A little book of aliens

An indispensable guide to life in the universe from a leading astrophysicist, separating scientific fact from science fiction and seeking solutions to the greatest mysteries of cosmology.

Everyone is interested in life in the universe, UFOs, and whether E.T. is really out there somewhere. Throughout his 30-year career as an astrophysicist, Adam Frank has faced constant questions about whether intelligent life could exist in the universe. Do aliens really exist? Where are they? Why haven’t we found them yet? And what happens if we do?

We've long been told that astronomers spend every night searching for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), but in reality, humanity has barely begun this exploration. Until now, we didn't even know where or how to look. In The Little Book of Aliens, Frank, as a leading scientist in this field, guides us through everything we know about the possibility of life beyond planet Earth and explains the latest scientific findings that have brought us to this unique moment in human history: the moment we are about to find out the truth.

In this book, he walks us through everything we need to know, from the scientific roots of the search for alien life to the Fermi paradox, the discovery of exoplanets, the Kardashev scale, the Webb telescope, and unidentified phenomena and their related conspiracy theories. Drawing on his own work and the research of other scientists who have studied the possibility of extraterrestrial civilisations, he summarises the latest scientific knowledge, data, ideas, and discoveries to give us the essential facts right now – in what may be the last moment in human history when we still believe we are alone in the universe. We learn everything we know – and don't know – about life, whether intelligent or not, beyond Earth. In an entertaining and witty way, this book offers a comprehensive introduction to how close we are to finding out if someone is really out there – and if so, what they might be like.

Adam Frank is a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Rochester. For many years, his research group developed advanced supercomputer simulations to study the formation and evolution of stars. He then focused on studying the atmospheric evolution of exoplanets and astrobiology. In 2019, he became the principal investigator for the first-ever NASA grant dedicated to studying planetary technosignatures. This has resulted in a series of studies refining the detectability of exocivilisations on distant worlds.

Frank is also a prominent science populariser. He is a regular contributor to The Atlantic and The New York Times, and also serves as a science commentator for CNN and NBC. Among other things, he was the science consultant for Marvel Studios on the film Doctor Strange. He has received numerous awards for his public outreach work.