Are we alone? In 1995 planet hunters discovered the first alien solar system around a star like our own Sun. Ken Croswell tells the fascinating story of this discovery and the people who made it, then explores the possibility that one day we may have the technology to travel to different solar systems and find life.

“Fans of hard sf will enjoy this space adventure” that follows Farside in the Grand Tour series from the six-time Hugo Award winner (Library Journal). The entire world is thrilled by the discovery of a new Earthlike planet. Advance imaging shows that the planet has oceans of liquid water and a breathable oxygen-rich atmosphere. Eager to gain more information, a human exploration team is soon dispatched to explore the planet, now nicknamed New Earth. All of the explorers understand that they are essentially on a one-way mission. The trip takes eighty years each way, so even if they are able to get back to Earth, nearly 200 years will have elapsed. They will have aged only a dozen years thanks to cryonic suspension, but their friends and family will be gone and the very society that they once knew will have changed beyond recognition. The explorers are going into exile, and they know it. They are on this mission not because they were the best available, but because they were expendable. Upon landing on the planet they discover something unexpected: New Earth is inhabited by a small group of intelligent creatures who look very much like human beings. Who are these people? Are they native to this world, or invaders from elsewhere? While they may seem inordinately friendly to the human explorers, what are their real motivations? What do they want? Moreover, the scientists begin to realize that this planet cannot possibly be natural. They face a startling and nearly unthinkable question: Could New Earth be an artifact?

Explaining the what, the how and the why of climate science, this multidisciplinary new book provides a review of research from the last decade, illustrated with cutting-edge data and observations. A key focus is the development of analysis tools that can be used to demonstrate options for mitigating and adapting to increasing climate risks. Emphasis is given to the importance of Earth system feedback mechanisms and the role of the biosphere. The book explains advances in modelling, process understanding and observations, and the development of consistent and coherent studies of past, present and 'possible' climates. This highly illustrated, data-rich book is written by leading scientists involved in QUEST, a major UK-led research programme. It forms a concise and up-to-date reference for academic researchers or students in the fields of climatology, Earth system science and ecology, and also a vital resource for professionals and policymakers working on any aspect of global change.

One day, Matthew Eaton was walking through an impromptu animal shelter display at his local pet store when suddenly an eight-month-old kitten dug his claws into Eaton's flesh. Eaton recognized that the "eyes of this cat and the curve of his claw" compelled a response analogous to those found in the writings of Buber, Levinas, and Derrida. And not just Eaton but a whole community of theologians have found themselves in an encounter with particular places and animals that demands rich theological reflection. Eaton enlisted fellow editors Harvie and Bechtel to collect the essays in this volume, in which theologians listen to horses, rats, snakes, cats, dogs, and the earth itself, who become new theological voices demanding a response. In this volume, the voice of the more-than-human world is heard as making theology possible. These essays suggest that what we say theologically represents not simply ideas of our own making subsequently superimposed onto the natural world through our own discovery, but rather flow from an expressive Earth.

This fairy tale begins with the life of the gods on the planets Yax, Evca, and Urck. The fairy tale's main characters are Aigion and Deek who are gods from the planet Urck that are sent to enchanted earth on a magical quest. On their descent to enchanted earth, Aigion and Deek are met with Misfortune, the witch who adds terror, bad luck, and misery to their quest upon enchanted earth. Aigion and Deek descends upon earth and are captured--Aigion by the monster Xecorpidious and Deek by the witch Axxica. Aigion is rescued by the ladybug Simone, Smatious the Mouse, and Ukas the Elf, who, together with the creatures of the enchanted forest, plan the escape of Deek. Spekle, a mortal, is also captured by the witches of the enchanted castle. While Deek and Spekle are at the mercy of the witch Axxica, Simone and her friends and volunteers from the creatures that live in the enchanted village rescue Deek and Spekle. A magical, beautiful venture into the realms of the enchanted village where the elves, dwarfs, fairies, witches and other enchanted creatures all help to make this fairy tale one that will be remembered for an eternity.