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The Spark of Life

The Spark of Life Darwin and the Primeval Soup

Paperback (15 Mar 2001)

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Publisher's Synopsis

Christopher Wills and Jeffrey Bada examine the enduring mysteries surrounding life's origin: did life arise on Earth or on some other planet? What did the earliest primitive organisms look like? Were they based on RNA, DNA, or on something we would hardly recognize today? The authors examine the latest research - in fields ranging from molecular biology to astronomy - on questions surrounding life's origins. They untangle a century of contentious debate and explore many theories, assessing the probability of everything from asteroids and Martian rocks to 'primordial soup' and volcanic vents. They then present their own elegant and compelling scenario: life arose not in the subterranean depths, as many believe, but on Earth's tumultuous surface, where a primitive form of natural selection spawned the first genetic material, perhaps in the form of a proto-virus. The book ends with a whirlwind tour of one of the most exciting scientific endeavours - the search for extra-terrestial life.

About the Publisher

Oxford University Press

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Our products cover an extremely broad academic and educational spectrum, and we aim to make our content available to our users in whichever format suits them best.We publish for all audiences-from pre-school to secondary level schoolchildren; students to academics; general readers to researchers; individuals to institutions. Our range includes dictionaries, English language teaching materials, children's books, journals, scholarly monographs, printed music, higher education textbooks, and schoolbooks.

Book information

ISBN: 9780198662761
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Pub date:
DEWEY: 576.8
DEWEY edition: 21
Number of pages: 291
Weight: 348g
Height: 196mm
Width: 129mm