Full title: Cosmosapiens : human evolution from the origin of the universe / John Hands.

Author/creator: Hands, John, 1945-.

Call Numbers: G 2017/2372

Record Identifier: 74VKVP06J0wd

Language: English

Formats: Books

Contents: xxvi, 674 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm., , , , ch. 1 The Quest -- pt. ONE The Emergence and Evolution of Matter -- ch. 2 Origin Myths -- Principal themes -- Primordial chaos or water -- Earth diver -- Cosmogonic egg -- World parents -- Rebellion by children -- Sacrifice -- Primordial battle -- Creation out of nothing -- Eternal cycle -- Explanations -- Literal truth -- Metaphor -- Aspect of absolute reality -- Archetypal truth -- Foetal experience -- Limited comprehension of natural phenomena -- Political and cultural need -- Insight -- Tests of evidence and reason -- Reasons for endurance -- Influence on scientific thinking -- ch. 3 The Emergence of Matter: Science's Orthodox Theory -- First half of the twentieth century -- Current theory: the Big Bang -- Theoretical basis -- Simplifying assumptions: isotropy and omnicentrism -- Problems with the Big Bang theory -- Magnetic monopole -- Homogeneity -- Isotropy of cosmic microwave background (Horizon problem) -- Flatness (Omega) --, Inflation Theory solution -- Validity of Inflationary Big Bang theory -- Reliability of basic theory -- Claims of evidential support for basic theory -- Reliability of inflation theory -- Claims of evidential support for inflation theory -- Conclusions -- ch. 4 What Science's Orthodox Theory Fails to Explain -- Singularity -- Observed ratio of matter to radiation -- Dark matter and Omega -- Dark energy -- Fine-tuning of cosmological parameters -- Creation from nothing -- Conclusions -- ch. 5 Other Cosmological Conjectures -- Hartle-Hawking no-boundary universe -- Eternal chaotic inflation -- Variable speed of light -- Cyclic bouncing universe -- Natural selection of universes -- Loop quantum gravity -- Quasi-steady state cosmology -- Plasma cosmology -- Quintessence -- Cyclic ekpyrotic universe -- String theory's landscape of possibilities -- Problems with string theory -- Universe defined -- Conclusions --, ch. 6 Problems Facing Cosmology as an Explanatory Means -- Practical difficulties -- Detection limits -- Measurement problems -- Data interpretation -- Age of universe -- Redshifted Type la supernovae -- Apparent acceleration of the universe's expansion rate -- Redshift -- Ripples in cosmic microwave background -- Exaggerated claims -- WMAP data -- Planck telescope's confirmation of contradictory evidence -- Data selectivity -- Law of Data Interpretation -- Inadequate theory -- Incompleteness of quantum and relativity theories -- Suitability of general relativity -- The reality of the quantum world -- Infinities in a physical cosmos -- Inadequacy of mathematics -- Intrinsic limitations of science -- Conclusions -- ch. 7 Reasonableness of Cosmological Conjectures -- Scope of cosmological conjectures -- Cause of the laws of physics -- Nature of the laws of physics -- Nature of mathematics -- Tests for cosmological conjectures -- Beauty -- Parsimony --, Internal consistency -- External consistency with evidence -- External consistency with other scientific tenets -- Origin of the universe -- Orthodox model: the Big Bang -- Multiverse conjectures -- "Eternal" models -- Form of the universe -- Fine tuning of cosmological parameters -- The multiverse explanation -- Conclusions -- ch. 8 Evolution of Matter on a Large Scale -- The fundamental forces of nature -- Gravitational interaction -- Electromagnetic interaction -- Strong interaction -- Weak interaction -- Cosmology's current orthodox explanation of the evolution of matter -- Hot Big Bang -- Structure of the universe -- Cause of structure in the universe -- Cause of initial inhomogeneities -- Cause of large structures -- Cause of star formation -- Alternative explanation -- Continuing evolution? -- Perpetually self-sustaining galaxies -- Fractal universe -- Big Crunch -- Long-term heat death -- Shorter-term heat death -- Conclusions --, ch. 9 Evolution of Matter on a Small Scale -- Evolution of nuclei of the elements -- Elements from helium to iron -- Elements heavier than iron -- Cosmic ray production of elements -- Second- and third-generation stars -- Elements produced -- Fine-tuning of nuclear parameters -- Formation of atoms -- Laws of quantum mechanics -- Pauli Exclusion Principle -- Fine-tuning of atomic parameters -- Evolution of atoms -- Methods of bonding -- Uniqueness of carbon -- Molecules in space -- Conclusions -- ch. 10 Pattern to the Evolution of Matter -- Consistency with known scientific laws -- Principle of Conservation of Energy -- Principle of Increasing Entropy -- Contradictions of the Principle of Increasing Entropy -- Local systems -- The universe -- ch. 11 Reflections and Conclusions on the Emergence and Evolution of Matter -- Reflections -- Conclusions -- pt. TWO The Emergence and Evolution of Life -- ch. 12 A Planet Fit for Life --, Conditions necessary for known lifeforms -- Essential elements and molecules -- Mass of planet -- Temperature range -- Sources of energy -- Protection from hazardous radiation and impacts -- Stability -- Formation of the Earth and its biosphere -- Characteristics of the Earth -- Formation -- Is the Earth special? -- The orthodox view -- Evidence questioning the orthodox view -- Conclusions -- ch. 13 Life -- The ancient world's understanding of life -- The development of science's explanation of life -- Claimed reconciliations between ancient insights and modern science -- Alternative medicine -- Field hypotheses -- Orthodox science's response -- Orthodox science's approach to defining life -- Claimed characteristics of life -- Reproduction -- Evolution -- Response to stimuli -- Metabolism -- Organization -- Complexity -- Definitions of life -- Smolin's self-organized system -- Capra's web of life -- Avoidance of purpose -- McFadden's quantum life --, Working definition of life -- Conclusions -- ch. 14 The Emergence of Life 1: Evidence -- Direct evidence -- Fossils -- Extremophiles -- Indirect evidence -- Genetic analyses -- Universal common ancestor? -- Size, complexity, structure, and functioning of the simplest cell -- Size -- Components and structure -- External parts -- Shifting protein shapes -- Conclusions -- ch. 15 The Emergence of Life 2: Hypotheses -- Oparin-Haldane primordial soup replicator -- Self-replicating RNA -- Self-replicating peptide -- Two-dimensional substrate -- Extraterrestrial origin -- Intelligent design -- Anthropic principle -- Quantum emergence -- Self-organizing complexity -- Emergence theory -- Conclusions -- ch. 16 Development of Scientific Ideas about Biological Evolution -- Pre-evolutionary Ideas -- Aristotle -- Creationism -- Linnaeus -- Development of evolutionary ideas -- De Maillet -- Buffon -- Erasmus Darwin -- Hutton -- Lamarck -- Geoffroy -- Wells -- Grant --, Matthew -- Wallace -- Charles Darwin -- An original thinker? Darwin's contribution -- Problems with Darwin's hypothesis -- Darwinism -- Orthogenesis -- Kropotkin and mutual aid -- Pivotal observations -- Mutual aid -- Supporting evidence -- Symbiogenesis -- Mendel and heritability -- Experiments -- Mendel's laws -- NeoDarwinism -- Molecular biology -- Principles of biological orthodoxy -- Consequences of the current paradigm -- ch. 17 Evidence of Biological Evolution 1: Fossils -- Species -- Fossils -- Paucity of the fossil record -- Interpretation -- The fossil record -- Transitional fossils -- Species extinctions -- Stasis and sudden speciation -- Fossil record of animals and plants -- Evolution of mammals -- Tracing human evolution from the fossil record -- Conclusions -- ch. 18 Evidence of Biological Evolution 2: Analyses of Living Species -- Homologous structures -- Vestigiality -- Biogeography -- Embryology and development -- Changes in species --, Artificial selection -- Species in the wild -- Species definition -- Biochemistry -- Genetics -- Genomics -- Conclusions -- ch. 19 Evidence of Biological Evolution 3: Behaviour of Living Species -- Unicellular species -- Multicellular species -- Genes -- Plants -- Insects -- Fishes -- Meerkats -- Primates -- Inter-species associations -- Conclusions -- ch. 20 The Human Lineage -- Phylogenetic trees -- Taxonomy of the human lineage -- ch. 21 Causes of Biological Evolution: the Current Orthodox Account -- The current paradigm -- What NeoDarwinian orthodoxy fails to explain -- Stasis and rapid speciation -- Speciation -- Immediate speciation: polyploidy -- Asexual reproduction -- Horizontal gene transfer -- Organismal embryology and development -- Genotypes and phenotypes -- "funk" DNA -- Inheritance of acquired characteristics -- Collaboration -- Progressive complexification -- ch. 22 Complementary and Competing Hypotheses 1: Complexification --, Intelligent Design -- Punctuated equilibrium -- Sudden origins -- Stabilizing selection -- Neutral theory -- Whole genome duplication -- Epigenetics -- Deep homology and parallel evolution -- Evolutionary convergence -- Emergence theory -- Self-organizing complexity -- Genome evolution laws -- Natural genetic engineering -- Systems biology -- Gaia hypothesis -- Formative causation -- ch. 23 Complementary and Competing Hypotheses 2: Collaboration -- Sociobiology -- Group selection -- Kin-related altruism or inclusive fitness -- "Reciprocal altruism" -- Game theory -- Empirical proof -- Selfish gene -- Genial gene -- Multilevel selection -- Collaboration -- Mutual aid -- Symbiogenesis -- ch. 24 The Evolution of Consciousness -- The evolution of behaviour -- Bacteria and archaea -- Eukaryotes: single-celled -- Eukaryotes: animals -- Evolutionary pattern -- Physical correlates of rising consciousness -- The nervous system --, Nervous systems in the human lineage -- ch. 25 Reflections and Conclusions on the Emergence and Evolution of Life -- Reflections -- Conclusions -- pt. THREE The Emergence and Evolution of Humans -- ch. 26 The Emergence of Humans -- What is a human? -- Proposed definition -- Evidence for reflective consciousness -- Human predecessors -- The evidence and its problems -- Tribe of hominins -- Genus of Homo -- Earliest signs of Homo sapiens -- Tools -- Controlled use of fire -- Symbols and ornaments -- Trading? Sea crossings -- Ceremonial burials and cremations -- Paintings, figurines, and flutes -- Language -- Completion of human emergence -- Explanatory hypotheses -- Multiregional model -- Replacement or Recent African origins model -- Assimilation model -- Recent African origins with hybridization model -- Human revolution model -- Gradualist model -- Ego-anthropocentricism -- Genetic identity -- Behavioural difference in degree only --, Unique human behaviours -- ch. 31 Conclusions and Reflections on the Emergence and Evolution of Humans -- Conclusions -- Reflections -- Reduction in aggression -- Increase in cooperation -- Rate of change -- Globalization -- Complexification -- Leading edge trend -- Convergence -- Hominization -- Changing duality of human nature -- Integration of patterns in the evidence -- pt. FOUR A Cosmic Process -- ch. 32 Limitations of Science -- Limitations within the domain of science -- Observation and measurement -- Data -- Subjectivity -- Method -- Theory -- Defective science -- Limitations of the domain of science -- Subjective experiences -- Social concepts and values -- Untestable ideas -- Metaphysical questions -- Another possible limitation -- ch. 33 Reflections and Conclusions on Human Evolution as a Cosmic Process -- Reflections -- Conclusions.

Publishers: London : Duckworth Overlook, 2015.

Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.

Permalink: https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/74VKVP06J0wd

DDC: 599.938

MMS ID: 991023996114002626