May 21, 2014 james ephraim lovelock, is an independent scientist, environmentalist and futurist who lives in dorset, england. How james lovelock introduced gaia to an unsuspecting world. The climate forecast consequences and survival energy and food sources geoengineering the history of gaia theory perceptions of gaia to be or not to be green to the next world. The gaia theory views the earth as a living, selfregulatory organism in which the evolution of life is closely coupled with the evolution of the climate. The gaia theory has already inspired ideas and practical applications for economic systems, policy, scientific inquiry, and other valuable work. We all know of mother earth even the greeks called her gaia. James ephraim lovelock, ch cbe frs born 26 july 1919 is an independent scientist, environmentalist, and futurist. He is best known for proposing the gaia hypothesis, which postulates that the earth functions as a selfregulating system with a phd in medicine, lovelock began his career performing cryopreservation experiments on rodents, including successfully thawing frozen specimens.
James lovelock, who coined the term gaia hypothesis shockingly predicted this merger, or even a takeover or elimination of humanity by robots, two years ago more momentarily. Gaia, the grand idea 5 gaia is the earth seen as a single physiological system, an entity that is alive at least to the extent that, like other living organisms, its chemistry and temperature are selfregulated at a state favourable for life. James claims global warming is now past the tipping points and not avoidable. The gaia hypothesis a, also known as the gaia theory or the gaia principle, proposes.
Nasa, gaia and the great work the great work decoded. Yet the earth, in the biological sense, has a body sustained by complex physiological processes. Gaia theory simply maintains that earths natural cycles work together to keep the earth healthy and support life on earth. Nov 12, 2015 gaia theory james lovelock and lynn margulis. The origin of the gaia hypothesis it is an ironic fact that a theory about life on earth should begin from an exploration of outer space. In the revenge of gaia, bestselling author james lovelock father of climate studies and originator of the influential gaia theory which views the entire earth as. Aug 27, 2010 how james lovelock introduced gaia to an unsuspecting world we have learned so much about our home planet in the three decades since james lovelock wrote gaia. Gaia a new look at life on earth by j e lovelock, publ. Gaia theory news, research and analysis the conversation. Nasa, gaia and the great work james lovelock, who conceived the gaia hypothesis, wrote that mankind has initiated a new era of humandirected evolution that should, he advises, be complemented with increased use of intuition, and the merging of human intelligence with electricalmachine intelligence.
Welcome to the personal website of james lovelock, originator of gaia theory, inventor of the electron capture detector which made possible the detection of cfcs and other atmospheric nanopollutants and of the microwave oven. Oxygen is the second most reactive element after fluorine, and should combine with gases and minerals of the earths atmosphere and crust. Lovelock admitted that the relentless criticism pained him. My basic thesis is that lovelock is right when rejecting.
When a colleague and i interviewed him in 2000, he said that by the end of the 1980s he had begun to feel that his work on gaia had been. Lovelocks gaia theory states that, for much of the past 3. When lovelock introduced it in 1972, gaia was an amusing, fanciful name for a familiar concept. James lovelock and the gaia hypothesis new scientist. The world can be seen as a complex interacting system, behaving in some ways, like a single organism. The idea that life on earth regulates the physical and. Long ago the greeks, thinking this way, gave to the earth the name gaia.
Essentially a dual biography, it deftly recounts in alternating chapters the development of climate change theory and the life of lovelock himself. When he first sketched out his brilliant gaia theory in the 1970s, people around the world embraced it. How james lovelock introduced gaia to an unsuspecting. Apr 27, 2008 named after the greek earth goddess, gaia, the theory was developed in the 1960s by scientist dr james lovelock. Preventing its expected negative consequences on humans and not taking care of earth itself. James lovelock is the originator of the gaia hypothesis now gaia theory. Much as the gaia theory considers our earth as an integrated whole of living systems, the earth and i. James lovelock originator of gaia theory and inventor of. Long ago the greeks, thinking this way, gave to the earth the name gaia or, for short, ge. James lovelocks daisyworld is a hypothetical earthlike planet, the same size.
Jan 14, 20 when lovelock introduced it in 1972, gaia was an amusing, fanciful name for a familiar concept. Gaia contains elements of fact, theory, and wishful thinking. Lovelocks gaia hypothesis characterizes life as a planetary scale phenomenon, by means of which a self. Gaia theory the gaia hypothesis is not, as many claim, that the earth is a single organism. James lovelock, a british scientist and inventor, shortly after his work with nasa in determining that there was probably no life on mars. James lovelock called his first proposal the gaia hypothesis but has also used the. Gaia is theorized to be a living entity that is greater than the sum of all the living and nonliving aspects of the earth. The author of more than 200 scientific papers, he was elected a fellow of the royal society in 1974. He is best known for proposing the gaia hypothesis, which he discusses in this. Hij beschreef alle levende materie op aarde als een organisme en noemde.
His research led to profound new insights about life on earth. Unit 5 gaia the gaia theory was proposed by british scientist. Explains how the earths living matter, air, ocean, and land together form a complex system that has the capacity. The gaia theory posits that the earth is a selfregulating complex system. In the 1960s, nasa set up its planetary exploration program with a mission to determine whether there was life on mars. Gaia theory model and metaphor for the 21st century. Lovelock 1991 the topdown view of the earth as a single system, one that i call gaia. There is more than one author in the goodreads database with this name. Gottgensconservation biologyhans papers 2010tilman and downing 1994 nature. Lovelock s theory that life all clubs together for some sort of mutual advantage is inconceivable. Ian enting, university of melbourne james lovelocks gaia hypothesis has challenged conventional thinking about the nature of the earth as an integrated.
Life is a planetarylevel phenomenon and the earth has been alive for at least 3,000 million years. It was the author of lord of the flies who long ago suggested to james lovelock, one evening in the pub, that the scientist use the name gaia for his new vision of our planet. Lovelock describes cyborgs as the selfsufficient, selfaware descendants of todays robots and artificial intelligence systems. A concept to define the necessary changes to human settlement and dwelling at the global scale, to adapt to global warming. James lovelock, in full james ephraim lovelock, born july 26, 1919, letchworth garden city, hertfordshire, england, english chemist, medical doctor, scientific instrument developer, and author best known for the creation and promulgation of the gaia hypothesis, an idea rooted in the notion that all life on earth is part of an entity that regulates earths surficial and atmospheric processes. Biogeochemists have devoted decades of painstaking work to tracing the details of these interactions. The gaia theory posits that the organic and inorganic components of planet earth have evolved together as a single living, selfregulating. A new look at life on earth, 1979 the beginnings of the gaia hypothesis came not from a study of earth, but from the search for alien life. A new look at life on earth, the revenge of gaia, the vanishing face of gaia, and a rough ride to the future. James lovelock, gaia theory, and the rejection of factvalue dualism article pdf available december 2011 with 1,424 reads how we measure reads. The gaia hypothesis proposes that our planet functions as a single organism that maintains conditions necessary for its survival. Outlines jim lovelock s original theory that life on earth functions as a single organism, a hypothesis which has generated great debate in scientific circles. Hence forward the word gaia will be used to describe the biosphere and all of those parts of the earth with which it actively interacts to form the hypothetical new entity with. We feel that we belong here as if this planet were indeed our home.
James lovelock s gaia theory inspired the green movement. The gaia hypothesis some scientists argue that all living things have an equal importance because they all play a part in regulating the planet. James lovelock developed the gaia theory in the 1960s while working with nasa. If one it is at all interested in saving gaia, and humanity, it. The theory accounts for the remarkable ability of the biosphere to recover from planetary disasters such as the impact that killed the dinosaurs, and many other previously unexplained. As recently as the 30 march, 2011, it was reported. She, as a concept, has been the basis of a belief that lasts the length of recorded history. It claims that all of the organic and inorganic components of. Just as when the sperm merges with the egg, new life was. Gaia theory some early objections strong gaia the version put forward by lovelock and margulis is strong in that it depicts terrestrial life as influencing the abiotic world by a series of negative feedback loops in a way that is fundamentally stabilizing. But, as james broughton said, the only limits are, as always, those of vision. James ephraim lovelock, ch, cbe, frs, is an independent scientist, author, researcher, environmentalist, and futurist who lives in devon, england.
The evolving gaia theory james lovelock paper presented at the united nations university on 25 september 1992 tokyo, japan dr. Lovelock points out that gaia, being ancient and resourceful enough to have carried out these successive changes of the planet in spite of asteroid collisions and other setbacks, is herself probably not endangered by the relatively momentary depradations of the human species, as it befouls and cripples the biodynamics of its environment. May 16, 2014 a rough ride to the future james lovelock allen lane, 185pp. The theory asserts that living organisms and their inorganic surroundings have evolved together as a single living system that greatly affects the chemistry and conditions of earths surface. Basic evolutionary theory disproves this almost completely survival of the fittest what does lynn margulis say makes dawkins views on evolution and the gaia hypothesis compatible. For more than a century students of the evolution of the living and nonliving parts of the earth have known that life influences the physical and chemical characteristic of the planet. The notion of the biosphere as an active adaptive control system able to maintain the earth in homeostasis we are calling the gaia hypothesis, lovelock 1972. The gaia hypothesis says that the temperature, oxidation state, acidity, and certain aspects of the rocks and waters are kept constant, and that this homeostasis is maintained by active feedback processes operated automatically and unconsciously by the biota. When james lovelock first proposed his hypothesis, he presented gaia as a single. Gaia, however, showed that the earth, its rocks, oceans, and atmosphere, and all living things are part of one great organism, evolving together over the vast span of geological. Oxygen is a reactive compound, and should eventually combine with gases and. Lovelock s books and articles propose three main arguments for gaia.
Its goals are not set points but adjustable for whatever is the current environment and adaptable to whatever forms of life it carries. We have begun to add a new series of scientific papers by prof lovelock coauthors onto the website. Gaia is the belief that the earth is a selfregulating network of interdependent physical and biological systems. This idea was first made popular by dr james lovelock in the 1960s with his gaia hypothesis. Gaia a new look at life on earth james lovelock oxford landmark science. Exploring our lovehate relationship with gaia new scientist. The gaia hypothesis has since been supported by a number of scientific experiments20 and provided a number of useful. The theory gained an early supporter in lynn margulis. James lovelock gaia theory college of science and mathematics. We must learn to cope with it, he instead promotes a new approach called sustainable retreat. Introductory as i write, two viking spacecraft are circling our fellow planet mars, awaiting landfall instructions from the earth.
Cyborgs will replace humans and remake the world, james. James ephraim lovelock, is an independent scientist, environmentalist and futurist who lives in dorset, england. Pdf james hutton 17261797 regarded earth as a superorganism and. Lovelock argues that humans have now pushed gaia to her limit. Bbc 2s 1986 horizon programme won many new followers for jim lovelock s startling new theory of life called gaia. Originally proposed by james lovelock as the earth feedback hypothesis.
Pdf james lovelock, gaia theory, and the rejection of fact. He proposes that to avoid disaster we must adopt the best of technology and bend our minds to. Gaia scientist takes back climate change predictions live. Conceived by james lovelock, inventor of the gaia theory, this illustrated essay collection brings together an allstar lineup of thinkers and scientists to offer essential understanding about who we are, how we live, and where we might be going.
After postulating there was a force for life on earth, in which all biology participates gaia this system may fight back, or limit the species which threatens to overwhelm nature. Gaia theory is a compelling new way of understanding life on our planet. The scientist who first theorized that our planet is a biological organism, not merely a rock, discusses life on earth and the possibilities for its future. As we try to assess lovelock s highly individualistic work and decide whether his message is worth listening to, there is not better guide than john and mary gribbins james lovelock. James lovelock english chemist, doctor, and author. The gaia hypothesis, also known as gaia theory or gaia principle, proposes that organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on earth to form a selfregulating, complex system that helps to maintain the conditions for life on the planet. Apr 24, 2012 james lovelock, the scientist and author behind the gaia hypothesis, calls his own projections about global warming alarmist and says global warming hasnt happened as expected. James lovelock the greatest environmentalist sustainable.
Life has a way of managing things in favour of more life. Formulated by james lovelock in the mid1960s and published in a book in 1979, this controversial idea has spawned several interesting ideas and many new areas of research. At the time, lovelock was working for nasa, looking at methods of detecting life on. The gaia hypothesis has since been supported by a number of scientific experiments20 and provided a number of useful predictions,21 and hence is properly referred to as the gaia theory. How james lovelock introduced gaia to an unsuspecting world we have learned so much about our home planet in the three decades since james lovelock wrote gaia. Lovelock and other supporters of the idea now call it gaia theory, regarding it as a. At that instant the living things, the rocks, the air, and the oceans merged to form the new entity, gaia. James lovelock called his first proposal the gaia hypothesis.
Pdf james lovelock, gaia theory, and the rejection of. Will tomorrow bring hordes of militant gaia activists enforcing some pseudoscientific idiocy on the community, crying there is no god but gaia and lovelock. In proposing this theory, james lovelock sought to explain the many complex natural mechanisms that the earth has for regulating things such as climate and biological diversity. Professor james lovelock, the scientist who developed gaia theory, has said it is too late to try and save the planet. I call gaia a physiological system because it appears to have the unconscious goal of regulating the climate and the chemistry at a comfortable state for life. Nevertheless, all this hippyish stuff about gaia lovelock s theory that the earth, its objects and inhabitants, its biochemical properties and swirling gases, is a single organism with. One part of gaia that is clearly fact is the recognition that earths organisms have a signi. James lovelock is not part of a university, research institute, or business firm.
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