Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Goldilocks and the Water Bears: The Search for Life in the Universe
    Goldilocks and the Water Bears: The Search for Life in the Universe
    Goldilocks and the Water Bears: The Search for Life in the Universe
    Ebook395 pages8 hours

    Goldilocks and the Water Bears: The Search for Life in the Universe

    By Louisa Preston

    3/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    'Highly recommended' Financial Times

    Today we know of only a single planet that hosts life: the Earth. But across a Universe of at least 100 billion possibly habitable worlds, surely our planet isn't the only one which, like the porridge Goldilocks sought, is just right for life?

    Astrobiologists search the galaxy for conditions that are suitable for life to exist, focusing on similar worlds located at the perfect distance from their Sun, within the aptly named 'Goldilocks Zone'. Such a place might have liquid water on its surface, and may therefore support a thriving biosphere.

    What might life look like on other worlds? It is possible to make best-guesses using facts rooted in science, and by studying 'extremophiles' – organisms such as the near-indestructible water bears, which can survive in the harshest conditions that Earth, and even space, can offer.

    Goldilocks and the Water Bears is a tale of the origins and evolution of life, and the quest to find it on other planets, on moons, in other galaxies, and throughout the Universe.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateJun 16, 2016
    ISBN9781472920089
    Goldilocks and the Water Bears: The Search for Life in the Universe
    Author

    Louisa Preston

    Louisa Preston is a UK Space Agency Aurora research Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London, and a Lecturer in Space Science at NYU London. She has worked on projects for NASA and the Canadian, European and UK Space Agencies, and was on the science team for the PanCam instrument onboard the ExoMars 2020 rover. Louisa regularly works with the media, having appeared on many episodes of Sky at Night, BBC World Service, Fry and Rutherford and Women's Hour. She has spoken at New Scientist Live, The Royal Institution, the Cheltenham Science Festival and The Lost Lectures, to name a few, and is a TED Fellow. She recently filmed a short documentary on her research for The Telegraph, and has consulted for many popular television science shows. She has penned articles for publications such as The Times, Wired, New Scientist and Vice. Her first book was Goldilocks and the Water Bears, which was published by Bloomsbury Sigma in 2016. @LouisaJPreston

    Related to Goldilocks and the Water Bears

    Related ebooks

    Biology For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Do Parallel Universes Exist?

      Nov 4, 2021

      Do Parallel Universes Exist?
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Disappearing Physicist and His Elusive Particle: He ushered symmetry into theoretical physics, then vanished without a trace.

      May 8, 2014

      The members of the physics institute at Via Panisperna were in the habit of giving themselves jocular nicknames: Enrico Fermi was “The Pope,” Orso Corbino was “God the Almighty,” and Franco Rasetti was “The Cardinal Vicar.” It was 1930, and the Itali

      11 min read

    • Article

      Actually, There Is a Time Like the Present

      Nov 30, 2017

      We’ve all heard it before: There’s no time like the present. Broadly speaking, of course, it means to “seize the opportunity right now,” or maybe in my case, to avoid procrastinating. From a psychological perspective, this makes a lot of sense. As hu

      4 min read

    • Article

      Statistically a Miracle

      Mar 22, 2019

      Statistically a Miracle
      5 min read

    • Article

      The autumn GRAND TOUR

      Sep 16, 2021

      The autumn GRAND TOUR
      7 min read

    • Article

      Beyond Deep Space

      Jul 18, 2019

      Beyond Deep Space
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Disappearing Physicist and His Elusive Particle

      Jul 25, 2019

      The members of the physics institute at Via Panisperna were in the habit of giving themselves jocular nicknames: Enrico Fermi was “The Pope,” Orso Corbino was “God the Almighty,” and Franco Rasetti was “The Cardinal Vicar.” It was 1930, and the Itali

      11 min read

    • Article

      The Magnetic Fields Surrounding M87’s Black Hole

      Jun 9, 2021

      THE EVENT HORIZON TELESCOPE (EHT) collaboration has unveiled new images of the black hole shadow at the core of the elliptical galaxy M87, which sits at the centre of the Virgo Cluster some 55 million light-years away. These images, unlike the iconic

      1 min read

    • Article

      Could The Moon Fall Onto Earth?

      May 18, 2022

      Could The Moon Fall Onto Earth?
      1 min read

    • Article

      How Black Holes Nearly Ruined Time

      Jan 24, 2019

      An Introduction to the Black Hole Institute Fittingly, the Black Hole Initiative (BHI) was founded 100 years after Karl Schwarzschild solved Einstein’s equations for general relativity—a solution that described a black hole decades before the first a

      6 min read

    • Article

      The Universe Has Made Almost All the Stars It Will Ever Make

      Aug 19, 2020

      Our human world is soaked in light. For starters there are the 100,000 trillion photons arriving every second at every square centimeter of Earth’s dayside surface, after racing here from the outer envelope of a natural giant thermonuclear reactor we

      5 min read

    • Article

      Five Veteran Scientists Tell Us What Most Surprised Them: Fifty years ago, who knew we’d learn to clone genes and find water on Mars?

      Sep 24, 2015

      Turn back the clock to 1965. Science appeared to be marching forward at an unrelenting pace. Biochemists had cracked the genetic code (how DNA translates into proteins), inspiring Life magazine to envision “superbabies with improved minds and bodies.

      7 min read

    • Article

      The Mystery of the Dark Asteroid That Scorched Russia

      Jun 24, 2020

      On a June morning in 1908, above a sleepy forest in the Siberian Taiga plush with larches, spruces, and black bears, something flashed so bright and hot in the sky that a hunter 10 miles away, near the Middle Tunguska River, tore his shirt off thinki

      6 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Goldilocks and the Water Bears

    3/5

    7 ratings2 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      "It was ok" is maybe the most positive I feel towards this book. I'm not exactly sure what audience Dr. Preston is aiming for, but I definitely felt like the prose was intended for a teenager or younger. Science communication often tackles with how to inform your audience without necessarily being condescending; Goldilocks and the Water Bears introduces lots of concepts and helpfully italicizes them when first mentioned, giving off the feel of a textbook. Some of these chapters, like the one describing what defines life and conditions life might need, definitely felt textbook-ish, especially with several italicized vocabulary words per paragraph.

      One of my earlier criticisms as I was reading was that I'm finding pop culture references walk a fine line between potentially dated and cool enough to draw the reader in. The first chapter of this book discusses science fiction and how our space fantasies may inspire us to develop similar technologies or look for life in various ways. While not the focus of the book, the short explanations for some pieces of media (like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) were very general- I initially dismissed this as "Well, it is a tangent so best not to linger on it..."

      I read a library copy, and an earlier reader had penciled in corrections in a few places (slashing through a comma at one point, correcting numbers elsewhere, and in a later chapter, crossing out "carnivorous" and writing in "allotrophic" in the margins). I also take issue with the use roughly once a chapter of "Fun fact: [fact here]." If it's a fun fact, shouldn't the fact speak for itself?

      Perhaps her TED talk is more engaging, but the prose is very eh. I'd maybe recommend this to a middle or high school reader.
    • 3/5
      An astrobiologist from the University of London provides an overview of life—what it is, what it requires, how it may have emerged on Earth, and how it could exist elsewhere. The focus is on the planets of the Solar system, but it makes some speculations for places beyond. The clever title and causal prose makes this a fine introduction to the subject for students and casual readers.

    Book preview

    Goldilocks and the Water Bears - Louisa Preston

    Pdbook_preview_excerpt.html}˒GݯfM| K# ! B螁dkQQUGM>Q\?hhOKtqȬFC U?vwś_^)^,.twŷo};}!o8]j(B[~ZW]a7eqC]ߏų^S[~cm-B񧟊CbͱŻ8o[cjðM,ó05.΋WOm4ġ12㾨v_ᚺƂSZױb(pXcXl0jvW\a]aCT%'{u[=lP4n?b5+MvXbwS]y}1cs&Mۮ9-nv^B=І x 1" ?ʸJWwm}|wln{]ƛjG3HWΒ!'\Zi,KRu51vjbMX~6utg؄26զ8tTC1k_BI+qϞ=P|H|u3|i.W/_[ix8tgg-Ip] L ؎4z Upx^Wmf2VVu645  ӎV TP4qDәbl0f7hųÓtp%_ 4du*C4x\CR`j/0f8tdˁu,mq>Mu=>򒁇ކ*t5g|Y:Gu:m!L=u÷[_@%nm7&ݽrj42V;8YUi`mN>ǃRaV窽8AtOlboz?p1x*b`Zm0~~ǒaݹT# %m[n8.o8GBSDžNaxo'lV˩@-@o4P7YFPdx>l;Ԭc?ݾm!P릙oazXoN_zn0UhhŪ@8rwmhfG6&8)KŶ9??'(/?ɁI+ֵ#3sux;-ҷsHZU`﻾.?q铧 }=~ZD08B$p^jף RO_%/x D Qnw}T^hhk.ְ/OKᤴ}qyKO5^Bd6Jndᾫ~#9RL}SKWXcW<!\cP; _˟_?Qʏ>?֮}KF(Ȭig$(Kx[x+5fZeȒ#~\w}z_j[m$[\@impВAȰ;}w*t6j Pg`v`S$?Z7aǻTea0Ʋ h0fQD9DE1k, zk.y$(e {@91`c1a%*5~VJ˹"uwЅ餖CPs 0y+?euLdo6k>S`(^Gd?,l&dL3>H-/ 4!B\Z @~TqS~&5L#Bi8 0Ckv-Ou,!C`SdWP#n]^TKL3z>HҞbn P|l<|$[ uP\^q@bxX-GN!v+14 xK +h㖧wdKw[xz9MZ9EIKyyKH!, XN<F0dT w%;1қgRy75O[xLbKHm٭d&ln*-Dr@:,GG%w3Mļ|G"JRwx<ȗ #-纲LLE]CNAS% L=,i,+Wِla_Kc&EIaꓴ5utET["ܷoazmcJXN3eEp]xE:u^ 9 ( =Nyr}z#@!k~_twh%)n5y$gN&xx0q9hɄ PAh&ki9(#dPdw5ZSA'wW΋q!'jYʅu}r:x[K$DXt.֜&ɒSƈ⎘fnQլCGRXzWAHʤ[XPSW?9ώXi>M6xiyﮡRuLޞ130.;"U6+TAH5hBﮧLá*1wLK MJ5{X+ J1Q&d#Һ7%'V 3lAZ%?Žb阙航SBrGKI>Vȳ<. 2"ZMq-R1䅕97{j+$X` 5 Th`{(z=Xm!&ӵ|Z}͔hPYP8vT+Y|A֖ k11zbE zmbvʘ2>g=90-A (ӱmL@@޳ݢ\ܵGHoAm#7P j kR(qd:4ږMUpѭ6lF{k t*FDO)><H\5q05B= J* n<V,avе\uRutA$uCWb b[:4`#kf$g9J>~BiEMI9 AȐlbbYC792^v+QWգV wJg]w,*F_<:S[2v[zrwQ99'6!k# &Elwtnej@AtU:p9^u`48m8o2 gY):Kȼa m P;o2Oy_ DE4R(6n-QQpt|* (1/e`?36ɦLwN5=/.=_'qAf`beL# u XW<:eYKڶ%iaikb:@6͑1*5PV.z}w,= }ϕ@iiƝJQpk{hG="Y#bM/>Y L&8 .)nd"@ns '?Gf)!΋@<`'^>cb1-A"6XsóTZV 8RNarw`T eY¬)_6ڥ2`J.?r bCq޼'-h^Ay :H`D>]"0VeL?hJ/ga Jr>©x]FmCE q  NE9IrN{-*Pz 9v(n,V\w?ڤs6xV`y樤 \Dj8kE Go -ogj졻{,#re),Q?mUn?SR#29ԑemVc QO[cL97B+Oua'2 ו$=GVb̳03Ò09e}H7K?!aTډ(x\0Ne㍜^I]'3V9j=*+N.;mb+LzmREJ푎c[E0,6qjd_ϵΖ#`ɑE5_`5ŸJP*nC8]DfpF#sQ3E/1FQwwם%''ɫUg5j<,#UcI8ykR! p!*cX Uҭ5)w 6xGki$ t}wcD08cM;EffƆF`qM|~pc)4ud+fa?E̙D!l UGD@5pcc;݀`XD`5S~ݚ*U&LQ&ZsBZ;73ϔ3, @ `aqHNAV$:q!1V_;/B0@Ռj?NznN [ $o}{Ӫǔ0Gxh6X6LWI;] 뜋@/IET)ˬ8ex4A S51"( ).\kIA,"qEYB ɽVRQ6Zk?WCkAQW·C㍀"QaN=cV":U-ȦpO ,- TzIme!U? Hh01jL tTWü6%</l*늁*o8R )$9”-=EOF۶˅"+޼@Μ4e`/ħ(K\P$4/$Q&!io(0ݸsmjXYMo"GN?OFg/a !xs C7t),nH7IBmDIJB_H=<$nE߬ر 'K3.?w7Y>&X]8 JL2bfĎr<-`S)I 4r >´s2}~-5V[sGlp)rq !?O5 zBPgȣYpR'^y틠\j[vZ[Ƞods%16aHYGAwbw;,<R,1(+ CY<~ \KrEsAn^2(#tMn(;+ F>! ~6vwZTfHU+Y+M'<:7'vW_?KM"y)}ܜW׽P_|4ld'*46 PO,Z*߿|xid+r#Y>l5ՓG0aYM+%] JYkDez_cjd}qL!TƲ&%)rY*:5Jd$y.{]"a͌sORw.%r^Fy,q|h PUR>lWCPd#/tCj w? / YJdjކ}qa}euD30fj!,y vQrw/s#{q@SWc_<0d W44P&Ζ7= -8Ys¨%բB|6'lբKz~wR%Hgj *L @wŠB\e{! Z[j9J<;-̂`"Uz!aLI-ukZh0q:A`_5l r3|;&ueֶzCk1֥cT/:[OLF2P׹sL="Ŏ˴󀑔 "S3 A߅&Aܼ.XCٙ !ir{c|ĤO+N8 D~#^E~t}hf "qv^e+բ?27=vUv^$VZl.-RNqB4(MP(˱v&njpkgeȍUa%#hwV*EGh9@MzE!uqpE/qo[~T0cg.pj[mmh8A}_O; 55BL-zZ{rmVi<q1h<[~Cվej#w ܯiesD y;ܡ*ux Pn58KMu @bCE֧6Iy̥&7p2\-y^ʄ-ZI(fj(RR>ia;E7ډM Q2 k[ܻ͙vtmx!$3xc]>TDX)_8^]4V4VN X6T{`/L1M0A-v`|^$N5ΜL\}^See#S6NRKֵYq]p[` &ƭNUH$)q! E;)b ݦ|[Ì֝ʽԖC5m@YR9F ۞jCg;d*!7ZJU#YF =G(ݦAlf?T `,V'/ny ;ـd}19ZI?hCh56X-~O>K=R2F IL3޷oc^n6]oc1Z=laɤr]2X#7) X`HUMH ruRΏ 1;oV%O۫ Q,]y G*O+'Mύv=so\O`:}^zG<ɨ%@Oh wL4t3v9'h˓~wY噍R~k`}. s'a3:Wֶ rWeN4ҚiH;,)_JB*i@$Gj _s;ȼ]<AQx*D8cR?;`wajRaUGj#?X4y EݍޜE$\Sif0|Ue_č͚UiPg_cf<>9w )TsKJ& ȧ6iי䎹;hIbXcUف_(\Vkge1A ו/EӳxJ hr(W:.{5oD"1-Xh@ڍE?WqS%=%  ^5#>yj]Sc"[ӮIwf6qc:|.?; ӣ㽞깟o} R\]< aDdg?{nOS/و0N1{Wfk …d2om4vf )4ʝmsf=?XϦG>@T/sO%Uo#[F"#sӦm7Ҍ\^ʵg9^)H<l8EYPJ.tz%R/:;x2,k}=į8f}񋺪y'k3_=˴Xt7Ml=;ӿ*`:^퐀L'y%9/n9!W-Z;@ȋD``p3.3 X{.\m(X 3s.Cl$6 ŋx6^(S*^TÁd_({~hnG)\mana~vX>oxMzI`ZV|-O&ͯHЇm8Nib_y<.V@hb±|m#0^1q24XZ\mWVZ`d5x#(6.D;.ݳƕ5/r N1zx-"gTj\tfg!욭c}?m3@n/u\6L٪ M~̏kpSu^;.D߽NuǁOEWK煁ׇll_3\z,6or`p$c|HBs*Y-a giYNr4FV7~L ҰWGIB\ڇz{~?m2gl偧+Yj~OxaRCԧVϔؚ;i%8#22LNeJ{Fx8Y=ÞMضY'rG+3tXaKKd5 {Rw#3=_>gީƼDEF[*O6F.UZ@=gPs'qD_dou~]w;s[kO\8[|,SɂOϼ?غ E (oU~Oƒ?ӬמJ  xLx`"@V[x#6 ?v[&} i{A|#7i[=@m%VHynWBg.q¼[A2>ȗWŸ 3s!yM&Tk^idw]s+b3O&6ȍn|+5#6U6u g%jU:de^EqW7ov˪%ӁP?#ª~|FN +VQ?6) cFi OySSmmm-s* PmW#+`xNm&+P9_ΏPOHiQyUˋ&:ۈ()[ Gd*9xEaӕg6ܫ'f;% ̐=}D1^q?Dp_6M,gtar7]H\OGޏìʪC"\j WźyBʮlF!!'?:ҞbuDSkPta=UQNɵyFCm8ܛ|'QM D?z7LdkʁԱd-\Y];k'W˜lG`x$b8d 3aw5Ǒ@,s'2}ۦxxXU+{2E3,8GNCWcV,~,uz7[JRdRMt>iR^,J AX̕˂9 bzJ:vFlâ]7Gw`!r3K|'c2l
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1