Introduction
1. From the physical world to the biological universe: Democritus to Lowell
2. Plurality of worlds and the decline of anthropocentrism
3. The solar system: the limits of observation
4. Solar systems beyond: the limits of theory
5. Extraterrestrials in literature and the arts: the role of imagination
6. The UFO controversy: on perception and deception
7. The origin and evolution of life in the extraterrestrial context
8. SETI: the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
9. The convergence of disciplines: birth of a new science
10. The meaning of life
Summary and conclusion: the biological universe and the limits of science.
