Western science has long resisted and even ridiculed the idea that Earth is alive. Now, something is shifting. Although Gaia still retains a stigma in mainstream scientific circles, the idea of Earth as a vast interconnected living system has gained acceptance in recent decades. Life does not simply reside on Earth: it is an extension, and an expression, of the planet-an outgrowth of its structure and an engine of its evolution. Life and environment have coevolved for billions of years, transforming a lump of orbiting rock into our cosmic oasis. Life breathed oxygen into the atmosphere, dyed the sky blue, concocted the modern oceans, and converted barren crust into fertile soil. Over time, life became a critical component of our planet’s capacity to regulate its climate and maintain balance. In this talk, science writer Ferris Jabr, author of Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life, takes us on his personal journey through the Gaiasphere and explains how writing his forthcoming book completely changed the way he thinks about Earth, life, and the supposed boundaries between them.
21 авг 2024
