[This is the 9"x 6" Black and White Edition] Are we alone in the Universe? It is an age old question. Most people want to "believe" or suggest that "we cant be the only ones..." . Well until now we only had our belief system to tell us we are not alone. The Populated Universe adds a science perspective to this, the question for all time. It takes the reader through the very reasons, based on science, that life is likely teeming in the Universe. Written for the lay person, The Populated Universe begins with a look at our own world. We have had 5 major extinction level events on our planet. A lot of events occurred that should have precluded the rise of abundant life yet still here we are. Did you know that 250 million years ago animals that would become mammals (precursors to US) were dominant on the planet until they and 98% of all life was wiped out by major volcanic eruptions? Dinosaurs then ruled for millions of years until another extinction event 65 million years ago occurred that saw mammals rise once again to fill the empty niches. Is the Universe telling us something about mammals? Are they potentially a natural, universal form of life here and perhaps on other planets around distant stars? By looking at the chronology of life here on Earth we can make some educated guesses as to what path life elsewhere in the Universe may have taken. Did you know some planets present only one face to their star like the Moon does to us on Earth? What does that mean for life evolving there? The Populated Universe will take you through these different possibilities in an entertaining and engaging manner. Finally it will take the reader to the search for intelligent extraterrestrial life that may have reached us here on Earth. All of this is presented through the possibilities provided through a simply understanding of science. Interstellar travel is more promising than one may think and NASA is already funding labs to look at this very real prospect. In a sense after reading The Populated Universe, the vastness of the Universe may just feel a little less so ...