Did you ever see an Unidentified Flying Object?
Did you ever discover a message from an Extraterrestrial Civilization?
Did you ever find a Cosmic Artefact?
Did you do nothing or report it?
Read on to find out what happens to Luper and Leila!
Each of the characters in ‘The Palomar Paradox’ deals with the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) in their own way. As in real life, some believe; others don't want you to believe.
‘The Palomar Paradox’ sees Luper Beauchamps, a brilliant scientist, back in an astronomical observatory searching for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. He finds himself working with Leila Keiler, a young student recovering from leukaemia, and Karina Lowenhaupt, an experienced astronomer.
Other characters include, Trent Forsyth, a senior Pentagon official, and his intern, Rihanna Sørensen. They are charged chiefly with quashing all reports of, and evidence for, extraterrestrial activity.
As the SETI research continues at the Mount Palomar Observatory, unusual signals are picked up by a new radio telescope. The signals are dismissed, one by one, until …
A number of supplementary non-fiction sections are included in the book. These give detailed accounts of the Drake equation, the Arecibo message, the Pioneer plaque, Cosmic archaeology, Kardashev civilisations, and other topics relating to SETI. However, the novel itself can be read through from start to finish without any reference to these factual sections.