UVic Professor Explores Alien Life in New Book and Local Waters

Professor Jon Willis of the University of Victoria has released a new book titled The Pale Blue Data Point: An Earth-Based Perspective on the Search for Alien Life, which aims to bridge the study of extraterrestrial life with local exploration. Published on October 30, 2023, this work follows his 2016 title, All These Worlds Are Yours: The Scientific Search for Alien Life, and draws from his extensive research and global expeditions.

In the new book, Willis emphasizes the importance of a local perspective in the broader search for life beyond Earth. He notes that his home in Victoria serves as a vibrant reminder of the rich ecosystems present on our planet. “Living in Victoria, even above the surface, you can’t escape that you live on a living planet that is vibrant and alive,” he stated. “But oh my word, once you go into the oceans just one, two, three meters down, it’s just as beautiful and abundant, even more so, in our local waters.”

From Local Waters to Global Expeditions

Willis embarked on his journey with the Ocean Exploration Trust in 2017, expecting to travel around the globe. His first assignment, however, took him just 200 kilometers off the coast of Vancouver Island, focusing on deep ocean vents. “I must admit I was taken aback at that point,” he recalled. “I thought there was gonna be air tickets and you know something like that, but no, so I took a taxi up to Sidney, joined the ship at the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Pat Bay.”

The book also reflects the influence of students from his popular UVic course, Search for Life in the Universe (ASTR 201). Willis describes his students as highly motivated individuals driven by their interest in astrobiology. “They’re almost all there because they want to be, they’re out of interest,” he said. “They’re really bright and on the ball, answering the questions they’ve had, have been a lot of inspiration for this whole process.”

Willis aims to inspire future generations of astrobiologists through his writing. He emphasizes that the first signs of extraterrestrial life, especially within our solar system, might be microscopic organisms akin to Earth’s single-celled microbes. “The first life we encounter… it may well be microscopic,” he noted.

Blending Science with Adventure

The narrative in The Pale Blue Data Point combines scientific inquiry with adventure, taking readers on a journey that includes deep-sea dives, desert expeditions, and stargazing at mountaintop observatories. Willis describes the book as “Indiana Jones meets Carl Sagan meets David Attenborough,” a fusion of excitement and meticulous scientific investigation.

He will present a public talk about the book on November 26, 2023, at UVic’s Bob Wright Centre, starting at 19:00. His goal is to leave attendees with a profound sense of wonder about the natural world. “It’s impossible not to when you’re in the water,” he said, reflecting on the diverse marine life. “Some of them, not just the jellyfish, but the comb jellies, when they flash in front of your vision with their iridescent colours and they’re pulsing, you could be in an alien world.”

Through this book, Willis invites readers to appreciate our single “pale blue data point,” the living planet we call home, while contemplating what life beyond Earth might resemble.