| Author |
Taylor, Marianne, 1972- author.
|
| Publication |
Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, 2020.
|
| Copyright date |
©2020 |
| Description |
256 pages : illustrations (some color), maps ; 24 cm |
| Call # |
578 T |
| Note |
Includes index. |
|
First published in 2020 by UniPress Books Ltd. |
|
"If an alien visitor were to collect ten souvenir life forms to represent life on Earth, which would they be?" -- cover |
| Summary |
If an alien visitor were to collect ten souvenir life forms to represent life on earth, which would they be? This is the thought-provoking premise of Marianne Taylor's The Story of Life in 10 and a Half Species. Each life forms explains a key aspect about life on Earth. From the sponge that seems to be a plant but is really an animal to the almost extinct soft-shelled turtle deemed extremely unique and therefore extremely precious, these examples reveal how life itself is arranged across time and space, and how humanity increasingly dominates that vision. Taylor, a prolific science writer, considers the chemistry of a green plant and ponders the possibility of life beyond our world; investigates the virus in an attempt to determine what a life form is; and wonders if the human--"a distinct and very dominant species with an inevitably biased view of life"-- could evolve in a new direction. She tells us that the giraffe was one species, but is now four; that the dusky seaside sparrow may be revived through "re-evolution," or cloning; explains the significance of Darwin's finch to evolution; and much more. The "half" species is artificial intelligence. Itself an experiment to understand and model life, AI is central to our future--although from the alien visitor's standpoint, unlikely to inherit the earth in the long run. |
| Contents |
Fern -- Virus -- Nautilus -- Stick insect -- Sponge -- Human -- Giraffe -- Dusky seaside sparrow -- Soft-shelled turtle -- Darwin's finches -- Artificial life. |
| Subject |
Life -- Origin.
|
|
Evolution (Biology)
|
|
Natural history.
|
|
Species.
|
|
Biodiversity.
|
|
Biology -- Classification.
|
|
Biodiversity. (OCoLC)fst01429860
|
|
Biology. (OCoLC)fst00832383
|
|
Evolution (Biology) (OCoLC)fst00917302
|
|
Life -- Origin.
(OCoLC)fst00998169
|
|
Natural history. (OCoLC)fst01034268
|
|
Species. (OCoLC)fst01129007
|
| Genre |
Classification. (OCoLC)fst01697073
|
|
Informational works. (OCoLC)fst01919930
|
|
Informational works.
|
| Addl. Author |
Woodcock, John, 1953- illustrator.
|
| Alt Title |
Story of life in ten and a half species |
|
Story of life in 10.5 species |
|
Story of life in ten and one half species |
|
Story of life in ten 1/2 species |
|
Story of life in 10 and a half species |
|
Story of life in 10 and one half species |
| ISBN |
9780262044486 (hardcover) |
|
026204448X (hardcover) |
|
