The Science of Why We Exist
A History of the Universe from the Big Bang to Consciousness
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Jul 2, 2024
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- $22.99
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- Pre-Order
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- $22.99
Publisher Description
From the Big Bang and the evolution of the genetic code to the birth of consciousness, this is the extraordinary story of the chain of events that led to human life on earth.
Have you ever wondered why you exist? What had to happen for you to be alive and conscious? Scientists have come a long way in answering this question, and this book describes what they have found out. It also examines whether our existence was inevitable at the universe’s birth 13.77 billion years ago—or whether we are just incredibly lucky.
The book is aimed at readers who are interested in science but are not experts. Written in an entertaining and accessible style, the narrative begins by describing how scientists discover facts before taking the reader on a journey from the Big Bang to the creation of the human genome.
Covering physics, astronomy, chemistry, earth sciences, the emergence of life, evolution, consciousness, the rise of humanity, and how our personalities are moulded by genes, chance, and the environment, the journey explains how the universe started as point of intense energy that over time, in our corner of the universe, resulted in our wonderful planet—and in you.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Coulson, a zoology professor at Oxford University, debuts with an expansive if overly digressive chronicle of how billions of years of cosmic history set the stage for the emergence of humans. He explains that "13.77 billion years ago, the universe was a ball of hot energy" that transformed into electrons and quarks, the latter of which joined together to form the first protons and neutrons. Some nine billion years later, the planet Theia collided with Earth and kicked up debris that consolidated into the moon, which created tidal conditions crucial to the development of the first life forms. He details the extraordinary sequence of events that had to happen for life to appear on Earth; for instance, if Jupiter hadn't moved around the solar system before settling into its current orbit, the space debris it absorbed would have been pulled to Earth, making it too heavy to stay in the habitable zone. Elsewhere, Coulson explores the origins of DNA and how consciousness emerged to organize the five senses. Unfortunately, tedious tangents about Coulson's love for Australia's Bungle Bungle mountain range and life in academia distract. Intrusive personal commentary drags down an otherwise enlightening whistle-stop scientific history.
