Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth

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OUP Oxford, 28 sept 2000 - 148 páginas
In this classic work that continues to inspire its many readers, Jim Lovelock puts forward his idea that life on earth functions as a single organism. Written for non-scientists, Gaia is a journey through time and space in search of evidence with which to support a new and radically different model of our planet. In contrast to conventional belief that living matter is passive in the face of threats to its existence, the book explores the hypothesis that the earth's livingmatter air, ocean, and land surfaces forms a complex system that has the capacity to keep the Earth a fit place for life.Since Gaia was first published, many of Jim Lovelock's predictions have come true and his theory has become a hotly argued topic in scientific circles. In a new Preface to this reissued title, he outlines his present state of the debate.
 

Índice

1 Introductory
1
2 In the beginning
12
3 The recognition of Gaia
30
4 Cybernetics
44
5 The contemporary atmosphere
59
6 The sea
78
the problem of pollution
100
8 Living within Gaia
115
9 Epilogue
133
Definitions and explanations of terms
143
Further reading
147
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Sobre el autor (2000)

James Lovelock is an independent scientist, inventor, and author. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1974 and in 1990 was awarded the first Amsterdam Prize for the Environment by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. One of his inventions is the electron capture detector, which was important in the development of environmental awareness. It revealed for the first time the ubiquitous distribution of pesticide residues. He co-operated with NASA and some of his inventions were adopted in their programme of planetary exploration.

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