Description |
1 online resource (527 pages) |
Series |
Cambridge Astrobiology, 2 ; v. 2 |
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Cambridge Astrobiology, 2
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Print version record |
Subject |
Exobiology.
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Biochemistry.
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Biochemistry
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biochemistry.
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SCIENCE -- Life Sciences -- Evolution.
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Biochemistry
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Exobiology
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Form |
Electronic book
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Author |
Conway Morris, S. (Simon)
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Freeland, Stephen J
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Harper, Charles L
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ISBN |
9780511370083 |
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0511370083 |
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9780511536557 |
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0511536550 |
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9780511371080 |
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051137108X |
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051137061X |
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9780511370618 |
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