ARE WE ALONE?: SCIENTISTS SEARCH FOR LIFE IN SPACE

Book ID/图书代码： 04160004B08310

English Summary/英文概要： In the jungle of Puerto Rico, next to a giant aluminum telescope bowl, we meet astronomers Peter Backus and Jill Tarter of the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program. This research program is determined to find evidence of extraterrestrial life by searching for its radio signals. They hope to catch radio waves created by some kind of life far out in space. These scientists love their work: "Arriving in the control room, Jill puts on a tape of her favorite samba music by a group called Viva Brazil. Others in the room stay seated and propel themselves on their wheeled office chairs from workstation to workstation, but Jill usually gets up and sambas across the floor."In this rare combination of engaging narrative and factual information, Gloria Skurzynski uses techniques she’s developed as a fiction writer to energize her science writing. This book not only brings the reader into the world of extra-terrestrial science, but is also very much about the hopes and dreams of real people. She lends a strong personal voice to the narrative, drawing the reader deep into the world of extraterrestrial study.Humans have always been fascinated with extraterrestrial life, and the book traces that interest, including the origination of the term "flying saucer." Sloan also explains why scientists don’t buy it. "There’s been no hard evidence, not a single artifact left behind-a lost boot, or a shred of whatever material the UFO was made of, or even a flake of alien skin."But not believing in flying saucers doesn’t mean scientists don’t believe in extraterrestrial life. They look for it using telescopes, space missions, and planet explorations. They study extremophiles, organisms that live in extreme environments on Earth, in the hopes that they will lead us to a better understanding of how life may exist in space. Really, what could be out there? This book visits scientists across the globe who are trying to find out, from Puerto Rico to California, from Socorro, New Mexico to Chile, Finland, Spain, and Hawaii. And, what’s on tap for the future of extraterrestrial study? Researchers study hydrothermal vents deep under the sea, create super-sensitive radio telescopes, and scour the highest lake in the world. Extremely well written, filled with little-known facts, and often quite humorous, this book brings to life a subject that children are intrigued by. Our time is truly a fascinating moment in scientific exploration, and this book will help anyone get a jump on the search for E.T. Who knows? Maybe there’s an alien as close as next-door¨a next-door planet, that is!

Chinese Summary/中文概要： 我们在波多黎各的大丛林里遇到了两位SETI项目（寻找外星生物工程）的天文学家 Peter Backus 和Jill Tarter，他两正站在一架巨型铝制碗型天文望远镜旁。他们参加的这一研究项目旨在通过跟踪外星生命体发出的无线电信号，找出他们生存的迹象。他们希望捕捉到太空尽头某种生命体发射出的无线电波段。这些科学家相当热爱他们的这份工作：“Jill只要一来到中控室，他就会放上一盘他最喜爱的由“万岁巴西”音乐组合演唱的桑巴音乐磁带。房间里的其他人则坐在带轮子的办公椅上从一个工作站转到另一个工作站，而Jill则会起身，在地板上舞起桑巴。 ”在这篇把精彩叙述和真实数据绝妙结合的科学读物里，作者GLORIA SKURZYNSKI运用了她在小说创作中掌握的写作技巧， 这为她的科学写作增色不少。 《我们孤独吗？》不仅仅让读者领略了外星生命研究领域，同时，它更多的探讨了真实世界里人类的宿愿。她在叙述中添加了很强烈的个人色彩，把读者的心牢牢地吸引到外星科学领域中。 人类一直以来都对外星生命很痴迷，所以 这本书也对人类研究外星生命地历史追本求源，其中还谈到了“飞碟”一词的起源。Sloan同时还阐述了为什么科学家们始终不相信“飞碟”存在的理由：“到现在为止还没有任何可靠证据可以证明他们的存在，他们也没有遗留下任何一件物品----譬如说遗失的靴子；或者说，没一片足以说明UFO材质的碎片，甚至连外星人身上脱落下的一小块皮肤，都没有。”虽然科学家不相信飞碟的存在，但这并不表示他们不相信外星生物的存在。他们已尝试了多种方法，有用望远镜观察，有发射太空飞船，并进行行星探险，就是为了找到他们的踪迹。他们研究了一种有特异功能的微生物-----extremophils， 它能在多数生物无法存活的极端条件生存下去，就是希望通过对他们的分析和了解，能够进一步认识太空生命是如何生存的。 远在太空的状况到底是怎样的呢？《我们孤独吗？》带我们走访了世界各地的科学家们。不管是在波多黎哥，还是在加利福尼亚，无论是在新墨西哥州的Socorro,亦或是在智利，芬兰，西班牙，还是在夏威夷。科学家们都在埋头苦干，誓要把此弄清楚。 未来的外星生物研究该何去何从？研究人员分析了深海水热喷口，发明了超敏感度的无线电天文望远镜，搜遍了世界各地海拔最高的几大湖泊。 本书文笔精湛，书中满是鲜为人知的真实数据，笔锋幽默诙谐，生动地描述了一个孩子们感兴趣的主题。 我们这个时代可以说在科学探险的历程中留下了精彩的瞬间，而这本书则会让任何都对E.T探寻趋之若骛。 谁会知道呢？也许外星人就近在咫尺，就在我们的邻邦星球上呢！

Awards/获奖情况：

About the Author/作者介绍： Gloria Skurzynski, 她多次获奖，她既写科技文章，也写科幼小说，她为了写这本书采访了多位科学家。 作者已出版了30多本专为年轻读者撰写的作品（包括小说和非小说），她得过“克里斯托弗奖”、“金风筝奖”，以及美国物理协会颁发得“儿童科学读物奖”。她的书被多家图书榜推荐为最佳图书，其中包括“全美图书馆协会最佳青少年读物奖”，“纽约公共图书馆青少年读物推荐奖“。

Format:HARDCOVER ILLUSTRATED

Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE

Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE

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