Dorion Sagan Pořadí knih (chronologicky)

The Gaia theory states that on Earth, life interacts with and eventually becomes its own environment. Gaia is a holistic perspective asserting that the Earth is a self-regulating complex system, resonant with the ancient magico-religious understanding that all is one. Innovated by the atmospheric chemist James Lovelock, supported by microbiologist Lynn Margulis and named by novelist William Golding, Gaia states that the temperature and composition of the Earth's atmosphere are actively regulated by the sum of life on the planet, which, seeking a physical and chemical environment optimal for contemporary life, influences the physical attributes of Earth on a planetary scale. In the way that the human mind extends DNA, the atmosphere is an extension of the biosphere: as above, so below. Fusing science, mathematics, philosophy, ecology and mythology, Gaia and Philosophy challenges the anthropocentrism of Western rationalist thought to propose a symbiotic planet. In its striking philosophical conclusion - that the cybernetic control of the Earth's surface by its organisms calls into question the alleged uniqueness of human intelligent consciousness - the revolutionary Gaia paradigm holds important implications not only for understanding life's past but for shaping its future.

Half a century ago the Austrian physicist and philosopher Erwin Schrodinger inspired a generation of scientists by rephrasing the philosophical question: What is life?. This text revisits this question in a narrative which combines rigorous science with philosophy, history and poetry. schovat popis

The Gaia theory argues that the Earth is poised to reproduce. Experiments show that mini-biospheres are a possibility - complete ecological systems in which life is possible. The author argues that these experiments give an indication of a possible future for both man and the Earth.

Margulis, Lynn, Investigator, Non-NASA Center: U MA, Amherst.