This book looks at the persistence of life and how difficult it would be to annihilate life, especially a species as successful as humanity. The idea that life in general is fragile is challenged by the hardiness of microbes, which shows that astrobiology on exoplanets and other satellites must be robust and plentiful. Microbes have adapted to virtually every niche on the planet, from the deep, hot biosphere, to the frigid heights of the upper troposphere.
Life, it seems, is almost indestructible. The chapters in this work examine the various scenarios that might lead to the extermination of life, and why they will almost always fail. Life's highly adaptive nature ensures that it will cling on no matter how difficult the circumstances.
| ISBN: | 9783319529103 |
| Publication date: | 7th June 2017 |
| Author: | David S Stevenson |
| Publisher: | Springer an imprint of Springer International Publishing |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 456 pages |
| Series: | Astronomers' Universe |
| Genres: |
Astronomy, space and time Evolution Solar system: the Sun and planets Biology, life sciences |