We're going to be doing a book review of their latest book, Futures.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...l/-/0060730382/

And we've got an opportunity to get them to answer some questions. I think you'd all like a chance to send in your questions as well. If you've read the book already, or you're a big fan of either of their work, post some questions here and I'll pick a few to include when I talk to them.

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Fraser Cain
Publisher
Universe Today - Free space news delivered by email every weekday.

David Hardy is a very nice man... had the pleasure of swapping a few emails with him when I was writing my Cosmos piece for Astronomy magazine.

I wouldn't know what to ask him, but I'd like to know if Patrick Moore is fully recovered from his illness a few months back. You could pass on our best wishes to him.

I'm also curious to know who he'd pick to (eventually) replace him on the BBC's Sky At Night programme. Trivia: Patrick Moore holds the record for hosting a television programme: it'll be 47 years next month

I'll try to think of a few more questions...

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"The stars are my home"
"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe... Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion... I've watched c-beams glitter in the dark, near the Tanhauser Gate... all those moments will be lost, in time... like tears in the rain..."

I reckon the smart money is on Heather Couper to replace Sir Patrick (somehow "replace" does not seem to be the correct word).

Anyway, my question to Sir Patrick would be: "Regarding space exploration since the Sky at Night was first screened, what aspects have advanced more rapidly than you would have expected, and the flipside, what advances have been considerably slower than you expected?"

Cheers

Brian

Is the nature of cosmological expansion such that, at some quantum level, space slips by (expands without changing the volume occupied by) the matter contained therein? Aka the mosasaur in the swimming pool problem.

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For those inclined to oppose human meddling with the structure of the universe or the composition and configuration of objects and groups of objects within the universe, consider:
Whether there is a limit to the magnitude of a modulation of chaos below which order remains invariant? Or, is order but a fiction invented by perspectives applied over finite, however large, time intervals?

Hi Fraser,
As a collector of Sir patricks works I already own this book and the combination of the fascinating text written by Sir Patrick and the breathtakingly beautiful artwork of David A. Hardy makes this a must have book for all astronomy enthusiasts.

My question to Sir Patrick would be this, In the book you state that Europa could contain life if the sub-ice seas do exist there. Do you believe that this may be our best chance to find extra-terrestrial life? Or do you believe that we may find life "out there" first through the work of organisations such as SETI?

By the way I particulally enjoyed the photograph of Sir Patrick in the back sleeve of the book with one of the Bogies. It would be fun if extra-terrestrial life turned out to look like these creatures created by Sir Patricks late mother Gertrude Moore wouldn't it!!

jsc248