|
Looking at the stars at night, we have all wondered where we
have come from and why we are here. Our Cosmic Origins traces the remarkable
story of the emergence of life and intelligence right through the complex evolutionary
history of the Universe. Starting from the searingly hot soup of exotic particles
in the Big Bang, we are taken on a breathtaking chronological tour, right up to
the present day, and the recent reported findings of bacteria in Martian meteorites
and planetary systems around other nearby stars. Armand
Delsemme weaves a rich tapestry of science, bringing together cosmology, astronomy,
geology, biochemistry and biology in this wide-ranging book. In following the
complex chronological story, we discover how the first elements formed in the
early Universe, how stars and planets were born, how the first bacteria evolved
towards a plethora of plants and animals, and how the coupling of the eye and
brain led to the development of self-awareness and, ultimately, intelligence.
Throughout the book, the author shows how this ascent always
seems to follow the easiest route. He suggests that however complex and tortuous
this evolution has been, it is unlikely to be unique. The author concludes with
the tantalizing suggestion that the existence of alien life and intelligence is
likely, and examines our chances of contacting it. This
provocative book provides the general reader with an accessible and wide-ranging
account of how life evolved on Earth and how likely it is to exist elsewhere in
the universe. Armand Delsemme is Distinguished University
Professor of Astrophysics, Emeritus, at the University of Toledo in Ohio. He is
the author of more than 240 scientific papers. A scholar of international renown,
his scientific research has concentrated on comets, their chemistry and origin,
and their role in bringing volatile and organic molecules to Earth. He has lectured
throughout the world -- in 34 countries -- to both
popular and academic audiences. Asteroid 2954 has been officially named "Delsemme"
in his honour. His hobbies include skiing, sailing and collecting ancient astronomical
books. |
