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Book Cover
E-book
Author Barrow, John D

Title Fitness of the Cosmos for Life : Biochemistry and Fine-Tuning
Published Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2007

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Description 1 online resource (527 pages)
Series Cambridge Astrobiology, 2 ; v. 2
Cambridge Astrobiology, 2
Contents Cover; Half-title; Series-title; Title; Copyright; Contents; Contributors; Foreword: The improbability of life; How did life begin?; Preface; Acknowledgments; Part I The fitness of "fitness": Henderson in context; 1Locating "fitness" and L.J. Henderson; Who was L.J. Henderson?; Locating Henderson's claims; What did Henderson's contemporaries say about his work?; Concluding remarks; Bibliography; 2Revisiting The Fitness of the Environment; References; 3Is fine-tuning remarkable?; The question of divine action; Layered explanation; Is fine-tuning remarkable?; Conclusion: nature as narrative
The fitness of the multiverseIf Henderson were alive today: more water wonders; Biogenesis: a damned close-run thing?; Henderson's legacy; References; 7The interconnections between cosmologyand life; Four basic observations; Carbon-based life in the universe; The nature of dark energy; Is the fine-structure constant varying with time?; How rare is extraterrestrial intelligent life?; Acknowledgments; References; 8 Chemistry and sensitivity; Introduction; Fine-tuning in history; Henderson; The legacy of design arguments; Fine-tuning in physics and cosmology; Motivations; Other worlds
The mystery of constantsFine-tuning in stars and atoms; What depends on the value of alpha?; Some examples; Fine-tuning in chemistry; Simultaneous variations of constants in chemistry; Some effects of relativity; Sensitivity in networks; Sensitivity in chaotic systems; The world is not enough; References; 9Fitness of the cosmos for the origin and evolution of life:from biochemical fine-tuning to the Anthropic Principle; The boundaries of philosophy, science, and theology; Biochemical fine-tuning and fitness of the cosmos for life; The Weak Anthropic Principle in cosmology and biochemistry
A first aspect of convergence: cultural convergenceA second aspect of convergence: convergence at the cosmic level; A third aspect of convergence: the case for convergence in biology; Can convergent pathways of evolution in the cosmos be foreseen?; Conclusion; References; Part III The fitness of the terrestrial environment; 10How biofriendly is the universe?; Introduction; The hallmarks of life; Water and minerals; Organic building blocks; Catalysis; Protein enzymes; Cofactors; Ribozymes; Energy; The central role of ATP; Electron transfers; Coupling mechanisms; Biosynthetic reductions
Summary Interdisciplinary book for scientists interested in the origin and existence of life in our universe
Bibliography References4Complexity in context: the metaphysicalimplications of evolutionary theory; References; 5Tuning fine-tuning; Fine-tuning, anthropic explanation, and design; Further fine-tuning developments in cosmology and physics; Fine-tuning in chemistry; Fine-tuning in biology?; Fitness of the environment; Four alternative responses to claims of cosmic fine-tuning; Sorting through the four alternatives; Acknowledgments; References; Part II The fitness of the cosmic environment; 6Fitness and the cosmic environment; The problem of what exists: why this universe?; Problems of a divine selector
Notes Information
Print version record
Subject Exobiology.
Biochemistry.
Biochemistry
biochemistry.
SCIENCE -- Life Sciences -- Evolution.
Biochemistry
Exobiology
Form Electronic book
Author Conway Morris, S. (Simon)
Freeland, Stephen J
Harper, Charles L
ISBN 9780511370083
0511370083
9780511536557
0511536550
9780511371080
051137108X
051137061X
9780511370618