The Great Silence
Science and Philosophy of Fermi's Paradox
Milan M. Ćirković
Reviews and Awards
"It is a book that dreams bigly and boldly in space and time-a paragon of ambitious philosophy of science that does not rely on excessive quantification to be taken seriously. With this valuable study, Ćirković has sealed his place as a leading proponent of SETI research and, more importantly, as a preeminent champion of the scientific imagination." - Russell Powell, Department of Philosophy, Boston University, The Quarterly Review of Biology
"Ćirković brings an encyclopedic familiarity of the professional and popular literature and history of the Fermi Paradox, including important contributions from science fiction... He also brings a wide background to the discussion, using a broad range of artistic and popular references to illustrate points." - Jason T. Wright, Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres Journal
"This is a delightful and thought-provoking book that cleared my mind of clutter and confusion concerning Fermis Paradox and the Drake Equation." - Simon Mitton, St Edmunds College Cambridge
"I warmly recommend The Great Silence to any curious reader." - Andrea Giammanco, CERN Courier
"A much-needed critical analysis of the many logical and philosophical fallacies that pervade this fieldthe most important scientific topic that lacks any known subject matter... [a] speculative extravaganza." - G. David Brin, American Journal of Physics
"If you've already read a few books about the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence, and you're looking for something a little deeper, then this would be a great book for you." - Andrew May, The Fortean Times Magazine
"A detailed, logical, impartial and much-needed exploration, examining one of the most fascinating controversies of this (or any) era." - David Brin, author of Earth and The Postman