"How likely is it that humans aren't alone in the universe? Reports of strange lights, UFO sightings and alien encounters abound-and some (like recent accounts from U.S. Navy pilots) even sound credible. And in recent years, armed with state-of-the-art technology and better information, the search for extraterrestrials overflows with exciting possibilities. Within our own solar system, astrobiologists search for the biochemical building blocks that might sustain microbes, astronomers discover far-flung stars, orbited by planets that could be teeming with life, and astrophysicists point sophisticated telescopes toward the deep reaches of the universe, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Is There Anybody Out There? turns our collective gaze skyward: What's the likelihood of life on other planets? Or that aliens have already made the trip to visit us? How would they get here? Why do we want to find them? And what does it mean if we do (or don't)? Teaching readers to challenge their gut assumptions and open their minds to new possibilities, using critical thinking and the scientific method, journalist Laura Krantz investigates the science, culture, and philosophy of a universe where we're not alone-and why the idea of alien life has abducted our imaginations"--. Provided by publisher.

Introduction: Out of this world -- Roswell -- Aliens or airplanes? -- What is life? -- Doing some math -- I spy with my little eye -- E.T. phone home -- Do you believe in aliens? -- The truth is out there -- Where is everybody?