
The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy
What Animals on Earth Reveal About Aliens - and Ourselves
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Narrated by:
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Samuel West
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By:
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Arik Kershenbaum
From a noted Cambridge zoologist, a wildly fun and scientifically sound exploration of what alien life must be like, using universal laws that govern life on Earth and in space.
Scientists are confident that life exists elsewhere in the universe. Yet rather than taking a realistic approach to what aliens might be like, we imagine that life on other planets is the stuff of science fiction. The time has come to abandon our fantasies of space invaders and movie monsters and place our expectations on solid scientific footing.
But short of aliens landing in New York City, how do we know what they are like? Using his own expert understanding of life on Earth and Darwin's theory of evolution - which applies throughout the universe - Cambridge zoologist Dr. Arik Kershenbaum explains what alien life must be like: how these creatures will move, socialize, and communicate. For example, by observing fish whose electrical pulses indicate social status, we can see that other planets might allow for communication by electricity. As there was evolutionary pressure to wriggle along a sea floor, Earthling animals tend to have left/right symmetry; on planets where creatures evolved in midair or in soupy tar, they might be lacking any symmetry at all.
Might there be an alien planet with supersonic animals? A moon where creatures have a language composed of smells? Will aliens scream with fear, act honestly, or have technology? The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy answers these questions using the latest science to tell the story of how life really works, on Earth and in space.
©2021 Arik Kershenbaum (P)2021 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
"'Are we alone?’ In his book The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy, Arik Kershenbaum takes a novel and rewarding approach to this question.... A wonderful mix of science-based speculation and entertaining whimsy.” (The Wall Street Journal)
“Helpful definitions and explanations guide the reader through concepts such as chaos theory, natural selection, form versus function and convergent evolution.... Through these examples, which he mixes with humor and even references to science fiction books and films, Kershenbaum relays fascinating scientific concepts in layman’s terms. The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy will appeal to anyone who ponders what life is like among the stars.” (BookPage)
“In his entertaining and thought provoking The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy, the Cambridge University zoologist and mathematical biologist Arik Kershenbaum provides readers with a tentative sketch of the nature of potential alien life on other potentially habitable planets.” (Science)
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Brilliant analysis
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Ate this book up.
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Not what I expected, but better
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Critical For The Planet Explorer
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A enchanting peek at who we may meet in the future
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Audio is slightly low.
Excellent Selfish Gene-like Writing and Reasoning
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Great Concept
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This book does a great job of getting you to analyze Earth creatures so you can see the behaviors that could be universal.
The narrator is great, and reads the book as if he wrote it. And I never felt lost, even during concepts that could be difficult. Very interesting read.
Makes a good case for commonalities of all life
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Earth Like?
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Kershenbaum poses the questions: What might complex alien life look like, and is it possible to use tools and clues available on Earth to guess.
Comprehensive, engaging, concise and clear.
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