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The universe was born in a blinding flash
that lit up the blackness for a million years. To scientists,
one thing is now certain. The universe Is teeming with the
ingredients of our kind of life. In this exhilarating new
work, Bylinsky explores the original violent birth of the
universe, and the possible origins of life. The unique premise
is that just as the laws of chemistry and physics apply
throughout the universe, so must the principles of evolution.
Life in Darwin's Universe examines
the many paths of evolution -- from primitive life in Earth's
oceans to the sometimes odd creatures found on the isolated
small continent of Australia. One remarkable finding is
that animals evolved in Australia that exactly parallel
creatures on other continents but have no direct evolutionary
links. Breathtaking illustrations demonstrate the comparisons
-- from dinosaurs to extinct species to living species of
today.
But then Bylinsky speculates: What if climatic
conditions on Earth had been different? Would life have
evolved differently? Would species other than primates been
favored to lead to intelligent life? And Bylinsky asks:
Under what conditions could life begin on other planets
in the universe? How would it evolve and how would it look,
according to Darwin's theories? Life in Darwin's Universe
concludes with the search for those favourable conditions,
and a look at the probes our current space program is now
considering.
Life in Darwin's Universe is one
of the most original works of scientific insight since Sagan's
The Dragons of Eden. It is a book of remarkable intelligence
and sensitivity, and an exciting challenge to consider Man
and Man's real place in the universe.
Gene Bylinsky has won sixteen citations
and awards for his scientific and medical writing, including
the prestigious Albert Lasker Medical Journalism Award.
He is author of several books and numerous articles, and
is now science editor for Fortune magazine. He was
recently elected to the New York Academy of Sciences.
Wayne McLoughlin has also won many awards
for his work, including a Society of Illustrators' Silver
Medal and the New York Art Directors' Guild Award. His illustrations
have appeared in Life,
Fortune,
Omni,
National Geographic,
Science Digest,
and Saturday Review,
among other publications.
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