Exoplanets: Hidden Worlds and the Quest for Extraterrestrial Life

  • By Donald Goldsmith
HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS: 2018. 272PP. £17.95

Exoplanet research might be the fastest growing field in astronomy and, as such, it is difficult to write a book about it in a way that won’t be redundant or obsolete in a few years’ time. Donald Goldsmith undertakes this task by focusing on the different ways astronomers detect exoplanets (from the traditional transits to more exotic alternatives such as starlight polarization). The thorny subject of habitability is briefly touched upon in the last part of the book, along with future directions for the field (including a trip to Proxima b). The book also offers a handy compendium of some of the most exotic (or scientifically interesting) exoplanets detected to date.

On the Future: Prospects for Humanity

  • By Martin Rees
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS: 2018. 272PP. £14.99

With the authority that only someone of his calibre could command, Martin Rees presents his vision of the future of mankind. Starting off from some of the more imminent or historically pressing global issues — nuclear warfare and runaway climate change — the author discusses key technology and science sectors that have the capacity to change our lives, including biotechnology, cybernetics and artificial intelligence. In the second half of the book, after briefly considering Earth in its cosmic context and the prospect of humanity beyond its earthly confines, Rees takes a more introspective look at the fundamentals of the human condition, how we understand the world around us and what role scientists and science have to play in a (hopefully non-dystopian) future.

Mysteries of Mars

  • By Fabio Vittorio De Blasio
SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING: 2018. 188PP. £22.99

Mars never goes out of vogue. Perhaps the most intently studied planet in our Solar System after Earth, Fabio Vittorio De Blasio summarizes half a century of knowledge and identifies ten mysteries of Mars. These include the often discussed potential for life (past or present) on Mars and the fate of its surface water. Others, however, go deeper into the geological features of Mars, asking why its two hemispheres appear so different or what led to the switching off of its magnetic field. While the book is aimed at the general public, new images and more technical insights will be of interest to the more initiated readers.