It is a common view among astrobiologists that life is not a one-off, and that biospheres, and perhaps even civilizations, are plentiful. Given the growing number of known extrasolar planetary systems and our continuing astonishment at the hardiness of life in extreme environments, this opinion is relatively well-founded. But David Waltham's book Lucky Planet reminds us that there is a second, equally common view: our existence may be the result of incredibly good fortune, and much of what we regard as evidence for life's abundance may actually be the result of our own biases.
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