Half a century ago, before the discovery of DNA, the Austrian physicist and philosopher Erwin Schrödinger inspired a generation of scientists by rephrasing the fascinating philosophical question: What is life? Using their expansive understanding of recent science to wonderful effect, acclaimed authors Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan revisit this timeless question in a fast-moving, wide-ranging narrative that combines rigorous science with philosophy, history, and poetry. The authors move deftly across a dazzling array of topics—from the dynamics of the bacterial realm, to the connection between sex and death, to theories of spirit and matter. They delve into the origins of life, offering the startling suggestion that life—not just human life—is free to act and has played an unexpectedly large part in its own evolution. Transcending the various formal concepts of life, this captivating book offers a unique overview of life's history, essences, and future.Supplementing the text are stunning illustrations that range from the smallest known organism (Mycoplasma bacteria) to the largest (the biosphere itself). Creatures both strange and familiar enhance the pages of What Is Life? Their existence prompts readers to reconsider preconceptions not only about life but also about their own part in it.
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What Is Life?
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Topic
PhilosophySubtopic
Political Philosophy
FIGURE
2.
Atmospheric
comparison
of
Earth
and
its
two
planetary
neighbors.
Note
the
comparatively
high
concentration
of
the
ex-
plosive
gas
oxygen
and
the
very
low
concentration
of
carbon
diox-
ide
on
Earth.
This
atmospheric
anomaly
results
from
the
incessant
activity
of
gas-exchanging
organisms.
The
minute
physiology
of
the
cell
over
geological
time
becomes
magnified
into
the
global
physi-
ology
of
the
biosphere.
Venus
Earth
Mars
CO
2
96.6%
N
2
3.2%
Trace
gases
0.2%
O
2
20.9%
Trace
gases
0.07%
CO
2
0.03%
N
2
79%
CO
2
95%
N
2
2.7%
Trace
gases
2.3%
Table of contents
- COVER
- TITLE
- COPYRIGHT
- CONTENTS
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- FOREWORD: Undreamt Philosophies
- 1 LIFE: THE ETERNAL ENIGMA
- 2 LOST SOULS
- 3 ONCE UPON A PLANET
- 4 MASTERS OF THE BIOSPHERE
- 5 PERMANENT MERGERS
- 6 THE AMAZING ANIMALS
- 7 FLESH OF THE EARTH
- 8 THE TRANSMUTATION OF SUNLIGHT
- 9 SENTIENT SYMPHONY
- EPILOGUE
- NOTES
- GLOSSARY
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- SOURCES OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- INDEX
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Yes, you can access What Is Life? by Lynn Margulis, Dorion Sagan in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Philosophy & Political Philosophy. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.