Life On Earth-like Planets

Gaia And Her Sisters

Gerald E Marsh (Retired, Argonne Nat'l Lab, Usa)

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Hardback

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English

World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd
11 October 2024

Thermodynamics & heat; Early man

Summary
Details

From its ancient Greek roots to Lovelock's groundbreaking 1979 book, the concept of Gaia has evolved to depict Earth as a single, intricate organism sustaining life through the interplay of its organic and inorganic elements. From the Hadean epoch, where life's emergence radically transformed our planet, to the present, Earth stands as our sole model for understanding life's potential on other Earth-like worlds. While the lifeforms that evolve on Earth-like planets would not necessarily be identical to those on Earth, they must satisfy the same constraints. These constraints are the central subject of this book.

Exploring Earth's early conditions during the Hadean era, when oceans dominated and oxygen was scarce, the book illuminates the daunting challenges life faced. Yet, life found its foothold, driven by thermodynamic favorability amidst high tides and shorter days, laying the groundwork for its inevitable emergence. Delving into the fundamental principles of matter and quantum mechanics, the book further highlights life's origin as a product of complex molecular interactions overcoming energy constraints. With insights into the statistical approach to life's origins and the fallacies in estimating life's probability on other planets, the book redefines life as a natural process governed by universal laws.

As an underlying theme of this book, life's evolution towards complexity is portrayed as a harmonious extension of non-living processes, challenging the limited conventional view of thermodynamics. Readers will come to appreciate that Earth is a testament to life's resilience and the intricate tapestry woven by biochemical forces across the cosmos.

By: Gerald E Marsh (Retired Argonne Nat'l Lab Usa)
Imprint: World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd
Country of Publication: Singapore
ISBN: 9789811295072
ISBN 10: 9811295077
Pages: 164
Publication Date: 11 October 2024
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active