How did life on earth emerge and is there life on other worlds? This book presents a unique perspective - a combined historical, scientifc, and philosophical an... » 

How did life on earth emerge and is there life on other worlds? This book presents a unique perspective - a combined historical, scientifc, and philosophical analysis, which does justice to the complex nature of the subject. The first part offers an overview of the main ideas on the origin of life. The second part examines contemporary theories and major debates. Topics include Aristotle and the Greek atomists' conceptions of organism; Alexander Oparin and J. Haldane; possible life on Mars; and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. «