Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Goldilocks and the Water Bears
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 11/28/1978
WEBSITE: http://louisa-preston.com/
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY: British
http://www.open.ac.uk/people/ljp393 * http://www.bbk.ac.uk/geology/our-staff/louisa-preston
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born November 28, 1978.
EDUCATION:Imperial College London, M.Sci. (first-class honors), 2005, Ph.D., 2008.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Astrobiologist, educator, writer, and researcher. University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, research fellow, 2009-11, assistant professor, 2011; Open University, London, England, postdoctoral research associate, 2011-14; United Kingdom Space Agency, London, England, Aurora Research Fellow in Astrobiology; Birkbeck, University of London, London, England, researcher. Has appeared on television and radio programs.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Louisa Preston is a British writer, researcher, and astrobiologist. She holds both a master’s degree and a doctorate from Imperial College London. After graduating with her Ph.D., Preston joined the University of Western Ontario, in Canada, as a research fellow. She also served as an assistant professor at the university. Preston went on to become a postdoctoral research associate at Open University, back in London, England. She held that position for three years. Preston has also worked at the United Kingdom Space Agency as the Aurora Research Fellow in Astrobiology and at Birkbeck, University of London, as a researcher. Her work at the latter organization has focused on analyzing the habitability of planets and moons in and around our solar system. She searches for signs of life that may exist today or may have existed in the past. Preston believes that finding evidence of life on other planetary bodies would help to explain how life developed on our own planet. She has studied unusual natural phenomena on Earth that might be comparable to things found on other planetary bodies, such as the red river in Spain, the glass formations on the Ontong Java Plateau, the lava flows in Iceland, the Haughton Impact Structure hydrothermal deposits in Canada, and the speleothems of New Mexico. In addition to her work as an astrobiologist, researcher, and writer, Preston has appeared as a commentator on television and radio programs.
In 2016, Preston released her first book, Goldilocks and the Water Bears: The Search for Life in the Universe. The title makes a reference to the astrobiological concept of the “Goldilocks zone.” The zone represents the area of a solar system in which carbon-based life and water could exist. In the Goldilocks zone, planets are not too close to their star, so as to be too hot, and are also not too far from their star and therefore too cold for life. Preston notes that the Goldilocks zone theory has been proven inaccurate, as certain moons orbiting the cold planets of Saturn and Jupiter have been found to have liquid water present under a thick sheet of ice on their surfaces. The “water bears” referred to in the book’s title are organisms that could sustain the extreme conditions of space by going into a state of dehydration. They could thus survive cold, or heat, and high levels of radiation. When they are brought back into a state of hydration within a certain range of temperatures, the water bears begin living again.
Preston includes information on locations in space where life could exist. She also comments on other organisms that are capable of surviving difficult conditions. Preston discusses pop-culture interpretations of astrobiology. In particular, she analyzes The Martian, the 2015 film starring Matt Damon, remarking on the main character’s ability to grow potatoes on the planet of Mars. Preston also examines the ways in which the ancient Greeks understood the stars and planets. She focuses on the theories of the thinkers Plato, Aristotle, and Democritus. Preston offers related information from the fields of ecology, physics, astronomy, and chemistry.
A contributor to the Web site Popular Science Books stated, “The book is at its best in its survey of possible places life could exist and its enthusiasm for the concept of astrobiology.” However, the same contributor criticized the abundance of mistakes in the book, as well as Preston’s prose, stating: “The combination of this error rate and the lack of writing style means that overall things could have been a lot better. There is plenty of interesting material in here (though how it can be described as an ‘expert romp’ as it is on the cover, I don’t know), but the book does not do the subject justice.” Other assessments of Goldilocks and the Water Bears were more favorable. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews commented: “In her debut, Preston proves to be a jaunty, upbeat, and highly curious writer.” The same contributor described the book as “a solid, absorbing background to what makes life possible.”
“Ably distilling complicated science into digestible portions, Preston’s balance of wonkiness and wide appeal is … ‘just right,'” asserted Chad Comello in Booklist. Library Journal writer Tina Chan noted: “A background in science is not necessary to enjoy this title, only an interest in extraterrestrial life.” A critic in Publishers Weekly remarked: “Preston’s accessible writing style, enthusiasm, and optimism succeed at informing as well as tickling readers’ imaginations.” A reviewer on the Astrobiology Society of Britain’s Web site opined: “Preston takes readers on a lively tour of the search for life in the Universe.” The reviewer concluded: “Far from being a terse compilation of science facts, Goldilocks and the Water Bears offers a far ranging tale, and the book—as Science—is nothing short of fantastic.” “This book makes for an extremely interesting read,” asserted Natasha Ganecki on the Royal Society of Biology Web site.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, September 15, 2016, Chad Comello, review of Goldilocks and the Water Bears: The Search for Life in the Universe, p. 7.
Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2016, review of Goldilocks and the Water Bears.
Library Journal, September 15, 2016, Tina Chan, review of Goldilocks and the Water Bears, p. 110.
Publishers Weekly, June 27, 2016, review of Goldilocks and the Water Bears, p. 77.
ONLINE
Astrobiology Society of Britain Web site, http://astrobiologysociety.org/ (October 11, 2016), Boris Laurent, review of Goldilocks and the Water Bears.
Birkbeck–University of London Web site, http://www.bbk.ac.uk/ (March 20, 2017), author profile.
Louisa Preston Home Page, http://louisa-preston.com (March 20, 2017).
Open University Web site, http://www.open.ac.uk/ (March 20, 2017), author profile.
Popular Science Books, http://popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/ (June 17, 2016), review of Goldilocks and the Water Bears.
Royal Society of Biology Web site, https://www.rsb.org.uk/ (March 4, 2017), Natasha Ganecki, review of Goldilocks and the Water Bears.
Dr Louisa Preston
UK Space Agency Aurora Research Fellow in Astrobiology
Contact details
email: l.preston@bbk.ac.uk
UCL: Room tbc
Twitter: @LouisaJPreston
Personal website: louisa-preston.com
More about Dr Louisa Preston's work
Research interests
My research is largely concerned with the habitability potential of planetary bodies within and outside our Solar System especially the possibility of life existing on the terrestrial planets and icy moons of our local neighbourhood. I am interested in where simple life forms may be hiding in the Solar System today and in the past, how we may be able to detect signs of its existence and how its ‘biosignatures’ are preserved within the geological record. Through this I hope to understand how life may first have arisen on the Earth and its potential to have also begun on other planetary bodies. Read more about Dr Preston's research projects and techniques
Public outreach and media
Book - Goldilocks and the Water Bears
Research interests
My research is largely concerned with the habitability potential of planetary bodies within and outside our Solar System especially the possibility of life existing on the terrestrial planets and icy moons of our local neighbourhood. I am interested in where simple life forms may be hiding in the Solar System today and in the past, how we may be able to detect signs of its existence and how its ‘biosignatures’ are preserved within the geological record. Through this I hope to understand how life may first have arisen on the Earth and its potential to have also begun on other planetary bodies.
My research combines experimental simulations, fieldwork, and spectroscopic analyses, blending geological and biological methods, to better enable biosignature detection within materials on Earth, and ultimately on Mars, Europa, Titan and even within the atmospheres of exoplanets. My current projects focus on the use of Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy to identify biological materials within geological substrates. I use reflected light IR microscopy and diamond ATR techniques to study the degree of preservation of fatty acids and proteins over geological time within the most environmentally extreme habitats on Earth.
I am very interested in the training that goes into future space missions and as such have worked on numerous analogue mission simulations such as the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Lunar Analogue Mission: 'Lunar Sample Return from the South Pole–Aiken Basin' and the NASA 'Hi-SEAS' missions. I also created the CAFE – Concepts for Activities in the Field for Exploration catalogue for the European Space Agency to document terrestrial analogue environments appropriate for testing human space exploration-related scientific field activities.
Finally, I am fascinated in the human factors of space exploration and the preparations needed for us to visit and ultimately live in space, especially on the Moon and Mars.
Research techniques
Experienced user of Optical Microscopy (basic optical, Nikon LV100 POL Compound and Zeiss Colibri microscopes), Scanning Electron Microscopy techniques (JEOL5900LV, LEO1455VP) and Transmission Electron Microscopy.
Trained in:
Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) Spectroscopy techniques (Perkin Elmer Spectrum One; Bruker IFS55; Thermo Fisher and Nicolet Continuum Microscope)
ICP-AES sample solution preparation and analysis
Powder sample X-Ray Diffraction (XRD)
Sample preparation and analysis via Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS)
Clean room procedures and biohazard safety courses.
Conducted enumerations; biological sample preparation; DNA extraction from cultured microorganisms.
Professional biography
I am a geologist by training and an astrobiologist by choice. I combine my two great passions through the study of the preservation of life within geological materials using infra-red spectroscopy. I did my undergraduate and graduate degrees at Imperial College London where i was first introduced to planetary science and the wonderful analytical tool that is spectroscopy. I joined The Open University as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in 2011 having spent 2.5 years as a Research Fellow at The University of Western Ontario, Canada.
November 2011 - present: Research Associate - The Open University
CAFE - Concepts for Activities in the Field for Exploration
January 2011 - May 2011: Assistant Professor - The University of Western Ontario
Astronomy 2021b, The Search for Life in the Universe.
February 2009 - September 2011: CPSX Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Astrobiology - The University of Western Ontario.
Research interests
My research interests lie within planetary science and, more specifically, planetary geology and astrobiology. My main work at present is the creation of a planetary analogue database, CAFE, to catalogue human exploration fieldsites on the Earth as analogues for the Moon and Mars. Outside of this catalogue my work focuses on the detection and identification of biomarkers within geological materials using Infra-red spectroscopy. I study the biomolecular and morphological evidence of life preserved within environments that are analogous to those observed, or proposed to have existed, on Mars. I am actively engaged in instrument development and testing for future planetary missions, and analogue mission simulations.
My research includes:
Investigations of the preservation of organics over 2.1 Ma within jarosite and goethite deposits of Rio Tinto, Spain to aid in identification of biomarkers within iron oxide and sulphate deposits on the Earth and Mars.
FTIR studies of organics within bioalteration tubules found in Ontong Java Plateau glass shards and Reis impact glasses.
FTIR studies of organics within recent lava flows from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland.
Spectral studies of organics within hydrothermal deposits at the Haughton Impact Structure, Canada.
The habitability of, and organic preservation in, cold seep precipitated jarosite on Earth and Mars.
Optical and spectral investigations of silica terrace samples from Yellowstone National Park and the Gunflint Chert.
Spectral analysis of fumarole deposits associated with a Precambrian proximal ejecta blanket at Stac Fada, Scotland.
FTIR effects of shock and thermal metamorphism in enstatite chondrite silicates, and terrestrial contamination of meteorites.
FTIR spectroscopy of biomolecules within carbonate speleothems in New Mexico.
Welcome
I am a UK Space Agency Aurora Research Fellow, and an astrobiologist, planetary geologist and author based at Birkbeck, University of London. I work in environments across the Earth, where life is able to survive our planet’s most extreme conditions, using them as blueprints for possible extra-terrestrial life forms and habitats. Having worked on projects for NASA and the Canadian, European and UK Space Agencies, the only thing I enjoy more than devising ways to find life on Mars is writing about it. I have published numerous articles and academic papers, and my first book - Goldilocks and the Water Bears - is out now. I am also an avid believer in the power of science communication, having regularly appeared on radio and television programmes, such as the BBC’s The Sky at Night, and spoken about the search for life on Mars at the TED Conference in 2013, as a TED Fellow.
Email: louisajanepreston@gmail.com
INTERESTS
I am broadly interested in the geological history of Solar System bodies and how life might have evolved on other planets and moons. I study microbes that live in the most extreme places on Earth such as the geysers and volcanoes of Iceland and red acidic rivers of Rio Tinto in Spain, as analogues for life we might find on other planets. I investigate how these microbes get trapped inside rocks and minerals, and how they can be identified using spectroscopy techniques, to help direct the search for life on Mars. I am particularly interested in, and involved in, developing techniques and technologies, such as IR capable microscopic imagers, for biomarker detection and developing the use of IR spectroscopy in astrobiological investigations. I am also involved with planetary analogue missions. Outside of my current experience, I am especially interested in studying organics within space materials and the prospects for life on Europa and Titan.
CV
Freelance Science Writer – “Goldilocks and the Water Bears” (January 2015 – present)
Postdoctoral Research Associate – The Open University (November 2011 – March 2014) ESA-funded CAFE project – Concepts for Activities in the Field for Exploration
Assistant Professor – Western University (January 2011 – May 2011) Astronomy 2021b the Search for Life in the Universe
CPSX Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Western University (February 2009 – September 2011) The preservation and identification of life within: impact craters such as the Haughton Impact Structure, Canada and Barringer Crater, Arizona; and other Mars analogue environments such as Rio Tinto, Spain; Iceland; The Ontong Java Plateau and carbonate speleothems of New Mexico.
Flight Director for a Canadian Space Agency (CSA) funded Analogue Mission: “Lunar Sample Return from the South Pole–Aiken Basin”.
EDUCATION
PhD – Imperial College London (October 2005 – December 2008) ‘A Multidisciplinary Study of Biomarkers in Hydrothermal Deposits: Applications to the Search for Life on Mars’.
MSci Geology – First Class Honours – Imperial College London (October 2001 – June 2005) ‘Olivine grains containing Fe-oxide grains: Micrometeorites or Meteorite Ablation products?’
QUOTED: "In her debut, Preston proves to be a jaunty, upbeat, and highly curious writer."
"a solid, absorbing background to what makes life possible."
Louisa Preston: GOLDILOCKS AND THE WATER BEARS
Kirkus Reviews. (Oct. 1, 2016):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Listen
Full Text:
Louisa Preston GOLDILOCKS AND THE WATER BEARS Bloomsbury Sigma (Adult Nonfiction) 27.00 ISBN: 978-1-4729-2009-6
An astrobiologist and planetary geologist delineates the development of life on Earth and then makes the leap into life elsewhere in the heavens.In her debut, Preston proves to be a jaunty, upbeat, and highly curious writer. Today, she writes, astrobiology works tirelessly to address the compelling mysteries surrounding extraterrestrial life, while embracing the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life on this planet. That is as neat a summary of this book as one will get. Though she admits that understanding the beginnings of life isnt pretty and is chemistry heavy, she goes on to spell things out clearly, walking readers through physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology, molecular biology, ecology, planetary science, geography, and geology. When she is walking on thin ice, she makes note (lets admit this up frontwe do not know exactly how life got started), covers what we do know (the primitive Earth was wrapped inside a blanket of dense burning clouds and remained shrouded in darkness), and makes some speculations. The author examines our bombardment from comets and icy bodies and offers a lucid discussion of the mind-stretching marvels of organic chemistry. She also writes engagingly about the importance of auroras, plate tectonics, and glaciation as well as the possibility of artificial intelligence becoming an existential threat. Researchers are constantly searching for planets similar to Earth, within the Goldilocks Zone, a not-too-hot, not-too-cold orbital band around a sun where life-giving water can be liquid. However, outside of this habitable zone may exist life forms beyond our ken, extremophiles and polyextremophiles. The best to consider are tardigrades, or water bears, which can survive prolonged blasts of radiation (as experienced in outer space), bottom-of-the-ocean pressure, and temperatures from minus 459 degrees fahrenheit to 300 degrees. A solid, absorbing background to what makes life possible.
QUOTED: "Ably distilling complicated science into digestible portions, Preston's balance of wonkiness and wide appeal is ... 'just right.'"
Goldilocks and the Water Bears: The Search for Life in the Universe
Chad Comello
Booklist. 113.2 (Sept. 15, 2016): p7.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Listen
Full Text:
Goldilocks and the Water Bears: The Search for Life in the Universe. By Louisa Preston. Nov. 2016. 288p. Bloomsbury/Sigma, $36 (9781472920096). 576.8.
Preston, an astrobiologist and planetary geologist, explores two main questions: "Is there life beyond Earth and if so, how can we find it?" Since H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds, humans have been fascinated by aliens and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. But the search for a planet beyond earth that would be suitable for humans is a multifaceted and ongoing endeavor, requiring insight from physics, chemistry, astronomy, molecular biology, ecology, and other scientific fields. Preston spans them all with haste; catalogs the possible (but highly improbable) candidates for new habitats in our solar system and beyond; details the ramifications of the Cambrian explosion; and argues that the amount of water, energy, and carbon in any future home would have to be "just right" to allow for any life at all, let alone human survival. Ably distilling complicated science into digestible portions, Preston's balance of wonkiness and wide appeal is also "just right" and suited for anyone who's interested in the Curiosity rover's exploits on Mars and wants to learn more.--Chad Comello
Comello, Chad
QUOTED: "A background in science is not necessary to enjoy this title, only an interest in extraterrestrial life."
Preston, Louisa. Goldilocks and the Water Bears: The Search for Life in the Universe
Tina Chan
Library Journal. 141.15 (Sept. 15, 2016): p110.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Listen
Full Text:
Preston, Louisa. Goldilocks and the Water Bears: The Search for Life in the Universe. Bloomsbury Sigma. Nov. 2016. 288p. illus. index. ISBN 9781472920096. $27. SCI
Astrobiologist and planetary geologist Preston examines whether extraterrestrial life exists outside of Earth. The author begins with an introduction to astrobiology, the study of the origin and evolution of life in the universe, including the contributions of notable astrobiologists Democritus (460-370 BC), Aristotle (460-370 BC), Caroline Herschel (1750-1848), and Mary Somerville (1780-1872), among many others. Preston then explains what life is from a scientific point of view, contemplates how to create a planet fit for existence, investigates other planets and extraterrestrial beings, and analyzes the future of the universe. While Mercury and Venus may be too hot and Mars may be too cold, Preston emphasizes that humanity is seeking its "just right" like Goldilocks did. Preston also considers water bears, microorganisms that can survive in the most extreme conditions. This fascinating selection will help readers contemplate life on Earth and beyond, as Preston thoroughly explains scientific terms and concepts. VERDICT A background in science is not necessary to enjoy this title, only an interest in extraterrestrial life. For casual readers as well as researchers and scholars.--Tina Chan, MIT Libs., Cambridge
QUOTED: "Preston's accessible writing style, enthusiasm, and optimism succeed at informing as well as tickling readers' imaginations."
Is there anybody out there?
Publishers Weekly. 263.26 (June 27, 2016): p77.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Listen
Full Text:
Just how close are we to meeting our neighbors in outer space?
Goldilocks and the Water Bears: The Search for Life in the Universe
Louisa Preston. Sigma, $27 (288p) ISBN 978-1-4729-2009-6
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
In this whimsically titled pop science book, Preston, an astrobiologist and planetary geologist, illuminates the search for extraterrestrial life and the science that will help researchers find it. First, Preston says, people need to realize that alien life will most likely be nothing like the ETs imagined in science fiction books or films. Before scientists can search for it, they need to narrow down the places to look. Scientists use "the Goldilocks zone" to refer to the range within a galaxy of planetary conditions that could support life--worlds that are neither too hot nor too cold and possess young home stars with relatively high metal content that are stable enough to last the billions of years needed for life to emerge and evolve. Preston describes some "biosignatures," or chemical and geological indicators of the presence of life, that scientists can look for as well. He notes that one way to guess what alien life might look like is by studying extremophiles--creatures that live in Earth's most extreme environments--such as the "endearing, eight-legged, all but indestructible" tardigrade (the "water bears" of the title). Preston's accessible writing style, enthusiasm, and optimism succeed at informing as well as tickling readers' imaginations. (Nov.)
QUOTED: "The book is at its best in is its survey of possible places life could exist and its enthusiasm for the concept of astrobiology."
"The combination of this error rate and the lack of writing style means that overall things could have been a lot better. There is plenty of interesting material in here (though how it can be described as an 'expert romp' as it is on the cover, I don't know), but the book does not do the subject justice."
Friday, 17 June 2016
Goldilocks and the Water Bears - Louisa Preston ***
Although it made me cringe, don't be put off by the title - this is a book about the equally strangely named astrobiology (the author says it combines biology and space - i.e. the biology and environmental considerations of potential alien life, but strictly the name means the biology of stars), which is potentially a very interesting subject.
The 'Goldilocks' part of the title, as most readers will recognise, refers to the Goldilocks zone - the region around a star where a planet would be not too hot, not too cold but just right for carbon-based, water-dependent life. As Louisa Preston makes clear, this is no longer given the significance it once was, as some of the best candidates for (low level) life in our solar system are the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, which appear to have liquid water oceans under a thick ice crust. Even so, the concept is useful.
As for the water bears, they were far and above my favourite part of the book - fascinating little 8-legged creatures that can go into a dehydrated state where they can be exposed to everything space can throw at them, from extreme low temperatures to radiation - and still come back to life when rehydrated at the right temperature. They are interesting in this context both as a type of life that could in principle support transport through space to seed a new planet and also as a model of some of the more extreme ways that life could survive in habitats that we might once have thought would never support it.
Apart from the water bears, the book is at its best in is its survey of possible places life could exist and its enthusiasm for the concept of astrobiology. But there are some problems. Large chunks of the book consist of what Rutherford referred to as 'stamp collecting' - little more than listing details of the various possibilities. This comes across particularly strongly in the section on extremophiles - organisms that can exist in extreme conditions - on Earth (as a model for life elsewhere). For page after page we get lists of bacteria and other organisms that can survive in various conditions. There is also heavy repetition. So, for example, there are three separate sections talking about the possibilities for life in the water beneath the ice on the moon Europa, with big overlaps in content. This reflects a distinct lack of narrative structure to the book, which is probably why one of the most interesting questions in the subject - if life came into existence easily, why does it appear to have only done so once on Earth? - isn't covered.
I'm sure Preston knows her stuff on astrobiology, but a science writer has to have a much wider knowledge and here she has the biggest problems. Every popular science book includes the odd error, but here there are so many, it's worrying. For instance, we are given the excellent movie The Martian as an example of a movie featuring aliens. Unless a martian pops up in the corner of a frame, or you count a potato grown on Mars as an alien, this could only be the result of simply looking at the title and assuming that it does without checking.
Things get worse when we look back into history. We are told that the Ancient Greek Democritus 'realised that the Sun was just as star... in his wisdom, he understood that the planets revolved around the Sun and that Earth itself is a planet. He even theorised about exoplanets...' But he didn't. Democritus didn't have a heliocentric model - I can only assume this is a confusion with the later Aristarchus - nor did he realise all that clever astronomical stuff. He did support (but not originate) the idea of the pluralism of worlds, but this was not an astronomical theory, more like the parallel universes beloved of pulp science fiction. Worse still, we are told that Aristotle with dates given as 460-370 BC had Plato (428-327 BC) as a mentor. Plato was, indeed, Aristotle's teacher, but you don't need anything but basic logic to suspect that Aristotle wasn't 32 years older than Plato.
Sadly, it's not just the history that is suspect - physics presents some issues too. We are told that 'deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen, but holds two neutrons rather than just one in the nucleus'. Unfortunately hydrogen has no neutrons, and deuterium has just one. We are told there was no light before stars formed, which is unfortunate for the Cosmic Microwave Background, and we are told that the nuclei of two hydrogen atoms combine to make helium, which would make it rather underweight. And, yes, inevitably, we get the myth that Giordano Bruno was martyred for his idea that there were many suns with their own solar systems.
The combination of this error rate and the lack of writing style means that overall things could have been a lot better. There is plenty of interesting material in here (though how it can be described as an 'expert romp' as it is on the cover, I don't know), but the book does not do the subject justice.
QUOTED: "Preston takes readers on a lively tour of the search for life in the Universe."
"Far from being a terse compilation of science facts, Goldilocks and the Water Bears offers a far ranging tale, and the book — as Science — is nothing short of fantastic."
‘Goldilocks and the Water Bears’ by Louisa Preston
Posted on Oct 11, 2016 in Book reviews | 0 comments
Agoldilocks scientist in his laboratory is not a mere technician: he is also a child confronting natural phenomena that impress him as though they were fairy tales. Marie Curie’s quote offers an apropos guide for Dr Louisa Preston’s book. In Goldilocks and the Water Bears, astrobiologist and planetary geologist Preston tackles the science of astrobiology, a science that “has yet to prove its subject matter exists”. Us ing the latest discoveries, Preston takes readers on a lively tour of the search for life in the Universe, its many potential forms, and the challenge for its detection in the Solar System and beyond.
Like the spiral arms of a galaxy, microbiology, astrophysics and geoscience converge to form the core of astrobiology, and the book benefits greatly from Preston’s ability to navigate with ease between scientific fields. Further, her rigorous approach that both question and inform the reader makes this book a must read by professionals, graduate student or science enthusiast. The book examines the main themes that underpin modern astrobiology, from planet formation and habitability, the potential building blocks of life and their delivery to planetary surfaces, to the hunt for extrasolar planets and alien civilizations. All these themes are tied together by a common thread: what defines life, and how to detect it?
A strength of this book is its emphasis on the importance of Earth as the key playground for Astrobiology. The quest for Life in Universe is bound to its appearance on Earth; it is where Life’s adventure started and figuring out how is Astrobiology’s central quest. Earth has astonishingly adapted lifeforms that thrive in extreme settings (extremophiles) and it is these that many researchers envisage might have been, or are, present on Mars, Europa or Titan. The book provides a measured assessment and description of the limitations of those plausible analogues as habitable environments beyond Earth whilst detailing how future space missions are dependent on insights and findings of such environments here on Earth.
Far from being a terse compilation of science facts, Goldilocks and the Water Bears offers a far ranging tale, and the book — as Science — is nothing short of fantastic. It’s no surprise, then, to title the book after the microscopic heroes of survivability, the real but yet undefeatable Water Bears, a perfect reminder that life is a pathfinder. It’s also pure logic to introduce the pertinent ‘Goldilocks Zone’, (what scientists refer to as the Habitability Zone), the region housing the conditions thought to be the most suitable for life. Equally, the underlying sense of wonder of the narrator combined with the splendid (but yet scarce) illustrations also give the narration a true sense of the epic.
Reviewed by: Boris Laurent, University of St Andrews
QUOTED: "This book makes for an extremely interesting read."
Goldilocks and the Water Bears
Goldilocks and the Water BearsLouisa Preston
Bloomsbury Sigma, £16.99
'You're lucky to be alive' – as a biologist, I really thought I had a grasp of this saying. Let's put evolution to one side and consider just the sperm race: we are all the product of one sperm in a billion, which I'd say certainly lives up to the idea we are lucky to be alive. However, after reading Goldilocks and the Water Bears, I have gained a whole new perspective on 'luck'.
In this book, Preston unpicks every prerequisite for life and reveals how numerous serendipitous events have led to life on Earth. She starts by talking through the history of our fascination with extra-terrestrial life, before moving on to discuss requirements for life and where in the universe life may be found. In these chapters, she carefully reviews each condition necessary for life as we know it and uses this knowledge to suggest areas of our universe that may be 'just right' for its development.
Preston also discusses the potential for life 'not as we know it', taking inspiration from extremophiles living in some of the most inhospitable places on Earth and suggesting there may be many surprisingly habitable corners of the universe.
This book makes for an extremely interesting read and I would strongly advise you to run off and buy a copy. I am off to thank some extremely lucky stars that I'm alive.
Natasha Ganecki