The Cosmic Zoo: Complex Life on Many Worlds

Are humans a galactic oddity, or will complex life with human abilities develop on planets with environments that remain habitable for long enough? In a clear, jargon-free style, two leading researchers in the burgeoning field of astrobiology critically examine the major evolutionary steps that led us from the distant origins of life to the technologically advanced species we are today.

Are the key events that took life from simple cells to astronauts unique occurrences that would be unlike...