Adam Frank

“With wit and brio, Frank separates current nonsense about aliens from the serious and fascinating search for extraterrestrial life.” —Carlo Rovelli, New York Times–bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics From astrophysicist Adam Frank, The Little Book of Aliens considers the biggest questions in our search for extraterrestrial life, questions we stand ready to answer. Everyone is curious about life in the universe, UFOs and whether ET is out there. Over the course of his thirty-year career as an astrophysicist, Frank has consistently been asked about the possibility of intelligent life in the universe. Are aliens real? Where are they? Why haven’t we found them? What happens if we do? We’ve long been led to believe that astronomers spend every night searching the sky for extraterrestials, but the truth is we have barely started looking. Frank, a leading researcher in the field, takes us on a journey to all that we know about the possibility of life beyond planet Earth and shows us the cutting-edge science that has brought us to this unique moment in human history: the one where we go find out for ourselves. In this small book with big stakes, Frank gives a rundown of everything we need to know, from the scientific origins of the search for intelligent life, the Fermi Paradox, the Kardashev Scale, and the James Webb Telescope, as well as the conspiracy theories surrounding UFOs. Drawing from his own work and that of other scientists studying the possibility of alien life, he brings together the latest scientific thinking, data, ideas, and discoveries to equip us with the critical facts as we stand at what may be the last moment in human history where we still believe we are all alone. In language that is engaging, entertaining, and fun, The Little Book of Aliens provides a comprehensive first look at how close we are to finding out if others actually exist—and if they do, what they might be like. Humankind is on the precipice of finding its neighbors. What comes next?