Book Reviews Hear what the Elements team has to say about some of our favorite science related books. The Eerie Silence: Are We Alone in the Universe? Paul Davies
BY DOMINIQUE LANGEVIN In his book The Eerie Silence, Paul Davies dives into the question: if it’s likely that aliens exist, why haven’t we found them yet? After exploring the history of the search for artificial intelligence, or SETI, and describing the different theories around the likelihood of biogenesis, Davies’ third chapter explores the shadow biosphere theory. At first glance, the idea that there is an ecosystem that might give us clues to the evolution of life hidden right under our noses sounds highly improbable, but Davies' explanation draws you right into the fantastical realm of scientific speculation that comes along with it. He explains the many very technical aspects of the theory in ways that are relatively easy for a non-expert to understand. Going through the process in a linear, logical way, Davies starts by exploring the potential causes of weird life, life II, or life as we don’t know it. He goes on to say that regardless of where this kind of life may have originated from, it could exist either in areas we currently deem “uninhabitable” or it could be hidden among the millions of kinds of microbes that we can’t truly identify right now. Davies goes on to explore different ways this kind of biology may function, and explain why it could work in either of the previously proposed environments, and why it would be difficult for us to find it. He further takes the time to describe how careful scientists researching the shadow biosphere must be to not misidentify a kind of life as a “new tree” rather than a “new branch” on the already established tree of life. Overall, this chapter explores a scientifically radical idea in easily understandable and engaging ways, leaving any reader with a greater appreciation for the diversity of life and the possibilities that exist for it both outside and inside our own planet.
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