Death on Earth : Adventures in Evolution and Mortality

ISBN-13: 9781472915092 / Angielski / Miękka / 2017 / 288 str.

Jules Howard

Opis

As you read these words, Planet Earth teems with trillions of life-forms, each going about its own business: eating, reproducing, thriving . . . Yet, the life of almost every single organism draws nearer to certain death. On the other hand, suicide inside the mitochondria that live within us results in the death of millions of cells each second for our own good Why is death such a universal companion to life on Earth? Why haven't animals evolved to break free of its shackles? In this wide-ranging exploration of death, Jules Howard attempts to shed evolutionary light on one of our biggest and most unshakable taboos. He visits a salon that's trying to abolish our queasiness over talking about death. He also looks to the nematode, one of the most basic of life-forms, for clues about why near-starvation actually can prolong life. Encountering some of the world's oldest animals, and meeting the scientists attempting to unravel their mysteries, Howard also comes face to face with evolution's outliers--the animals that may one day avoid death altogether. Written in an engaging style, DEATH ON EARTH's journey ends with the inevitable question: Can we ever become immortal? And if we could, would we really want to?"

Recenzje

An altogether eye-opening, engaging, and enjoyably humorous (but never distasteful) guided tour through the world of death. Science

Spis treści

IntroductionPART 1: THIS IS A DEAD FROGChapter 1: Life and Death in the UniverseChapter 2: Senescence and What Waits for the Lucky FewChapter 3: Fear and Loathing in BirchwoodChapter 4: Free Radicals and the Secrets WithinChapter 5: This is a Dead FrogPART 2: THE EXPERIMENTAL PIG PHASEChapter 6: The Circus under the TentChapter 7: Sex and Death: The Contract KillerChapter 8: Coffee with the Widow-makerChapter 9: Suicide, Snowy Owls and the Executioner InsiderChapter 10: This is Not a SheepChapter 11: The Grotto Salamander and the GuanoChapter 12: The Horrid Ground-weaverChapter 13: Dark MattersPART 3: JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE SHITATITEChapter 14: Bring out your Dead AntsChapter 15: Mourning has BrokenChapter 16: Who Wants to Live Forever?Chapter 17: No, this is a Dead FrogEpilogue: The Meaning of the Loa LoaAcknowledgementsIndex

O autorze

Jules Howard is a zoologist, writer, blogger and broadcaster. He writes on a host of topics relating to zoology and wildlife conservation, and appears regularly in BBC Wildlife Magazine and on radio and TV, including on BBC's The One Show, Nature and The Living World as well as BBC Breakfast and Radio 4's Today programme.Jules also runs a social enterprise that has brought almost 100,000 young people closer to the natural world. He lives in Northamptonshire with his wife and two children. His book Wonderdog won the 2022 Barker Book Prize for non-fiction.