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| peter ward joe kirschvink: A New History of Life Peter Ward, Joe Kirschvink, 2015-04-07 The history of life on Earth is, in some form or another, known to us all--or so we think. A New History of Life offers a provocative new account, based on the latest scientific research, of how life on our planet evolved--the first major new synthesis for general readers in two decades. Charles Darwin's theories, first published more than 150 years ago, form the backbone of how we understand the history of the Earth. In reality, the currently accepted history of life on Earth is so flawed, so out of date, that it's past time we need a 'New History of Life.' In their latest book, Joe Kirschvink and Peter Ward will show that many of our most cherished beliefs about the evolution of life are wrong. Gathering and analyzing years of discoveries and research not yet widely known to the public, A New History of Life proposes a different origin of species than the one Darwin proposed, one which includes eight-foot-long centipedes, a frozen “snowball Earth”, and the seeds for life originating on Mars. Drawing on their years of experience in paleontology, biology, chemistry, and astrobiology, experts Ward and Kirschvink paint a picture of the origins life on Earth that are at once too fabulous to imagine and too familiar to dismiss--and looking forward, A New History of Life brilliantly assembles insights from some of the latest scientific research to understand how life on Earth can and might evolve far into the future. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: A New History of Life Peter Ward, Joe Kirschvink, 2015-03-10 Draws on cutting-edge research in a variety of scientific disciplines to outline provocative new theories about the evolution of life on Earth that challenge mainstream Darwinian beliefs and make predictions about future evolutions. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: A New History of Life Peter Ward, Joe Kirschvink, 2016-01-14 An estimated 4.6 billion years ago, the Earth and Moon were formed in a violent impact. On this, many agree, and even more that a long time after that, life began. However, few know that the first life on the Earth may not have emerged on this planet, but could, in fact, have begun on Mars, brought here by meteorites. In this revolutionary book, leading scientists Peter Ward and Joe Kirschvink rewrite the principal account of the history of life on Earth. They show not only how the rise of animals was delayed for billions of years, but also what it was that first forced fish out of the sea and onto the land. Together, the two scientists explain how developments in the environment led to multiple Ice Ages before the emergence of dinosaurs and other giant animals, and what the true cause of these great beasts' eventual extinction was. Finally, charting the course of our own evolution, they explore whether this generation will see the end of the human species. A New History of Life proves not only that much of what we think we know should be unlearned, but also that the true history of life on Earth is much more surprising and wonderful than we could ever have imagined. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History Stephen Jay Gould, 1990-09-17 [An] extraordinary book. . . . Mr. Gould is an exceptional combination of scientist and science writer. . . . He is thus exceptionally well placed to tell these stories, and he tells them with fervor and intelligence.—James Gleick, New York Times Book Review High in the Canadian Rockies is a small limestone quarry formed 530 million years ago called the Burgess Shale. It hold the remains of an ancient sea where dozens of strange creatures lived—a forgotten corner of evolution preserved in awesome detail. In this book Stephen Jay Gould explores what the Burgess Shale tells us about evolution and the nature of history. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Marine Mammals Ashore Joseph R. Geraci, Valerie J. Lounsbury, 2005 Comprehensive manual for understanding and carrying out marine mammal rescue activities for stranded seals, manatees, dolphins, whales, or sea otters. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Welcome to the Universe Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, J. Richard Gott, 2017-09-12 An essential companion to the New York Times bestseller Welcome to the Universe Here is the essential companion to Welcome to the Universe, a New York Times bestseller that was inspired by the enormously popular introductory astronomy course for non science majors that Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott taught together at Princeton. This problem book features more than one hundred problems and exercises used in the original course—ideal for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of the original material and to learn to think like an astrophysicist. Whether you’re a student or teacher, citizen scientist or science enthusiast, your guided tour of the cosmos just got even more hands-on with Welcome to the Universe: The Problem Book. The essential companion book to the acclaimed bestseller Features the problems used in the original introductory astronomy course for non science majors at Princeton University Organized according to the structure of Welcome to the Universe, empowering readers to explore real astrophysical problems that are conceptually introduced in each chapter Problems are designed to stimulate physical insight into the frontier of astrophysics Problems develop quantitative skills, yet use math no more advanced than high school algebra Problems are often multipart, building critical thinking and quantitative skills and developing readers’ insight into what astrophysicists do Ideal for course use—either in tandem with Welcome to the Universe or as a supplement to courses using standard astronomy textbooks—or self-study Tested in the classroom over numerous semesters for more than a decade Prefaced with a review of relevant concepts and equations Full solutions and explanations are provided, allowing students and other readers to check their own understanding |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Rare Earth Peter D. Ward, Donald Brownlee, 2007-05-08 In November 12, 2002, Dr. John Chambers of the NASA Ames Research Center gave a seminar to the Astrobiology Group at the University of Washington. The audience of about 100 listened with rapt attention as Chambers described results from a computer study of how planetary systems form. The goal of his research was to answer a deceptively simple question: How often would newly forming planetary systems produce Earth-like planets, given a star the size of our own sun? By “Earth-like” Chambers meant a rocky planet with water on its surface, orbiting within a star’s “habitable zone. ” This not-too-hot and not-too-cold inner region, relatively close to the star, supports the presence of liquid water on a planet surface for hundreds of million of years—the time-span probably necessary for the evolution of life. To answer the question of just how many Earth-like planets might be spawned in such a planetary system, Chambers had spent thousands of hours running highly sophisticated modeling programs through arrays of powerful computers. The results presented at the meeting were startling. The simulations showed that rocky planets orbiting at the “right” distances from the central star are easily formed, but they can end up with a wide range of water content. Earth seems to be quite a gem—a rocky planet where not only can liquid water exist for long periods of time, but where water can be found as a heathy oceanful—not too little and not too much. Our planet seems to reside in a benign region of the Galaxy, where comet and asteroid bombardment is tolerable and habitable-zone planets can commonly grow to Earth size. Such real estate in our galaxy—perhaps in any galaxy—is prime for life. And rare as well. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: A New Map of Wonders Caspar Henderson, 2017-10-26 A New Map of Wonders charts a course through the realm of the fascinating and awe-inspiring. With the curiosity and enthusiasm of a great explorer, the award-winning Caspar Henderson celebrates and explains the wonder of light and the origins of the universe, the myriad marvels of the human body and the natural world -- and reveals the wonders to come: the technologies that will transform human experience and change what we will find wonderful. Drawing on philosophy and natural history, art and religion, neuroscience and nanotechnology, A New Map of Wonders is a celebration of life -- a rich and inspiring guide, encouraging us to see the world anew. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Future Evolution Peter D. Ward, 2002-01-06 Everyone wonders what tomorrow holds, but what will the real future look like? Not decades or even hundreds of years from now, but thousands or millions of years into the future. Will our species change radically? Or will we become builders of the next dominant intelligence on Earth- the machine? These and other seemingly fantastic scenarios are the very possible realities explored in Peter Ward's Future Evolution, a penetrating look at what might come next in the history of the planet. Looking to the past for clues about the future, Ward describes how the main catalyst for evolutionary change has historically been mass extinction. While many scientist direly predict that humanity will eventually create such a situation, Ward argues that one is already well underway--the extinction of large mammals--and that a new Age of Humanity is coming that will radically revise the diversity of life on Earth. Finally, Ward examines the question of human extinction and reaches the startling conclusion that the likeliest scenario is not our imminent demise but long term survival--perhaps reaching as far as the death of the Sun! Full of Alexis Rockman's breathtaking color images of what animals, plants and other organisms might look like thousands and millions of years from now, Future Evolution takes readers on an incredible journey through time from the deep past into the far future. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Life: The First Four Billion Years Martin Jenkins, 2019-09-10 Award-winning children’s book creators Martin Jenkins and Grahame Baker-Smith team up for a large-scale look at our planet, from the big bang to the dinosaurs and beyond. Before humans took their first steps, there were billions of years of vibrant and varied life-forms on Earth. Discover the story of our planet during this time, from the formation of the universe to the first mammals and all the incredible life that flourished in between. Covering ice ages and fossils, the first life in the sea and on land, the time of the dinosaurs, and the rise of mammals, Martin Jenkins navigates through millennia of prehistory in a style both enthralling and accessible. With superb illustrations from Kate Greenaway Medal winner Grahame Baker-Smith, this is a captivating journey through the life of our planet before we called it ours. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Life as We Do Not Know It Peter Ward, 2007-02-27 An engrossing and revelatory first look at the search for alien life—on Earth and beyond For the past twenty years, Peter Ward has been at the forefront of popular science writing, with books such as the influential and controversial Rare Earth. In Life as We Do Not Know It, Ward, with his signature blend of eloquence, humor, and learned insight, vividly details the latest scientific findings, cutting-edge research, and intrepid new theories on the subject of alien life and the possible extraterrestrial origins of life on Earth. In lucid, entertaining, and bold prose, Peter Ward once again challenges our notions of life on earth (and beyond). |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Cooperative Evolution Christopher Bryant, Valerie A. Brown, 2021-03-16 Cooperative Evolution offers a fresh account of evolution consistent with Charles Darwin’s own account of a cooperative, inter-connected, buzzing and ever-changing world. Told in accessible language, treating evolutionary change as a cooperative enterprise brings some surprising shifts from the traditional emphasis on the dominance of competition. The book covers many evolutionary changes reconsidered as cooperation. These include the cooperative origins of life, evolution as a spiral rather than a ladder or tree, humans as a part of natural systems rather than the purpose, relationships between natural and social change, and the role of the individual in adaptive radiation onto new ground. The story concludes with a projection of human evolution from the past into the future. ‘Environmental studies courses have needed a book like Cooperative Evolution for a long time. It is a boon for those teaching the complexity of the evolutionary story.’ — Dr John A. Harris, BSc(Hons) MSc PhD, School of Environmental Science, University of Canberra ‘As a regenerative, holistic-thinking farmer I daily witness the results of cooperative evolution as the seasons unfold. A pleasure to read, Cooperative Evolution gives entry to recent thinking on evolutionary processes.’ — David Marsh, MSA, ‘Allendale’, Boorowa, New South Wales, 2018 National Individual Landcarer Award recipient ‘This book is an engaging new look at ideas about evolution as we know it today. In the hands of two eminent biologists, it presents an approachable yet challenging argument. I heartily recommend it.’ — Emeritus Professor Sue Stocklmayer AO, BSc MSc PhD, Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, The Australian National University |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Origin Story David Christian, 2018-05-22 This New York Times bestseller elegantly weaves evidence and insights . . . into a single, accessible historical narrative (Bill Gates) and presents a captivating history of the universe -- from the Big Bang to dinosaurs to mass globalization and beyond. Most historians study the smallest slivers of time, emphasizing specific dates, individuals, and documents. But what would it look like to study the whole of history, from the big bang through the present day -- and even into the remote future? How would looking at the full span of time change the way we perceive the universe, the earth, and our very existence? These were the questions David Christian set out to answer when he created the field of Big History, the most exciting new approach to understanding where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. In Origin Story, Christian takes readers on a wild ride through the entire 13.8 billion years we've come to know as history. By focusing on defining events (thresholds), major trends, and profound questions about our origins, Christian exposes the hidden threads that tie everything together -- from the creation of the planet to the advent of agriculture, nuclear war, and beyond. With stunning insights into the origin of the universe, the beginning of life, the emergence of humans, and what the future might bring, Origin Story boldly reframes our place in the cosmos. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: The Creator and the Cosmos Hugh Norman Ross, 2001 Few of us can venture outside on a clear, dark night and not pause for a silent, reflective look at the stars. For countless centuries people have felt a sense of wonder about the heavens. How did our universe come into being? Has it always been here? Is our existence due to random chance or supernatural design? Is God out there? If so, what is He like? Traditionally, the church has answered such questions with Scripture, while science has contributed theories and formulas of its own. Torn between a deep respect for church doctrines and an intellectual need for answers that support what their senses are telling them, many Christians have avoided such discussions altogether. Actually, the two sides are no longer that far apart. In The Creator and the Cosmos, astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross explains how recent scientific measurements of the universe have clearly pointed to the existence of God. Whether you're looking for scientific support for your faith or new reasons to believe, The Creator and the Cosmos will enable you to see the Creator for yourself. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Finding Peace Koushiki Choudhury, 2017-03-06 This book explores the joyous, hope-filled and life-changing philosophies of Nichiren Buddhism and Rabindranath Tagore the practice of which empower us, transforming our sufferings, bringing forth our limitless potential and giving us the courage and confidence to overcome any adversity, and fulfill our dreams. In essence, the philosophies of Nichiren and Tagore enable us to find peace and happiness. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: The Next Supercontinent Ross Mitchell, 2023-05-24 An internationally recognized scientist shows that Earth’s separate continents, once together in Pangea, are again on a collision course. You’ve heard of Pangea, the single landmass that broke apart some 175 million years ago to give us our current continents, but what about its predecessors, Rodinia or Columbia? These “supercontinents” from Earth’s past provide evidence that land repeatedly joins and separates. While scientists debate what that next supercontinent will look like—and what to name it—they all agree: one is coming. In this engaging work, geophysicist Ross Mitchell invites readers to remote (and sometimes treacherous) lands for evidence of past supercontinents, delves into the phenomena that will birth the next, and presents the case for the future supercontinent of Amasia, defined by the merging of North America and Asia. Introducing readers to plate tectonic theory through fieldwork adventures and accessible scientific descriptions, Mitchell considers flows deep in the Earth’s mantle to explain Amasia’s future formation and shows how this developing theory can illuminate other planetary mysteries. He then poses the inevitable question: how can humanity survive the intervening 200 million years necessary to see Amasia? An expert on the supercontinent cycle, Mitchell offers readers a front-row seat to a slow-motion mystery and an ongoing scientific debate. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Dark Skies Daniel Deudney, 2020-03-02 Space is again in the headlines. E-billionaires Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are planning to colonize Mars. President Trump wants a Space Force to achieve space dominance with expensive high-tech weapons. The space and nuclear arms control regimes are threadbare and disintegrating. Would-be asteroid collision diverters, space solar energy collectors, asteroid miners, and space geo-engineers insistently promote their Earth-changing mega-projects. Given our many looming planetary catastrophes (from extreme climate change to runaway artificial superintelligence), looking beyond the earth for solutions might seem like a sound strategy for humanity. And indeed, bolstered by a global network of fervent space advocates-and seemingly rendered plausible, even inevitable, by oceans of science fiction and the wizardly of modern cinema-space beckons as a fully hopeful path for human survival and flourishing, a positive future in increasingly dark times. But despite even basic questions of feasibility, will these many space ventures really have desirable effects, as their advocates insist? In the first book to critically assess the major consequences of space activities from their origins in the 1940s to the present and beyond, Daniel Deudney argues in Dark Skies that the major result of the Space Age has been to increase the likelihood of global nuclear war, a fact conveniently obscured by the failure of recognize that nuclear-armed ballistic missiles are inherently space weapons. The most important practical finding of Space Age science, also rarely emphasized, is the discovery that we live on Oasis Earth, tiny and fragile, and teeming with astounding life, but surrounded by an utterly desolate and inhospitable wilderness stretching at least many trillions of miles in all directions. As he stresses, our focus must be on Earth and nowhere else. Looking to the future, Deudney provides compelling reasons why space colonization will produce new threats to human survival and not alleviate the existing ones. That is why, he argues, we should fully relinquish the quest. Mind-bending and profound, Dark Skies challenges virtually all received wisdom about the final frontier. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: The Life and Death of Planet Earth Peter Douglas Ward, Donald Brownlee, 2007-08-01 This is the first real biography of the Earth - not only a brilliant portrait of the emergence and evolution of life on this planet, but a vivid and frightening look at Earth's remote future. Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee combine storytelling power with extreme scientific care, and their narrative is as transfixing as any of H.G. Wells's fantasies, but more enthralling, for Ward and Brownlee have real power to prognosticate. This is a book that makes one shiver, but also inspires one to wonder how humanity (if we survive in the short term) will fare in the distant future. Oliver Sachs Peter Ward and Don Brownlee, a geologist and an astronomer respectively, are in the vanguard of the new field of astrobiology. Combining their knowledge of the evolution of life on our planet with their understanding of the life cycles of stars and solar systems, the authors tell the awe-inspiring story of the second half of Earth's life. The process of planetary evolution will essentially reverse itself; life as we know it will subside until only the simplest forms remain. The oceans will evaporate, and as the sun slowly expands, Earth itself will eventually meet a fiery end. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: The Limitations of Theological Truth Nigel Brush, 2019-03-26 Theology is based on God's true and unchanging Word, but does the Bible supply an unwavering foundation for spiritual certainties? Perhaps surprisingly, Brush contends that it does not, because, like science, it is a human discipline and subject to our limitations of knowledge, interpretation, and objectivity. In part one, Brush unpacks this contention, showing how Christians both past and present have arrived at conclusions that actually run counter to biblical teaching, and how these interpretive viewpoints have changed over time. In part two, he makes the case that flawed theological positions have resulted in views that needlessly conflict with science, and that these clashes can be resolved with more accurate formulations. Brush evenly evaluates questions including the age of the earth, the origin of life, and the end of time. Christians who wish to better understand the relationship between their faith and science will be encouraged by the great harmony that Brush sees between scientific findings and biblical teaching. As he guides readers into an awareness of the inherent limitations of our knowledge, believers can cultivate greater humility regarding these contested issues. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record Michael J. Benton, David A. T. Harper, 2013-04-25 This book presents a comprehensive overview of the science of the history of life. Paleobiologists bring many analytical tools to bear in interpreting the fossil record and the book introduces the latest techniques, from multivariate investigations of biogeography and biostratigraphy to engineering analysis of dinosaur skulls, and from homeobox genes to cladistics. All the well-known fossil groups are included, including microfossils and invertebrates, but an important feature is the thorough coverage of plants, vertebrates and trace fossils together with discussion of the origins of both life and the metazoans. All key related subjects are introduced, such as systematics, ecology, evolution and development, stratigraphy and their roles in understanding where life came from and how it evolved and diversified. Unique features of the book are the numerous case studies from current research that lead students to the primary literature, analytical and mathematical explanations and tools, together with associated problem sets and practical schedules for instructors and students. “..any serious student of geology who does not pick this book off the shelf will be putting themselves at a huge disadvantage. The material may be complex, but the text is extremely accessible and well organized, and the book ought to be essential reading for palaeontologists at undergraduate, postgraduate and more advanced levels—both in Britain as well as in North America.” Falcon-Lang, H., Proc. Geol. Assoc. 2010 “...this is an excellent introduction to palaeontology in general. It is well structured, accessibly written and pleasantly informative .....I would recommend this as a standard reference text to all my students without hesitation.” David Norman Geol Mag 2010 Companion website This book includes a companion website at: www.blackwellpublishing.com/paleobiology The website includes: · An ongoing database of additional Practical’s prepared by the authors · Figures from the text for downloading · Useful links for each chapter · Updates from the authors |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Astrobiology Gerda Horneck, Christa Baumstark-Khan, 2012-12-06 How did life originate in the universe? How did it all start after the creation of matter and the formation of elements in the stars? What are the pathways from the first organic molecules in space to the evolution of complex life forms on Earth and perhaps elsewhere? And how will it all end? The Universe itself sets the stage for the very interdisciplinary field of astrobiology that attempts to answer such questions, the central one being: What is the (cosmic) recipe for life? Currently there are only very few known elements in this vast mosaic. This book bridges a gap in the literature by bringing together leading specialists from different backgrounds who lecture on their fields, with close relevance to astrobiology, providing tutorial accounts that lead all the way to the forefront of research. The book will thus be useful for students, lecturers and reseachers alike. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Lamarck's Revenge Peter Ward, 2018-08-14 A riveting explanation of epigenetics, offering startling insights into our inheritable traits. In the 1700s, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck first described epigenetics to explain the inheritance of acquired characteristics; however, his theory was supplanted in the 1800s by Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection through heritable genetic mutations. But natural selection could not adequately explain how rapidly species re-diversified and repopulated after mass extinctions. Now advances in the study of DNA and RNA have resurrected epigenetics, which can create radical physical and physiological changes in subsequent generations by the simple addition of a single small molecule, thus passing along a propensity for molecules to attach in the same places in the next generation. Epigenetics is a complex process, but paleontologist and astrobiologist Peter Ward breaks it down for general readers, using the epigenetic paradigm to reexamine how the history of our species-from deep time to the outbreak of the Black Plague and into the present-has left its mark on our physiology, behavior, and intelligence. Most alarming are chapters about epigenetic changes we are undergoing now triggered by toxins, environmental pollutants, famine, poor nutrition, and overexposure to violence. Lamarck's Revenge is an eye-opening and provocative exploration of how traits are inherited, and how outside influences drive what we pass along to our progeny. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: American Trinity Larry Len Peterson, 2017-09-11 American Trinity is for everyone who loves the American West and wants to learn more about the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is a sprawling story with a scholarly approach in method but accessible in manner. In this innovative examination, Dr. Larry Len Peterson explores the origins, development, and consequences of hatred and racism from the time modern humans left Africa 100,000 years ago to the forced placement of Indian children on off-reservation schools far from home in the late 1800s. Along the way, dozens of notable individuals and cultures are profiled. Many historical events turned on the lives of legendary Americans like the Father of the West, Thomas Jefferson, and the Son of the West, George Armstrong Custer - two strange companions who shared an unshakable sense of their own skills - as their interpretation of truths motivated them in the winning of the West. Dr. Peterson reveals how anti-Indian sentiments were always only obliquely about them. They were victims but not the cause. The Indian was a symbol, not a real person. The politics of hate and racism directed toward them was also experienced in prior centuries by Jews, enslaved Africans, and other Christians. Hatred and racism, when taken into the public domain, are singularly difficult to justify, which is why Europeans and Americans have always sought vindication from the highest sources of authority in their cultures. In the Middle Ages it was religion supplemented later by the philosophy of the Enlightenment. In nineteenth-century Europe and America, religion and philosophy were joined by science and medicine to support Manifest Destiny, scientific racism, and social Darwinism, all of which had profound consequences on Native Americans and the Spirit of the West. Presenting research in anthropology, archaeology, biology, history, law, medicine, religion, philosophy, and psychology, Dr. Peterson provides the latest observations that delineate why the Native American's life was destroyed. American Trinity is a stunning portrait, a view at once unique, panoramic, and intimate. It is a fascinating book that will make you think about the differences between belief and knowledge; about the self-skepticism of science and medicine; and about what aspects of the world we take on faith. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Aliens Like Us? Anthony Aveni, 2025-03-18 In this authoritative, accessible, and at times funny and irreverent work, distinguished anthropologist Anthony Aveni speaks to the trained astrophysicist and the curious layperson alike about a simple but previously unexplored question: Why do we assume aliens, if they are really out there, behave just like us? Aveni’s newest work departs from the usual scientific treatment of extraterrestrial intelligence by probing the historical and widely neglected anthropological record, which offers relevant analogous incidents of contact among terrestrial cultures. Beginning with theories of the evolution of life and culture advocated by astrobiologists, Aliens Like Us? explores how the Western cultural imagination is influenced by ways of knowing that are deeply embedded in the minds of the questioners—for example, how we consider the ownership of property, the idea of progress, and even the way we classify things. The lessons of anthropology offer not only value structures from other cultures that differ profoundly from our own but also testify to the diverse ways in which alien cultures interact. Finally, on the question of potential first contact, Aveni closes with a fascinating exploration of the image of extraterrestrials in popular culture that is derived in part from the hugely influential realm of science fiction. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Language in Deep Human History Richard J. Watts, 2024-02-19 Understanding the evolution of language within the context of deep human history requires interdisciplinary work between linguists and scientists from a wide range of academic disciplines (e. g. archaeology, molecular biology, anthropology, genetics, biochemistry, etc.). The book aims to calibrate work on human evolution with current linguistic theory in an attempt to trace out a scientific story of how human language emerged and developed that has plausibility while remaining open to change through new linguistic and non-linguistic research. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Biblical Biology Dr. Melvin James Woodard III, 2025-06-03 How can one view the world biologically but also biblically? The walls people build around their lives protect them—but also limit them. People build many intellectual, emotional, and spiritual walls around themselves, those they love, and their community. Often, these walls safeguard them and help them understand their life and purpose. Yet sometimes, these walls impede people from fully experiencing life as God wants them to. Which self-built walls are helping these people? Which walls are holding them back? In his second book, Biblical Biology, Dr. Woodard invites individuals to explore big ideas around biology and faith to see whether any of these ideas hit up against their walls. If they do, that’s okay. Believers are encouraged to see whether there might be something on the other side that opens up a new way to think, feel, or connect with God. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Thinking Small and Large Peter Forbes, 2025-05-22 The environmental crisis will not be solved by battery technology. We are looking for answers in the wrong places. Life began with the hydrogenation of CO2, and this is the process we must return to in order to heal the planet. Ground-breaking ongoing research into bacterial processes means our knowledge of bacterial processes is ever-expanding, and we can harness this new knowledge to develop a parallel carbon economy using engineered bacteria for fuel, food, and materials. This would enable rewilding on a vast scale, with the small land footprint of bacterial technologies solving the current conflict in land use between farming and fuel and materials production. In this fascinating and illuminating book, Peter Forbes shines a light on this crucial technology and offers a tantalising glimpse at what is possible. To solve the big problems, sometimes you have to think small. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Talking about Life Chris Impey, 2010-08-19 With over 500 planets now known to exist beyond the Solar System, spacecraft heading for Mars, and the ongoing search for extraterrestrial intelligence, this timely book explores current ideas about the search for life in the Universe. It contains candid interviews with dozens of astronomers, geologists, biologists, and writers about the origin and range of terrestrial life and likely sites for life beyond Earth. The interviewees discuss what we've learnt from the missions to Mars and Titan, talk about the search for Earth clones, describe the surprising diversity of life on Earth, speculate about post-biological evolution, and explore what contact with intelligent aliens will mean to us. Covering topics from astronomy and planetary science to geology and biology, this book will fascinate anyone who has ever wondered 'Are we alone?' |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: The Story of Earth's Climate in 25 Discoveries Donald R. Prothero, 2024-03-12 Over 4.5 billion years, Earth’s climate has transformed tremendously. Before our more temperate recent past, the planet swung from one extreme to another—from a greenhouse world of sweltering temperatures and high sea levels to a “snowball earth” in which glaciers reached the equator. During this history, we now know, living things and the climate have always influenced and even shaped each other. But the climate has never changed as rapidly or as drastically as it has since the Industrial Revolution. In this lively and entertaining book, Donald R. Prothero explores the astonishing connections between climate and life through the ages, telling the remarkable stories of the scientists who made crucial discoveries. Journeying through the intertwined evolution of climate and life, he tackles questions such as: Why do we have phytoplankton to thank for the air we breathe? What kind of climate was necessary for the rise of the dinosaurs—or the mammals, their successors? When and how have climatic changes caused mass extinctions? Prothero concludes with the Ice Ages and the Holocene, the role of climate in human history, and the perils of anthropogenic climate change. Understanding why the climate has changed in the past, this timely book shows, is essential to grasping the gravity of how radically human activity is altering the climate today. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Mariana Islands Range Complex , 2010 |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: How the Mountains Grew John Dvorak, 2021-08-03 The incredible story of the creation of a continent—our continent— from the acclaimed author of The Last Volcano and Mask of the Sun. The immense scale of geologic time is difficult to comprehend. Our lives—and the entirety of human history—are mere nanoseconds on this timescale. Yet we hugely influenced by the land we live on. From shales and fossil fuels, from lake beds to soil composition, from elevation to fault lines, what could be more relevant that the history of the ground beneath our feet? For most of modern history, geologists could say little more about why mountains grew than the obvious: there were forces acting inside the Earth that caused mountains to rise. But what were those forces? And why did they act in some places of the planet and not at others? When the theory of plate tectonics was proposed, our concept of how the Earth worked experienced a momentous shift. As the Andes continue to rise, the Atlantic Ocean steadily widens, and Honolulu creeps ever closer to Tokyo, this seemingly imperceptible creep of the Earth is revealed in the landscape all around us. But tectonics cannot—and do not—explain everything about the wonders of the North American landscape. What about the Black Hills? Or the walls of chalk that stand amongst the rolling hills of west Kansas? Or the fact that the states of Washington and Oregon are slowly rotating clockwise, and there a diamond mine in Arizona? It all points to the geologic secrets hidden inside the 2-billion-year-old-continental masses. A whopping ten times older than the rocky floors of the ocean, continents hold the clues to the long history of our planet. With a sprightly narrative that vividly brings this science to life, John Dvorak's How the Mountains Grew will fill readers with a newfound appreciation for the wonders of the land we live on. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: The Story of Earth Robert M. Hazen, 2013-07-30 Hailed by The New York Times for writing “with wonderful clarity about science . . . that effortlessly teaches as it zips along,” nationally bestselling author Robert M. Hazen offers a radical new approach to Earth history in this intertwined tale of the planet’s living and nonliving spheres. With an astrobiologist’s imagination, a historian’s perspective, and a naturalist’s eye, Hazen calls upon twenty-first-century discoveries that have revolutionized geology and enabled scientists to envision Earth’s many iterations in vivid detail—from the mile-high lava tides of its infancy to the early organisms responsible for more than two-thirds of the mineral varieties beneath our feet. Lucid, controversial, and on the cutting edge of its field, The Story of Earth is popular science of the highest order. A sweeping rip-roaring yarn of immense scope, from the birth of the elements in the stars to meditations on the future habitability of our world. -Science A fascinating story. -Bill McKibben |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: The Trail to Kanjiroba William deBuys, 2022-02-15 A revitalizing new perspective on Earthcare from Pulitzer Prize finalist William deBuys. In 2016 and 2018 acclaimed author and conservationist William deBuys joined extended medical expeditions into Upper Dolpo, a remote, ethnically Tibetan region of northwestern Nepal, to provide basic medical services to the residents of the region. Having written about climate change and species extinction, deBuys went on those journeys seeking solace. He needed to find a constructive way of living with the discouraging implications of what he had learned about the diminishing chances of reversing the damage humans have done to Earth; he sought a way of holding onto hope in the face of devastating loss. As deBuys describes these journeys through one of Earth's remotest regions, his writing celebrates the land’s staggering natural beauty, and treats his readers to deep dives into two scientific discoveries—the theories of natural selection and plate tectonics—that forever changed human understanding of our planet. Written in a vivid and nuanced style evocative of John McPhee or Peter Matthiessen, The Trail to Kanjiroba offers a surprising and revitalizing new way to think about Earthcare, one that may enable us to continue the difficult work that lies ahead. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Life on a Young Planet Andrew H. Knoll, 2015-03-22 Knoll explores the deep history of life from its origins on a young planet to the incredible Cambrian explosion, with the very latest discoveries in paleontology integrated with emerging insights from molecular biology and earth system science. 100 illustrations. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: The Cat Susan E. Little, 2011-10-14 Comprehensive in scope and exclusively devoted to feline medical care, Dr. Susan Little's The Cat: Clinical Medicine and Management is an essential resource for anyone who provides complete, state-of-the-art care to cats. In one convenient volume, you'll find authoritative, clinically-focused information enhanced by full-color illustrations, tables, boxes, algorithms, key points, and much more — all in a format designed for quick access. Dr. Little and her expert contributors address the unique concerns and challenges facing the feline practitioner, including the latest advances in feline medical diagnosis and management and their clinical applications to everyday practice. User-friendly and complete, The Cat is also available as an e-book, giving you easy access to the complete, fully-searchable contents online. - Covers the latest advances in feline medicine from a systemic and adjunctive care perspective. It's the most comprehensive feline medical reference available with a strong clinical focus. - Helps you meet the increasing demand for state-of-the-art medical care by cat owners — including advanced diagnostic services and treatments designed to extend and improve quality of life for feline companions. - Features a full-color design with hundreds of schematic drawings, tables, boxes, key points, algorithms, and photographs for quick and easy access to information. - Addresses key topics unique to feline medicine and not currently covered in other books, including: insights and clinical advances attributable to the mapping of the feline genome; medical conditions associated with behavioral problems; managing the feline patient with co-existing and chronic disease; special medical problems and care considerations for the geriatric cat; environmental enrichment for the indoor cat; feline zoonotic agents and implications for human health; and shelter medicine and overpopulation solutions. - Provides in-depth information on indoor cats and senior cats, including timely guidance on meeting owners' expectations for longer, healthier lives for their cats. - Addresses the challenges of pet overpopulation, particularly the impact of millions of feral cats on public health and the environment. - Presents information written in the manner of expanded conference proceedings, delivering the latest insights and most current approaches to management of feline medical disorders. - Includes contributions from approximately 60 contributors, drawing on the valuable expertise of those most knowledgeable in the field of feline medical care. - Bears the full endorsement of the Winn Feline Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports studies about cat health and funds feline research projects worldwide, and is internationally regarded as a major contributor to the health and wellbeing of all cats. - The complete contents also are available online through Veterinary Consult. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Exploring Animal Encounters Dominik Ohrem, Matthew Calarco, 2018-07-28 This collection of essays offers multifaceted explorations of animal encounters in a range of philosophical, cultural, literary, and historical contexts. Exploring Animal Encounters encourages us to think about the richness and complexity of animal lives and human-animal relations, foregrounding the intricate roles nonhuman creatures play in the always already more-than-human sphere of ethics and politics. In this way, the essays in this volume can be understood as a contribution to alternative imaginings of interspecies coexistence in a time in which the issue of human relations with earth and earth others has come to the fore with unprecedented force and severity. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: God? Very Probably Robert H. Nelson, 2015-11-11 In recent years, a number of works have appeared with important implications for the age-old question of the existence of a god. These writings, many of which are not by theologians, strengthen the rational case for the existence of a god, even as this god may not be exactly the Christian God of history. This book brings together for the first time such recent diverse contributions from fields such as physics, the philosophy of human consciousness, evolutionary biology, mathematics, the history of religion, and theology. Based on such new materials as well as older ones from the twentieth century, it develops five rational arguments that point strongly to the (very probable) existence of a god. They do not make use of the scientific method, which is inapplicable to the question of a god. Rather, they are in an older tradition of rational argument dating back at least to the ancient Greeks. For those who are already believers, the book will offer additional rational reasons that may strengthen their belief. Those who do not believe in the existence of a god at present will encounter new rational arguments that may cause them to reconsider their opinion. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: The Human Condition Stefan Wurm, 2020-03-10 Over a very short period, only a few hundred years, our understanding of the cosmos, our planet Earth, the evolution of life on it, and the beginnings of our very own human endeavor have radically changed. These revolutions in science and technology have dramatically altered our societies in many ways. For quite some time it seemed as if our planets resources were unlimited. Today we know that this is not the case. Human civilizations are shaping our planets future in ways that have profound consequences for all other life on Earth as well as for us. We need to reflect broadly on what defines our human condition if we wish our societies to be successful in navigating a future that cannot be just ours but must include the broad diversity of life on Earth without which humankind will not survive. This book tells the story of how we discovered the universe, how we learned about our planet and the life evolving on it, how humanity emerged from pre-history, and what some of the future of our civilizations could hold. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Festschrift In Honor Of The C N Yang Centenary, A: Scientific Papers Fong-ching Chen, Mo-lin Ge, Bin-lin Gu, Kok Khoo Phua, Kenneth Young, Bang-fen Zhu, 2022-08-03 C N Yang is a towering figure of science who has significantly extended human understanding of nature, headed one of the foremost research institutes in physics for three decades, and made great contributions to the advances of Chinese physics. This Festschrift in honor of Professor Yang on his centenary birthday consists of two volumes: Volume A consists of general essays concerning Professor Yang the person, as well as the authors' impressions and reminiscences of him, which are mainly (but not exclusively) in Chinese. This volume, that is Volume B, consists of over thirty scientific papers in English on subjects broadly related to his work and contributed by two different groups: Professor Yang's colleagues, friends, and former students; and graduates from the Tsinghua University Physics Department or Institute for Advanced Study, who have come under the influence of Professor Yang and are now established in their own careers; review papers presented at a Symposium held in his honor in 2021 are also included. It is hoped that this Festschrift can serve as a fit tribute to Professor Yang's lifelong achievements, and also increase public awareness of the many different sides of this giant — his life, his personality, his work, his influence, as well as what he strives for. |
| peter ward joe kirschvink: Deep History, Climate Change, and the Evolution of Human Culture Louise Westling, 2022-09-08 This Element follows the development of humans in constantly changing climates and environments from Homo erectus 1.9 million years ago, to fully modern humans who moved out of Africa to Europe and Asia 70,000 years ago. Biosemiotics reveals meaningful communication among coevolving members of the intricately connected life forms on this dynamic planet. Within this web hominins developed culture from bipedalism and meat-eating to the use of fire, stone tools, and clothing, allowing wide migrations and adaptations. Archaeology and ancient DNA analysis show how fully modern humans overlapped with Neanderthals and Denisovans before emerging as the sole survivors of the genus Homo 35,000 years ago. Their visions of the world appear in magnificent cave paintings and bone sculptures of animals, then more recently in written narratives like the Gilgamesh epic and Euripides' Bacchae whose images still haunt us with anxieties about human efforts to control the natural world. |
Saint Peter - Wikipedia
Saint Peter [note 1] (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), [1] also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus …
Who Was the Apostle Peter? The Beginner’s Guide
Apr 2, 2019 · The Apostle Peter (also known as Saint Peter, Simon Peter, and Cephas) was one of the 12 main disciples of Jesus Christ, and along with James and John, he was one of Jesus’ …
Saint Peter the Apostle | History, Facts, & Feast Day | Britannica
Jun 7, 2025 · Saint Peter the Apostle, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ and, according to Roman Catholic tradition, the first pope. Peter, a Jewish fisherman, was called to be a disciple …
Who was Peter in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org
Feb 6, 2024 · Simon Peter, also known as Cephas (John 1:42), was one of the first followers of Jesus Christ. He was an outspoken and ardent disciple, one of Jesus’ closest friends, an …
Apostle Peter Biography: Timeline, Life, and Death
The Apostle Peter is one of the great stories of a changed life in the Bible. Check out this timeline and biography of the life of Peter.
Peter in the Bible - Scripture Quotes and Summary
Oct 19, 2020 · Who is Peter in the Bible? Saint Peter was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and the first leader of the early Church. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke list …
Peter in the Bible - His Life and Story in the New Testament
Jan 29, 2025 · Peter, also known as Simon, Simon Peter, Simeon, or Cephas, was a fisherman by trade and one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He's known for walking on water briefly before …
Life of Apostle Peter Timeline - Bible Study
Learn about the events in the Apostle Peter's life from his calling until Jesus' last Passover!
Saint Peter - World History Encyclopedia
Mar 12, 2021 · Saint Peter the Apostle was a well-known figure in early Christianity. Although there is no information on the life of Peter outside the Bible, in the Christian tradition, he is …
Who Was Peter in the Bible? Why Was He So Important?
May 30, 2018 · Peter, also known as Simon Peter, is one of the most prominent figures in the Bible's New Testament. He was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ and is often …
Saint Peter - Wikipedia
Saint Peter [note 1] (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), [1] also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one …
Who Was the Apostle Peter? The Beginner’s Guide
Apr 2, 2019 · The Apostle Peter (also known as Saint Peter, Simon Peter, and Cephas) was one of the 12 main disciples of Jesus Christ, and along …
Saint Peter the Apostle | History, Facts, & Feast Day
Jun 7, 2025 · Saint Peter the Apostle, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ and, according to Roman Catholic tradition, the first pope. Peter, a …
Who was Peter in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org
Feb 6, 2024 · Simon Peter, also known as Cephas (John 1:42), was one of the first followers of Jesus Christ. He was an outspoken and ardent disciple, one …
Apostle Peter Biography: Timeline, Life, and Death
The Apostle Peter is one of the great stories of a changed life in the Bible. Check out this timeline and biography of the life of Peter.
