"This book is an attempt to trace the majestic immense journey from the coming into being of the universe to the emergence and evolution of life. It is intended to complement the many excellent books that cover different aspects of this journey. The contents have been classified into five parts...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Bibliographische Detailangaben

1. Verfasser:	Marsh, Gerald E (VerfasserIn)
Format:	Elektronisch E-Book
Sprache:	English
Veröffentlicht:	Singapore World Scientific Publishing Company Pte Limited 2018
Schlagworte:	Evolution (Biology) Cosmology Electronic books Universe
Online-Zugang:	UBY01 Volltext
Zusammenfassung:	"This book is an attempt to trace the majestic immense journey from the coming into being of the universe to the emergence and evolution of life. It is intended to complement the many excellent books that cover different aspects of this journey. The contents have been classified into five parts. Part I covers the coming into existence of the universe while Part II presents the beginning of life on the early Earth, following which Part III discusses the emergence of consciousness and intelligence, and Part IV, the immense journey of the universe beyond Earth. Finally, Part V addresses the problems raised by the rise of higher-order consciousness in human beings as captured by the phrase "the human condition"."--
Beschreibung:	Includes bibliographical references and index In the beginning -- Quantum foundations and the building blocks of matter. Does God play dice?: conceptual quantum physics for the perplexed ; The Feynman path integral ; Entanglement ; The basic building blocks of matter -- Let there be light -- Prebiotic molecules and protocells. Prebiotic molecules ; Protocells -- The first cells. Metabolism ; The beginning of life ; The early Earth: plate tectonics and serpentinization ; Proteins and the genetic code of early life ; The tree of life from Darwin to Woese ; An endosymbiotic interlude ; The tree of life revisited ; Photosyntesis and the oxygenation of the atmosphere ; The evolution of multicellularity -- Darwinian evolution and beyond. Horizontal or lateral gene transfer ; Tempo and mode ; Epigenetics ; Epigenetics and phenotypic plasticity -- Sense, thought and consciousness. Modes of thought ; Vision ; Primary consciousness ; The special case of dolphins ; Higher-order consciousness ; The human advantage ; Cultural evolution and social Darwinism ; The neural basis of human language ; Homunculus: the "I" or inner self ; The ultimate source of consciousness ; Emergence in biological neural networks ; The neural basis of memory -- Beyond our Earth. Thermal history of the Earth ; Venus and the runaway greenhouse effect ; Life on other planets in the solar system -- Civilization and its discontents. The evolution of humans, race, and culture -- Race ; Human capabilities and culture ; The human condition: past and present ; The human condition and the 21st century ; The tragedy of the commons ; Sources of energy ; What is wrong with the climate models? ; Automation and education ; Preconditions for reversing current trends ; A gloomy prediction -- Coda and implications
Beschreibung:	1 online resource (341 pages) illustrations (some color)
ISBN:	9789813235755