The New Story of Our Origin in the Stars by Jacob Berkowitz Prometheus Books, 2012 (($27))
Our ancestors are stars in this “extreme genealogy,” which follows the history of discoveries that blossomed into a new field: astrobiology. Science journalist Berkowitz gracefully chronicles the work and passion of physicists, chemists and other “stardust scientists” who probe the universe for signs of life. These researchers' eureka moments include the realization that stars forge elements, the detection of organic molecules drifting in the void of space and the discovery of the first planet beyond our solar system. —Marissa Fessenden
This article was originally published with the title "Stardust Revolution" in Scientific American 307, 3, 90 (September 2012)
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0912-90a
ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)
Anna Kuchment is a contributing editor at Scientific American and a staff science reporter at the Dallas Morning News. She is also co-author of a forthcoming book about earthquakes triggered by energy production. Follow Anna Kuchment on Twitter Credit: Nick Higgins
