Is Mars Habitable?

Alfred Russel Wallace's *Is Mars Habitable?* presents a rigorous scientific rebuttal to one of astronomy's most captivating theories. Published in 1907, this groundbreaking essay challenges astronomer Percival Lowell's sensational claims that intelligent Martian civilizations had constructed vast canal systems across the red planet's surface. Through meticulous research and expert consultation, Wallace dismantles Lowell's arguments with hard evidence. Using spectroscopic analysis, he demonstrates the absence of water vapor in Mars's atmosphere—a crucial detail Lowell had overlooked. Wallace further exposes fatal flaws in Lowell's climate calculations, revealing dangerously inflated temperature estimates and highlighting how the planet's critically low atmospheric pressure would render liquid water, and any irrigation system, physically impossible. This compelling work of scientific argumentation showcases Wallace's methodical approach to combating pseudoscience with empirical analysis. Rather than dismissing Lowell outright, Wallace engages thoroughly with the opposing theory, examining each claim and explaining why the Martian environment simply cannot support the thriving civilization Lowell envisioned. Ideal for listeners interested in the history of astronomy, the evolution of scientific thinking, and early twentieth-century debates about life beyond Earth, this audiobook reveals how rigorous inquiry can overturn even the most popular misconceptions. Wallace's clear, authoritative voice makes complex planetary science accessible to general audiences while maintaining intellectual credibility.