La introduccio de la teoria d'evolucio per seleccio natural marca un canvi fonamental en el pensament huma. Darwin mateix va dir que era casi com confessar un assassinat. Despres, les idees anteriors sobre la vida en el passat s'han anat refutant una darrere l'altra. Des de 1859 hi ha hagut altres canvis: des de la consciencia del temps i espai profunds, passant pel moviment de les plaques tectoniques, fins a la ciencia dels sistemes terrestres i la hipotesi Gaia. La teoria de l'evolucio naturalment s'ha modificat durant els anys amb una millor comprensio dels mecanismes de l'herencia genetica i el paper de simbiosi en la seleccio. Tot i que encara hi hagi un grapat de gent que la desafii amb bases religioses o pseudo-religioses, son molt pocs els que els prenen seriosament. La metodologia de l'evolucio te aplicacions mes enlla de la biologia, per exemple en el camp de la tecnologia. Sobretot, es una interpretacio verificable de canvi continu en el desenvolupament de la vida a la Terra, que no es de cap manera contrari a la segona llei de termodinamica. Com Thomas H. Huxley, amic i defensor de Darwin, va remarcar una vegada: havia estat ben estupid no haver-hi pensat abans.
Religious belief can be viewed as an adaptation that was favoured as the human brain evolved.
Religious belief can be viewed as an adaptation that was favoured as the human brain evolved. There are, of course, many more than six impossible things to believe in before breakfast (as Alice said in Through The Looking Glass). The range of human beliefs — past, present and probably future — is almost infinite.
Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsCrispin TickellA former member of the British Diplomatic Service, Sir Crispin was the British Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1987–1990
The spread of agriculture led to deforestation and the growth of towns.
Similar processes affect cells and businesses. But what price sustainability?
Implique dans des institutions de recherche sur l'environnement et haut-responsable diplomatique britannique, l'A. a egalement collabore a l'organisation du Sommet mondial sur le developpement durable de Johannesburg (Afrique du Sud, septembre 2002). Il propose ici quelques reflexions sur la responsabilite humaine dans la preservation d'un environnement qui puisse egalement assurer la perennite de l'espece humaine. Il propose ensuite quelques orientations prospectives a propos des processus internationaux sur l'environnement global et notamment sur les defis qui s'imposent a la conference de Johannesburg.
Similar processes affect cells and businesses. But what price sustainability? Not for the first time, Fritjof Capra makes a broad sweep of human knowledge and experience, ranging here from a definition of life (or rather the “defining characteristics of living systems”) to global capitalism as we now know it. It is an exciting journey by way of biology, sociology, market economics and ecology, and arrives at conclusions that call for radical change in human society.
Mao's drive to conquer nature had shocking consequences for his country.
sceptic about conventional wisdom and a seeker of unity in nature.
Introduction 9Chapter 2Asteroids, Cometsand Near Earth Objects 11Chapter 3Environmental Effectson Earth 15Chapter 4Overall Risk 20Chapter 5Observational Techniques 22Chapter 6Current Activitiesand Future Plans 24Chapter 7Activities in Britain 27Chapter 8Mitigation possibilities 28Chapter 9What is to be done?including recommendations 30Annex AChronology 36Annex BImpacts and CloseApproaches of Asteroidsand Comets 39Annex CGround-based Telescopes...
Mary Anning came from humble origins to find fame as a fossil hunter on England's south coast. Others took credit for her discoveries but it was said of her that she understood more of the science than “anyone else in the kingdom”.
