Our Cosmic Origins: From the Big Bang to the Emergence of Life and Intelligence - Hardcover

Delsemme, Armand H.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521620384 ISBN 13: 9780521620383

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1998

Synopsis

Our Cosmic Origins tells the story of our remarkable adventure on this planet, beginning with a single event in the depths of space. It traces the rich and wonderful history of the Universe, from the Big Bang to the creation of atoms and molecules, from the formation of stars and planets to the emergence of life on Earth. Delsemme brings together cosmology, astronomy, geology, biochemistry, and biology to create a unique look at the complex story of the Universe. He chronicles how the first light atoms were made and formed stars and how heavier atoms were cooked in stars and scattered in space, creating dust mrains and organic molecules. He examines the growing eomplexity of plant and animal life, including the emergence and extinction of dinosaurs. Our Cosmic Origins shows how the coupling of eye and brain led to self-awareness and intelligence. It explores the cosmic coincidences that might explain our existence and concludes with the tantalizing suggestion that intelligent alien life is likely. This provocative book will appeal to anyone who has ever looked at the sky and wondered how we got here. Originally published in French, this edition has been revised to include the most recent research in astronomy and cosmology. Armand Delsemme has published four books and over 230 scientific papers. He received a Sigma Xi award for outstanding research and has had, by order of the International Astronomical Union, an asteroid named after him.

About this title

Book Description:

Our Cosmic Origins traces the remarkable story of the emergence of life and intelligence right through the complex evolutionary history of the Universe.Armand Delsemme deftly weaves together cosmology, astronomy, geology, biochemistry and biology in this wide-ranging book. He shows us how the first elements formed in the early Universe, how stars and planets were born, how the first bacteria evolved, and how the coupling of the eye and brain led to the development of self-awareness and, ultimately, intelligence. He concludes with the tantalising suggestion that the existence of alien life and intelligence is likely, and examines our chances of contacting it.This provocative book provides the general reader with an accessible and wide-ranging account of how life evolved on Earth and how likely it is to exist elsewhere in the Universe.

About the Author:

University of Toledo, OH

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0521620384
• ISBN 13: 9780521620383
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 344