Complex Life Is Uncommon In The Universe

Introduction

This book report discusses the book which is called “Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe”, and written by Peter D. Ward and Donald Brownlee. The designated book is in the paperback edition published by Copernicus Books in New York in 2003. There are thirteen chapters in total. “Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe” is a book introducing and discussing the “Rare Earth Hypothesis”.

The “Rare Earth hypothesis” argues that the occurrence and development of those complex multi-cellular lives including highly intelligent human beings on the earth, require an extremely uncommon combination of, diverse geological, biological, chemical, meteorological and astrophysical factors, events and circumstances.

This book report aims to summarize the main ideas in each chapter, in accordance with their importance and length. There is also a short conclusion at the end of the report.

Content Summary

Chapter one - Why Life Might Be Widespread in the Universe

Extreme heat, extreme cold, extreme pressure, darkness and toxic-waste waters

It increases the number and degree of separation of habitats and promotes environmental complexity, then helps develop the bio-diversity and protects the life against mass extinctions. If it ceases, the volcanism may be ended and the planetary temperature control may be lost. As a result, the earth may be completely covered by oceans. The life may be eliminated because of shortage of nutrients, a lack of habitats and overly low or high temperatures. Moreover, plate tectonics helps maintain water supply to the life, as the supply is large enough to sustain a sizable ocean on the planet’s surface, has migrated to the surface from the planet’s interior, is not lost to space, and does exist largely in liquid form. In addition, plate tectonics helps generate the magnetic field, which can deflect the damageable cosmic rays towards the earth and save the