Most Improbable Story - The Evolution of the Universe, Life, and Humankind

This book is a 'big history' of the evidence regarding how we came to be. It explores philosophical thought and how our past might affect our future. The text reviews different perspectives and the strengths and weaknesses of each. This journey highlights the history of life, the emergence of life forms, and the evolution of complex creatures.

List of contents

Preface
Introduction
Perspective Matters, But Perspective Isn’t Everything – Envisioning
Humankind’s Place in the Universe
Part I: The Making of a Habitable World
1. In the Beginning – The Genesis of the Universe
2. The Life and Death of a Star
3. The Milky Way – A Goldilocks Galaxy
4. The Galactic Cradle
5. The Inimitable Earth
Part II: The Emergence of Life From a Lifeless World
6. Let There Be Life - The Rise of the Prokaryotes
7. Evolution – The Generator of Life’s Diversity
8. The Birth of the Superkingdoms – Prokaryotes, Achaea, and
Eukaryotes
9. Partnering Up – The Journey from Single Cell Eukaryotes to
Multicellular Animals
10. The Blossoming of Terrestrial Life
11. The Emergence of Genus Homo – The Earth’s First Humans Come
Into Being
12. The Genesis of Behaviorally Modern Homo sapiens – A Cognitively
Advanced Human That Can Reflect Upon Its Existence
13. Peering into Life’s Future
Epilogue

About the author

Steven J. Theroux was Professor and Chair of the Natural Sciences department at Assumption University in Massachusetts. He currently teaches Genetics and Biology of Cancer at Harvard University and Assumption University.

Summary

This book is a “big history” of the evidence regarding how we came to be. It explores philosophical thought and how our past might affect our future. The text reviews different perspectives and the strengths and weaknesses of each. This journey highlights the history of life, the emergence of life forms, and the evolution of complex creatures.

Product details

• Authors: Steven J. Theroux
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.07.2022
• EAN: 9781032218519
• ISBN: 978-1-0-3221851-9
• No. of pages: 302
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History; Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Biology; NATURE / General, History, SCIENCE / Life Sciences / General, NATURE / Ecology, HISTORY / General, SCIENCE / History, SCIENCE / General, SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Evolution, Geophysics, SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Biology, SCIENCE / Earth Sciences / Geology, SCIENCE / Earth Sciences / General, SCIENCE / Physics / Geophysics, History of Science, Biology, life sciences, Geochemistry, Educational: Sciences, General Science, SCIENCE / Space Science / Astronomy