Episode · StarTalk Radio · 2026-05-05
Books mentioned on Answering Questions All About Aliens, with Charles Liu
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Handy Quantum Physics Answer Book
The Handy Quantum Physics Answer Book by Charles Liu is an accessible reference guide that breaks down complex scientific principles, cosmic phenomena, and quantum mechanics for general readers.
Discussed“Let me remind People, oh my gosh, the handy quantum physics answer book. Now that's a book, not that thing you got. Oh, no. Come on. Well, my book, you're just talking smack about my little book. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's true, okay. But Charles Liu, this is not your first rodeo with the handy answer franchise, right?”
Where to get it
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The Songs of Distant Earth
Recommended“there is a really good uh science fiction novel called the songs of distant earth that arthur c clark wrote where he created an idea where there was a spaceship that could move very very close to the speed of light but every once in a while had to stop and pick up ice turned out that the energy produced”
Where to get it
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Contact
Contact by Carl Sagan is a celebrated science fiction novel that chronicles humanity's first verified encounter with an extraterrestrial intelligence through the efforts of dedicated radio astronomer Ellie Arroway.
Discussed“And now the prime number thing, Carl Sagan had prime numbers in the original contact novel. Where they were embedded in the signals.”
Where to get it
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The Three-Body Problem
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu is a celebrated Chinese science fiction novel that explores first contact with alien civilizations against the backdrop of historical political upheaval.
Discussed“I wanted to know your thoughts on the dark forest theory presented as a solution to the Fermi paradox in the 3body trilogy, Spoiler Warnings for Others. The dark forest principle says that when each civilization discovers the other, there exists no solution where they do not end up attacking each other. So the universe is teeming with intelligent life,”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (3) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Own book Take Me to Your Leader
“In my latest book, Take Me to Your Leader, I actually explore what's possible in this universe, given the universal laws of physics. If the aliens are out there, the laws of physics will dictate I also narrated the audio book. So I'm duly informed that the audio book and the print version are available now wherever books are sold.”
Own book Take Me to Your Leader
“So, so in, Take me to your leader. I talk about ideas that people have had about non-traditional aliens.”
Own book Starry Messenger
“And I wrote about that in a different book, in my Starry Messenger book on conflict and resolution, where you can talk about well we don't like you because your skin is dark or because you pray to a different god or because you sleep with different people or because you speak with a different accent all these reasons you”