Get Discount 10% Off
Subscribe to our newsletters now and stay up-to-date with new arrivals, updates and deals.
MILLIONS OF TITLES TO CHOOSE FROM
Currency
Cloudy with a Chance of Starships: How the Drake Equation Reveals the Odds of Life in the Cosmos
An entertaining tour of the seemingly simple formula guiding the search for extraterrestrial intelligence Cloudy with a...
- $35.94 USD
- $35.94 USD
- Unit price
- per
Please hurry! Only 30 left in stock
Couldn't load pickup availability
An entertaining tour of the seemingly simple formula guiding the search for extraterrestrial intelligence
Cloudy with a Chance of Starships takes readers on an irreverent expedition through the marvelous world of astrobiology, using as a guide the most important equation in science since E=mc2. With an irresistible blend of wit, insight, and the latest cutting-edge research, Seven Rasmussen looks at the thrilling possibilities of life in the cosmos through the lens of the Drake equation, a seven-variable mathematical expression that calculates the number of civilizations in our galaxy that humans could potentially contact. First proposed in 1961 by astrobiologist and SETI scientist Frank Drake, the equation begins with simple and well-known numbers such as the rate of star formation in the Milky Way and the fraction of stars with planetary systems. It then wades into thornier topics such as the number of planets with environments suitable for life, the fraction of suitable planets on which life appears, and the likelihood of intelligent life emerging on a planet and becoming technological. It concludes with the truly unknowable average lifetime of a civilization. While we will never resolve all its variables, the Drake equation offers an invaluable road map to the questions and challenges that lie before us in our quest for alien life. Cloudy with a Chance of Starships guides readers from the basics of astronomy to the very frontiers of planetary science, along the way covering subjects such as the Big Bang, the formation of solar systems, the origins and evolution of life, and the fascinating methods used by astrobiologists today. This extraordinary book shares a tantalizing vision of the dawning era of space exploration and invites enthusiasts of all ages to join in the discovery.Author: Seven Rasmussen
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 08/04/2026
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.50w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9780691246222
About the Author
Seven Rasmussen is an astrobiologist, author, and science communicator whose work has been featured widely in the media, including Popular Science, Wired, Nature, Scientific American, Inside Higher Ed, Science, and Space.com. She is currently an instructor at Columbia University and in the CUNY system. Rasmussen is a full member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America whose literary speculative fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Diabolical Plots, Neon Hemlock, and more. She can be found online as @toomanyspectra.
Returns Policy
You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.
Shipping
We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.
When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.
Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.