More than thirty years after his landmark book Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (1985), biologist Michael Denton revisits his earlier thesis about the inability of Darwinian evolution to explain the history of life. He argues that there remains "an irresistible consilience of evidence for rejecting Darwinian cumulative selection as the major driving force of evolution." From the origin of life to the origin of human language, the great divisions in the natural order are still as prof...

For years, leading scientists and science popularizers have insisted humans are nothing special in the cosmic scheme of things. In this important and provocative new book, renowned biologist Michael Denton argues otherwise. According to Denton, the cosmos is stunningly fit not just for cellular life, not just for carbon-based animal life, and not even just for air-breathing animals, but especially for bipedal, land-roving, technology-pursuing creatures of our general physiological design. ...

From computers to airplanes to life-giving medicines, the technological marvels of our world were made possible by the human use of fire. But the use of fire itself was made possible by an array of features built into the human body and the planet. In Fire-Maker, biologist Michael Denton explores the special features of nature that equipped humans to harness the powers of fire and remake their world.

From roaring waterfalls and crashing waves to gentle rain and billowing clouds, water pervades our planet's majestic biosphere. It is easy to take for granted. But this ever-present substance is amazingly fit in a myriad of ways to sustain life on Earth, especially human life. Its unique properties allow it to fill many roles throughout the biological world, from forming the matrix of our cells, to regulating the temperature of our planet.In The Wonder of Water, biologist ...

We associate light with the radiant beams that make the world visible to us. But the visible spectrum is only a tiny percentage of an electromagnetic spectrum that extends unimaginably far in both directions. And, as biologist Michael Denton carefully documents, that tiny band of visual light is crucial to life on Earth.In Children of Light, Denton elucidates the miraculous convergence of properties on the tiny band we call the visible spectrum that has allowed intelligent...

The Miracle of the Cell provides compelling evidence that long before life emerged on our planet, the design of the carbon-based cell was foreshadowed in the order of nature, in the exquisite fitness of the laws of nature for this foundational unit of all life on Earth. Nowhere is this fitness more apparent than in the properties of the key atomic constituents of the cell. Each of the atoms of life—including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, as well as several metal elements—features...

More than thirty years after his landmark book Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (1985), biologist Michael Denton revisits his earlier thesis about the inability of Darwinian evolution to explain the history of life. He argues that there remains “an irresistible consilience of evidence for rejecting Darwinian cumulative selection as the major driving force of evolution.” From the origin of life to the origin of human language, the great divisions in the natural order are still as prof...

Both simple and accessible, Science in Seconds is a visually led introduction to 200 key scientific ideas. Each concept is incredibly quick and easy to remember, described by means of an easy-to-understand picture and a maximum 200-word explanation.Concepts span all of the key scientific disciplines including Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Ecology, Biotechnology, Anatomy and Physiology, Medicine, Earth Science, Energy Generation, Astronomy, Spaceflight and Information Technology.

One of Britain's foremost astrobiologists offers an accessible and game-changing account of life on Earth.__________________Why is all life based on carbon rather than silicon?And beyond Earth, would life - if it exists - look like our own?__________________The puzzles of life astound and confuse us like no other mystery. But in this groundbreaking book, Professor Charles Cockell reve...

Quantum Evolution presents a revolutionary new scientific theory by asking: is there a force of will behind evolution? In his astonishing first book, Johnjoe McFadden shows that there is.‘McFadden’s bold hypothesis that quantum physics plays a key role in the origin and evolution of life looks increasingly plausible. The weird behaviour of matter and information at the quantum level could be just what is needed to explain life’s astonishing properties. If these ideas are right, the...

In a wonderful synthesis of science, history, and imagination, Gino Segrè, an internationally renowned theoretical physicist, embarks on a wide-ranging exploration of how the fundamental scientific concept of temperature is bound up with the very essence of both life and matter. Why is the internal temperature of most mammals fixed near 98.6°? How do geologists use temperature to track the history of our planet? Why is the quest for absolute zero and its quantum mechanical significance the...

Science 1001 provides clear and concise explanations of the most fundamental and fascinating scientific concepts. Distilled into 1001 bite-sized mini-essays arranged thematically, this unique reference book moves steadily from the basics through to the most advanced of ideas, making it the ideal guide for novices and science enthusiasts.Whether used as a handy reference, an informal self-study course or simply as a gratifying dip-in, this book offers - in one volume - a world of cu...