The Fifth Miracle: The Search for the Origin and Meaning of LifeAre We Alone in the Universe? In this provocative and far-reaching book, internationally acclaimed physicist and writer Paul Davies confronts one of science's great outstanding mysteries -- the origin of life. Three and a half billion years ago, Mars resembled earth. It was warm and wet and could have supported primitive organisms. If life once existed on Mars, might it have originated there and traveled to earth inside meteorites blasted into space by cosmic impacts? Davies builds on recent scientific discoveries and theories to address larger questions of existence: What, exactly, is life? Is it the inevitable by-product of physical laws, as many scientists maintain, or an almost miraculous accident? Are we alone in the universe, or will life emerge on all earthlike planets? And if there is life elsewhere in the universe, is it preordained to evolve toward greater complexity and intelligence? Through his search for answers to these questions, Davies explores the ultimate mystery of mankind's existence -- who we are and what our place might be in the unfolding drama of the cosmos. |
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algorithm amino acids archaea asteroid astronomers atmosphere atoms bacteria basic beneath billion years ago biological biologists biosphere black smokers bombardment cell Celsius chance chapter chemical chemistry chemotrophs cloud comets complexity cosmic impact craters create crobes crucial crystals Darwin deep degrees Celsius Earth energy entropy environment enzymes error catastrophe evidence evolution evolved example existence extraterrestrial fossils Fred Hoyle genes genetic code genome gravitational happen heat hydrogen hyperthermophiles idea interstellar kilometers known laws of nature laws of physics living organisms living things Mars Martian meteorites Martian microbes material matter metabolism micro-organisms microbes molecular molecules NASA nonliving nucleic acids ocean orbit origin panspermia planet primordial soup proteins quasi-crystals radiation random replication rock samples scientists second law seems sequence simple solar system sort space species spontaneously star strand subsurface suggests sulfur superbugs surface survive temperature terrestrial theory tiny tion tree volcanic