dazzling journey into the vast depths of life’s meaning!
If you’re fascinated by the human quest to understand life, ourselves, and the vastness of the universe of the large and small, then you will appreciate this book.
The journey that Green takes the listener on sits at the intersection of pragmatism and philosophical mind-bend. A willingness to announce that for all that we think we know about life (which is remarkable), we actually know so very little.
As a listener of 99% non-fiction, at first I was concerned over the repeated references to science fiction. Then I realized it was used masterfully amid all the factual data to confront our preconceptions and thinking. Green tackles a truth that may indeed be stranger (and more diverse) than fiction. She draws us out from just facts for long enough challenge our creativity to imagine a wide array of perspectives.
And if I might add, Green’s writing expertise is richer than any tackling of science I’ve ever listened. And for anyone who ever finds themselves with author-narration fatigue, I could listen to Green’s voice narrate all day. I even found myself checking to confirm she didn’t hire a professional narrator.
So well done!
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26 people found this helpful
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- AmandaFMascio
- 09-20-23
An ode to life
Beautiful, evocative writing read by the talented author. She did a great job, and I'm picky about narrators. I'd love to hear her discuss The Three Body Problem and Interstellar. Highly recommend.
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- L. M. Herrington
- 12-27-23
Phenomenal book
Phenomenal book on the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence as well as a cultural study on that same endeavor.
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- Armando Matos
- 04-10-24
Like the knowledge of Jaime
Like the simplicity of the arguments and that she love Star Trek 😄. It is a great book to understand a little bit more the universe
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