A Rough Ride to the Future

James Lovelock

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English

Penguin
27 May 2015

Mathematics & Sciences; Environmentalist thought & ideology

In A Rough Ride to the Future, James Lovelock - the great scientific visionary of our age - presents a radical vision of humanity's future as the thinking brain of our Earth-system.

This book introduces two new Lovelockian ideas. The first is that three hundred years ago, when Thomas Newcomen invented the steam engine, he was unknowingly beginning what Lovelock calls 'accelerated evolution', a process which is bringing about change on our planet roughly a million times faster than Darwinian evolution.

The second is that as part of this process, humanity has the capacity to become the intelligent part of Gaia, the self-regulating Earth system whose discovery Lovelock first announced nearly 50 years ago. In addition, Lovelock gives his reflections on how scientific advances are made, and his own remarkable life as a lone scientist.

The contribution of human beings to our planet is, Lovelock contends, similar to that of the early photosynthesisers around 3.4 billion years ago, which made the Earth's atmosphere what it was until very recently. By our domination and our invention, we are now changing the atmosphere again. There is little that can be done about this, but instead of feeling guilty about it we should recognise what is happening, prepare for change, and ensure that we survive as a species so we can contribute to - perhaps even guide - the next evolution of Gaia.

The road will be rough, but if we are smart enough life will continue on Earth in some form far into the future.

By: James Lovelock
Imprint: Penguin
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 12mm
Weight: 157g
ISBN: 9780241961414
ISBN 10: 0241961416
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 27 May 2015
Recommended Age: From 0 years
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , General/trade , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Elected to the Royal Society in 1974, James Lovelock is the originator of Gaia Theory. His many books include Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth (1979), The Revenge of Gaia (2006), and The Vanishing Face of Gaia (2009). In 2003 he was made a Royal Companion of Honour, in 2005 Prospect placed him among the world's top 100 public intellectuals, and in 2006 he received the Wollaston Medal.

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A Rough Ride to the Future

James Lovelock

$24.99

Paperback

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