Worldy wisdom: The essential companion for our journey into the future
Human beings are extraordinary creatures. Intelligent, agile, and curious, we have adapted and invented our way to becoming the most important species on the planet. So great is the extent of our influence, that many speak of anew geological era, the Anthropocene, an age defined by human-induced change to the blue and green globe we call home.
Our lofty status comes with responsibility as much as possibility: How should we travel through this new Earth age? What knowledge should we carry with us? This illustrated anthology is aguide book for being human in the 21st century. Conceived by James Lovelock, inventor of the Gaia theory, the book encourages holistic understanding. Much as Gaia theory considers our earth as an integrated whole of living systems,The Earth and I brings together an all-star lineup of contributors from across the scientific spectrum to offer wide understanding who and where we are.
True to the very best travel guides, The Earth and I takes in the intricate details as much as the immense structures. Across 12 chapters, we zoom in from our ever-expanding universe to our miniscule but mighty cells. We make stopovers in astronomy, geology, neuroscience, and economics. We seestellar explosions, consider the layers of life beneath our feet, get to grips with the facts beneath theclimate controversies, and contemplate our increasing intimacy with technology—all brought to visual life by the vibrant illustration of British artist Jack Hudson.
Our expert travel escorts along the way include quantum physicist Lisa Randall, Astronomer Royal Martin Rees, Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist Edward O. Wilson, andNobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Eric Kandel. Their captivating accounts of our earth and our existence share not only essential understanding but also thrilling sparks ofinnovation, opinion, and discovery. The result is an inspiration for curious minds young and old, and atrusted toolkit for an informed and enlightened future.
Arvustused
a beautifully illustrated book of essays * The Guardian * a beautiful, handy explainer on the evolution of the planet. * Wired.com * Across 12 chapters, youll take in the intricate details and immense structures of our species and our planet, from our minuscule but mighty cells to our ever-expanding universe. * ES Magazine *
| The Story of This Book |
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7 | (2) |
| The Most Important Animal On Earth |
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9 | (5) |
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14 | (16) |
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Our Setting on a Stage of Stars |
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30 | (12) |
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The Inner Atom and Outer Space |
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42 | (8) |
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Reading the Earth's Medical Chart |
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50 | (8) |
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58 | (10) |
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68 | (18) |
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The Web of Planetary Existence |
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HOMO SAPIENS AND THE ANTHROPOCENE |
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86 | (14) |
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The Molecular Beadwork that makes Life tick |
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100 | (10) |
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Where Actions and Decisions Begin |
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110 | (10) |
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The Enlightenment versus the Earth |
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120 | (12) |
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Population and Consumption |
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132 | (12) |
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The Angels and Demons of Technology |
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144 | (10) |
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The Origins of Human Economics and Value |
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| Conclusion |
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154 | (6) |
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| Glossary |
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160 | |
Martin Rees is the UK Astronomer Royal and Emeritus Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge. He has authored or co-authored more than 500 research papers and eight books, with special interests in high-energy astrophysics and early generation of stars and galaxies. Reess international awards include the Balzan Prize and the World Cultural Councils Einstein Award. Lisa Randall is Professor of Science at Harvard University and a leading expert on particle physics and cosmology. Her research focuses in particular on extra dimensions of space. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and was on the list of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2007. Lee R. Kump is Professor and Departmental Head of Geosciences at Penn State. He is a fellow of the Geological Societies of America and London and an affiliate of the NASA Astrobiology Institute and Penn States Earth System Science Center. In 2000, he was awarded the Geological Society of Americas Distinguished Service Medal. Tim Radford is a freelance journalist and former science editor of The Guardian. He won the Association of British Science Writers science writer of the year award four times and a lifetime achievement award in 2005. He is an honorary fellow of the British Science Association and fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Vicky Pope is Head of Integration and Growth at the UK Met Office. She was a founding member of the Hadley Centre, set up in 1990 to provide climate predictions to underpin government policy, and served on the Global Environmental Change Committee between 200510. Edward O. Wilson is University Research Professor Emeritus at Harvard and recognized as one of the worlds most distinguished scientists, as well as the father of biodiversity. A biologist and naturalist, with a particular specialism in the behavior of ants, Wilson draws on his deep knowledge of the Earths smaller creatures to explore the planets intricately interconnected natural systems. Oliver Morton is a science writer and editor, with numerous contributions to Discover, National Geographic, and Wired, among other publications. He is Briefings Editor at The Economist and former News and Features Editor at Nature. Morton is a fellow of the Hybrid Vigor Institute, created to facilitate the exchange and cultivation of interest in interdisciplinary science research. Eric Kandel is a Professor of Brain Science at Columbia University and founding director of the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior. In 2000, he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying learning and memory. John Gray is a political philosopher with interests in analytical philosophy and the history of ideas. He is former Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics and Visiting Professor at Harvard and Yale. Gray contributes regularly to The Guardian, The Times Literary Supplement, and the New Statesman, where he is the lead book reviewer. Fred Pearce is a freelance author and journalist and a fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. He has been the environment consultant of New Scientist since 1992 and won a lifetime achievement award from the Association of British Science Writers in 2011. Bryan Appleyard is a freelance journalist and author, and former fellow of the World Economic Forum. He was former Financial News Editor at The Times and is currently a special feature writer for The Sunday Times. Tomá Sedláek is an economist, university lecturer, and author. Economic advisor to former President Václav Havel, Sedláek is now the Chief Macroeconomic Strategist at SOB and a member of the World Economic Forums Global Agenda Council focused on New Economic Thinking. James Lovelock is an independent scientist, environmentalist, and originator of the Gaia theory which considers the Earth a living and evolving system striving to regulate itself so that contemporary life can flourish. Lovelock has been cited as one of the worlds top 100 intellectuals (Prospect), a scientific visionary (The Times), and one of the greatest thinkers of our time (New Scientist). Jack Hudson is a British illustrator with a particular interest in scientific subjects and the interaction of macro and micro scales. His portfolio includes work for The New York Times, Transport for London, Google Chrome, and The Guardian.
