Winner of the 2019 Phi Beta Kappa Award for Science "A valuable perspective on the most important problem of our time." —Adam Becker, NPR Light of the Stars tells the story of humanity’s coming of age as we realize we might not be alone in this universe. Astrophysicist Adam Frank traces the question of alien life from the ancient Greeks to modern thinkers, and he demonstrates that recognizing the possibility of its existence might be the key to save us from climate change. With clarity and conviction, Light of the Stars asks the consequential question: What can the likely presence of life on other planets tell us about our own fate?

INTRODUCTION: THE PROJECT AND THE PLANET 1

CHAPTER 1: THE ALIEN EQUATION 19

CHAPTER 2: WHAT THE ROBOT AMBASSADORS SAY 59

CHAPTER 3: THE MASKS OF EARTH 97

CHAPTER 4: WORLDS BEYOND MEASURE 131

CHAPTER 5: THE FINAL FACTOR 167

CHAPTER 6: THE AWAKENED WORLDS 203

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 227

NOTES 231

ILLUSTRATION CREDITS 251

INDEX 253

ADAM FRANK is a professor of astrophysics at the University of Rochester. He is a cofounder of NPR's 13.7: Cosmos and Culture blog and an on-air commentator for All Things Considered.He also served as the science consultant for Mar-vel Studios' Doctor Strange. He lives in Roches-ter, New York.

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