The SETI factor

About this book

NASA is conducting a major new Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence starting in 1992. As a result of this search, it is quite likely that in the next twenty-five years we will know whether or not we are alone in the universe. In The SETI Factor, Frank White looks at how this search is changing our view of the universe, our planet, and ourselves. What are the implications of finding no one “out there”? What would contact with extraterrestrials mean for mankind? Interviews with top scientists and experts, such as Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan, examine these and other repercussions of the search and lead White to conclude that we are on the verge of a revolution in our view of the universe, and of our own planet, an entirely new cosmology. White concludes with specific recommendations for how mankind can prepare for these coming changes.