The story of life in 10 1/2 species / Marianne Taylor ; [illustration, John Woodcock].

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Taylor, Marianne, 1972- author.

Contributor:

Woodcock, John, 1953- illustrator.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Life--Origin.

Life.

Evolution (Biology).

Natural history.

Species.

Biodiversity.

Biology--Classification.

Biology.

Genre:

Classification.

Informational works.

Physical Description:

256 pages : illustrations (some color), maps ; 24 cm

Other Title:

Story of life in ten and a half species

Story of life in 10.5 species

Story of life in ten and one half species

Story of life in ten 1/2 species

Story of life in 10 and a half species

Story of life in 10 and one half species

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, 2020.

Summary:

If an alien visitor were to collect ten souvenir life forms to represent life on earth, which would they be? This is the thought-provoking premise of Marianne Taylor's The Story of Life in 10 and a Half Species. Each life forms explains a key aspect about life on Earth. From the sponge that seems to be a plant but is really an animal to the almost extinct soft-shelled turtle deemed extremely unique and therefore extremely precious, these examples reveal how life itself is arranged across time and space, and how humanity increasingly dominates that vision. Taylor, a prolific science writer, considers the chemistry of a green plant and ponders the possibility of life beyond our world; investigates the virus in an attempt to determine what a life form is; and wonders if the human--"a distinct and very dominant species with an inevitably biased view of life"-- could evolve in a new direction. She tells us that the giraffe was one species, but is now four; that the dusky seaside sparrow may be revived through "re-evolution," or cloning; explains the significance of Darwin's finch to evolution; and much more. The "half" species is artificial intelligence. Itself an experiment to understand and model life, AI is central to our future--although from the alien visitor's standpoint, unlikely to inherit the earth in the long run.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: 1. Fern

2. Virus

3. Nautilus

4. Stick Insect

5. Sponge

6. Human

7. Giraffe

8. Dusky Seaside 40% Sparrow

9. Soft-Shelled Turtle

10. Darwin's Finches

10 1/2 Artificial Life.

Notes:

Includes index.

First published in 2020 by UniPress Books Ltd.

"If an alien visitor were to collect ten souvenir life forms to represent life on Earth, which would they be?" -- cover

ISBN:

9780262044486

026204448X

OCLC:

1200577631

Publisher Number:

99986099723