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Life through Time and Space
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Wallace Arthur
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Illustrator:
Stephen Arthur
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2017
About this book
All humans share three origins: the beginning of our individual lives, the appearance of life on Earth, and the formation of our planetary home. Wallace Arthur combines embryological, evolutionary, and cosmological perspectives to tell the story of life on Earth and its potential to exist elsewhere in the universe.
Reviews
Arthur writes clearly about many complex and varied subjects, and his enthusiasm for the material shows.
-- Marcos Huerta Science
-- Marcos Huerta Science
I can recommend this book without reservation. It contains an authoritative and fascinating account of evolution on Earth and, perhaps, further afield. Brilliant and thought-provoking in every way.
-- Sir Arnold Wolfendale, FRS, 14th Astronomer Royal
-- Sir Arnold Wolfendale, FRS, 14th Astronomer Royal
Science, as Wallace Arthur shows us in this delightful and blessedly jargon-free book, reveals to us things as they are, for what they are. Offering astronomical and biological perspectives on origins, life cycles, structure and function, and endings, Arthur shows that human existence is only one tiny, temporary strand in the endless weave of reality.
-- Ronald Jenner, Natural History Museum, London
-- Ronald Jenner, Natural History Museum, London
Arthur takes the reader on a breathtaking journey through time and space, astronomy and biology. What a delightfully written and intellectually stimulating book.
-- Alessandro Minelli, Professor Emeritus of Zoology in the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical, and Natural Sciences, University of Padua
-- Alessandro Minelli, Professor Emeritus of Zoology in the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical, and Natural Sciences, University of Padua
A farsighted, original, and thought-provoking trip through the evolution of life and the universe.
-- Rudolf Raff, Distinguished Professor and James H. Rudy Professor of Biology, Indiana University
-- Rudolf Raff, Distinguished Professor and James H. Rudy Professor of Biology, Indiana University
In an imaginative and highly enjoyable journey from atoms to galaxies, Wallace Arthur explores commonalities in cosmology, embryology, and evolution.
-- Vivian Irish, Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University
-- Vivian Irish, Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University
What a lovely book. Its scope is very ambitious—it brings together several different fields and perspectives that are all equally fascinating. And it deals with them in an intertwined way, moving from Earthly creatures to dying stars to alien life with a fluid curiosity that is infectious.
-- Julia Sigwart, Queen’s University, Belfast
-- Julia Sigwart, Queen’s University, Belfast
[Arthur] has a refreshingly jargon-free approach to science writing…The book tackles some immense scientific questions that are beyond our current capability to answer and, despite their complexity, gives the reader a framework to understand and contemplate their significance…Life through Time and Space takes the reader on a journey through the furthest regions of the universe, but ends with an introverted look at our own species.
-- Tiffany Taylor Times Higher Education
-- Tiffany Taylor Times Higher Education
For those of you curious about how a respected scientist whose specialty is in zoology (and evo-devo) might view life on our planet, Arthur’s perspective is an intriguing treat, giving us a new spin on an old cosmic tale, with novel details emphasized over what you might have heard before.
-- Ethan Siegel Forbes
-- Ethan Siegel Forbes
Life through Time and Space is an interesting look at an overwhelming subject…[Arthur's] treatment of the stages of formation and ultimately life as we know it is well done and intriguing. It would be difficult to find a more thorough, thought-provoking exercise…Arthur does a remarkable job of describing ‘evo-devo’ and eventually offers some predictions about the future of humans and species extinction.
-- F. W. Yow Choice
-- F. W. Yow Choice
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Frontmatter
i -
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Contents
vii -
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Preface
ix - I. From Stars To Embryos
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1. Galaxy Gazing
3 -
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2. Handy Man and Other Early People
15 -
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3. A Human with No Nerves
24 - II. Cycles Of Life
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4. From Celestial Furnaces
37 -
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5. Life Cycles: Animals versus Stars
49 -
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6. The Moment of Conception
61 - III. In The Beginning
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7. A Universe Begins
75 -
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8. The Opposite of a Whimper
88 -
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9. Our Internal Evolution
100 - IV. Structures And Functions
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10. Spacious Heavens
115 -
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11. The Ecological Theater
128 -
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12. Becoming an Adult
141 - V. From Boulders To Brains
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13. Rubble Around the Sun
155 -
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14. The Very First Animals
165 -
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15. Here Comes the Brain
175 - VI. Milestones Of Discovery
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16. Exoplanets and Aliens
189 -
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17. From Darwin to Darwinism
201 -
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18. Analyzing the Embryo
212 - VII. Endings And Enlightenment
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19. The End of the World
227 -
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20. Extinction and How to Avoid It
237 -
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21. From Embryo to Enlightenment
249 -
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Bibliography
265 -
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Acknowledgments
269 -
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Index
271
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
November 5, 2018
eBook ISBN:
9780674982246
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Main content:
296
Other:
7 line illustrations
