The Possibility of Life

Rooted in our current golden age of exoplanet discovery, The Possibility of Life is a chronicle of humankind’s relationship with the idea that we might not be alone in the Universe.

The search for alien life is on the bleeding edge of scientific understanding. With so many unknowns, author Jaime Green brings all hands on deck, interviewing dolphin communication experts, synthetic biologists, scientific illustrators, astrophysicists, historians and more. Beginning with ancient Greek theories of cosmic pluralism, the narrative weaves from origin-of-life studies through technology and the singularity. When imagining aliens, Green recognises that science fiction has done a lot of the legwork. In tandem with her scientific sources, she cites the film Arrival for linguistic challenges, Avatar for convergent evolution and the Broken Earth book trilogy for the importance of our Moon. Fittingly, Green reaches the same answer that both scientists and science fiction writers often find: in learning about the alien – other worlds, other life – we are really learning more about ourselves and our Earth.

The effect is breathtaking and the huge quantity of research in the book impressive; all the more so because Green’s writing remains engaging and clear even as she never shies away from a complicated concept. The Possibility of Life is an excellent and accessible primer on science’s efforts to answer an age-old question, and is recommended to anyone who has looked up and wondered if anyone is looking back. ★★★★★