Shipping Estimate
USA
- USA
- CAN
- USA
- CAN
Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 14 - Jul 19
For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15
Description
Planetary Dreams: The Quest to Discover Life Beyond EarthThe Quest To Discover Life Beyond Earth. ""The 'dreams' that I write of are not the usual ones, the images that come up in our minds involuntarily during certain stages of sleep, but rather the hopes and expectations that we have lavished upon other worlds around us."" from the Preface. The surprisingly long history of debate over extraterrestrial life is full of marvelous visions of what life ""out there"" might be like, as well as remarkable stories
The Quest To Discover Life Beyond Earth. ""The 'dreams' that I write of are not the usual ones, the images that come up in our minds involuntarily during certain stages of sleep, but rather the hopes and expectations that we have lavished upon other worlds around us.""-from the Preface. The surprisingly long history of debate over extraterrestrial life is full of marvelous visions of what life ""out there"" might be like, as well as remarkable stories of alleged sightings and heated disputes about the probability that life might actually have arisen more than once. In Planetary Dreams, acclaimed author Robert Shapiro explores this rich history of dreams and debates in search of the best current answers to the most elusive and compelling of all questions: Are we alone? In his pursuit, he presents three contrasting views regarding how life might have started: through Divine Creation, by a highly unlikely stroke of luck, or by the inevitable process of a natural law that he terms the Life Principle. We are treated to a lively fictional dinner debate among the leading proponents of these schools of thought-with the last named group arguing that life has almost surely formed in many places throughout the universe, and the others that life may well be entirely unique to our own blue planet. To set the stage for a deep exploration of the question, the author then leads us on a fantastic journey through the museum of the cosmos, an imagined building that holds models of the universe at different degrees of magnification. We then journey deep into inner space to view the astonishingly intricate life of a single cell, and learn why the origin of such a complex object from simple chemical mixtures poses one of the most profound enigmas known to science. Writing in a wonderfully entertaining style, Shapiro then reviews the competing theories about the start of life on Earth, and suggests the debate may best be settled by finding signs of life on the other worlds of our solar system. He takes us on a guided tour of the most likely sites, from the underground hot springs of Mars to the ice-covered oceans of Jupiter's airless moons. Along the way, he shares a wealth of fascinating stories about the ways in which our views of the heavens have changed, from the theories of ancient philosphers, who argued that the Moon was inhabited, to the current Origins and Astrobiology initiatives of NASA. He describes the probes that will be sent out in the near future in pursuit of the first compelling physical evidence of life beyond Earth, and concludes with a radical suggestion about how this quest might be supported through the next millennium. As we launch into an exciting new era of space exploration, Planetary Dreams offers a thoughtful and entertaining exploration of both the history of our hopes and expectations and a vision of a possible future in which the discovery of life elsewhere will provide a new view of our place in the universe.Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Wiley (TP)
Published: 05/01/2001
ISBN: 9780471407355
Pages: 324
Weight: 0.88lbs
Size: 9.20h x 6.10w x 0.88d
Shipping Notes
- Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
- Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
- Delivery to the USA:
- Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
- If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
- We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
- Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
- To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
- Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
4.2 ★★★★★
Based on 1569 reviews
Sort
Product Reviews
★★★★★ 4
Not for big dogs
Color: gray & pink
This toy is holding up well most of the dog I have are in pieces all over the house
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Toughs toys
Color: gray & pink
These toys are tough. We have a Great Dane and Sheppard that play tug of war with it no tears or rips. What’s great also the squeak is not loud and obnoxious like othe squeaky toys!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2026
★★★★★ 3
Please check the size!!!
Color: lake blue, Color: lake blue
Even though the caption says for small, Med and Large breed, make sure you pay attention to the size. With the price I thought it was a reg size dog toy, but it's about the size of my hand. I usually dont read the reviews often on dog toys (stuffys) but will definitely, start. I was shocked when I opened the package.
Not sure of durability yet. He will not get it for a few more days (his b-day) but feels like its made well.
Update: (See pic) He had it for 15 min.. it didnt last. He doesnt typically have issues
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Great dog toy
Color: gray & blue
My dogs live to squeak these and throw them around and chase them. They live these toys.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2026
★★★★★ 4
Good stuffed animal toy
Color: gray & blue, Color: gray & blue
This is a good toy. But it's not big as the picture shows it's rather small. Looking for bigger toy.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2026