Our Cosmic Future

Book excerpt: Shall we return to the Moon? Could we colonise Mars, and other planets in our solar system? How might we travel to the distant stars, in our own Galaxy and beyond? Why haven't we yet met an extraterrestrial civilisation? How can we avoid the various cosmic threats, such as asteroid collisions? Could we escape the remote but certain death of our Sun? What is the ultimate fate of the Universe itself? This captivating and unprecedented book is about the future of the human race in the Universe, for the centuries, millennia and eons to come. It is not an account of 'what will happen', but of 'what could happen', in the light of our current knowledge, scientists' speculations, and their philosophical and social implications. Drawing also on historical accounts and classic works of science fiction, it artfully displays a gripping preview of Our Cosmic Future.