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Mathematics is as much a part of our humanity as music and art. And it is our mathematics that might be understandable, even familiar, to a distant race and might provide the basis for mutual communication. This book discusses, in a conversational way, the role of mathematics in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The author explores the science behind that search, its history, and the many questions associated with it, including those regarding the nature of language and the philosophical/psychological motivation behind this search.
“This is a very interesting and enjoyable book to read. It makes a number of very complex subjects accessible to the typical reader. It has an unconventional structure that I find very effective at holding the reader’s attention and making it a ‘real page turner’.” • Craig T. Palmer, University of Missouri
”The story of math, itself a story of discovering our place in the universe, is presented in three ways and the author is a genius when it comes to making math accessible and palatable to readers with minimal interest and background…The material on astrobiology and SETI is accurate, clear and comprehensive, and up to date, stressing points that will delight and inform the uninitiated.” • Albert Harrison, University of California, Davis
Chapter 1. Where Are We?
Chapter 2. Naïve Questions
Chapter 3. Are We Special?
Chapter 4. Stories - Part One
Chapter 5. Mesasuring Our Solar Neighborhood
Chapter 6. The Scotsman
Chapter 7. The Birth of SETI
Chapter 8. The Conference at Greenbank
Chapter 9. Stories - Part Two
Chapter 10. Talking to E.T.
Chapter 11. Languages
Chapter 12. Paradoxes
Chapter 13. The Universal Science
Chapter 14. The Special Theory of Relativity
Chapter 15. The General Theory of Relativity
Chapter 16. The University of Colorado Study
Chapter 17. Surprize!
Chapter 18. Epilogue
Appendix I: Infinite sets
Appendix II: Mars
Appendix III: The DeVito-Oehrle Language
Bibliography
Index