{"product_id":"a-man-from-planet-earth-a-scientific-novel-9783319211145","title":"A Man from Planet Earth: A Scientific Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003eSometime in the not-too-distant future ... unbeknownst to Earth, the Galaxy is home to a number of spacefaring societies. This confederation enforces a strict protocol forbidding any contact with civilizations that have not yet achieved both a substantial spacefaring capability and sufficient maturity to control the technology explosion before triggering their own extinction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile this policy is intended to only bring in peaceful new members, matters change entirely when the confederation is threatened by some unknown entity - is the menace real or imagined? The confederation decides to break with the rules and sends a delegate to Earth to hire one of the supposedly belligerent Earthlings to investigate and to revive the confederation's long-unused starfleet. The Earthman agrees, but demands a high price: should he succeed, the confederation will have to accept Earth as a new member. As the threat becomes ever more acute, the question soon becomes which mission will prove harder - saving the confederation or convincing it to accept the deal!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe extensive appendix, written in non-technical language, reviews the scientific and technological topics underlying the plot - ranging from the Fermi paradox, space travel and artificial\/collective intelligence to theories on possible universal convergences in technological and biological development.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Springer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/14\/2015\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9783319211145\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 308\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.00lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.21h x 6.14w x 0.67d","brand":"Giancarlo Genta","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53241061408949,"sku":"9783319211145","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/9783319211145.jpg?v=1789484964","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/a-man-from-planet-earth-a-scientific-novel-9783319211145","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}