02417cam a22003133u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000390011324501370015226400510028930000470034033600260038733700260041333800360043950000310047550800640050652013570057053400450192765300530197265300180202585600430204399900170208610855UtSlPG20260610133247.0mcr n260607r2004||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aQB1 aWallace, Alfred Russel,d1823-191310aIs Mars habitable? A critical examination of Professor Percival Lowell's book "Mars and its canals," with an alternative explanation 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2004  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aRelease date is 2004-01-01  aProduced by Thaadd and the PG Distributed Proofreading Team  a"Is Mars Habitable?" by Alfred Russel Wallace is a critical examination of Professor Percival Lowell's theories on the habitability of Mars, written in the early 20th century. The work critically addresses the claims made in Lowell's book, "Mars and Its Canals," particularly the idea that Mars may support intelligent life due to its supposed irrigation canals. Wallace presents scientific evidence and arguments that refute the notion of Mars as a habitable planet, focusing on its harsh climatic conditions and lack of substantial water sources.  At the start of the book, Wallace details his motivations for challenging Lowell's theories, emphasizing the necessity of addressing the claims made in Lowell's recent mathematical publication. He reviews historical observations of Mars to establish a foundation for the discourse. Wallace outlines early astronomers' findings, including Schiaparelli's detection of the "canals" and subsequent assertions that they might be tools of an intelligent civilization. The opening chapters establish the groundwork for a thorough critique of Lowell's conclusions about Martian climate, geography, and potential for life, setting the stage for a scientific exploration of the realities of Mars, in contrast to the romanticized theories suggesting its habitability. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aLowell, Percival, 1855-1916. Mars and its canals  aMars (Planet)40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10855  c52304d52304