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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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as i sit here； in early 2003； i have before me several pages of manuscript bearing majesticallyencouraging and tactful notes from ian tattersal of the american museum of natural historypointing out； inter alia； that perigueux is not a wineproducing region； that it is inventive but atouch unorthodox of me to italicize taxonomic divisions above the level of genus and species；that i have persistently misspelled olorgesaille； a place that i recently visited； and so on insimilar vein through two chapters of text covering his area of expertise； early humans。
goodness knows how many other inky embarrassments may lurk in these pages yet； but itis thanks to dr。 tattersall and all of those whom i am about to mention that there arent manyhundreds more。 i cannot begin to thank adequately those who helped me in the preparation ofthis book。 i am especially indebted to the following； who were uniformly generous and kindlyand showed the most heroic reserves of patience in answering one simple； endlessly repeatedquestion： 〃im sorry； but can you explain that again？〃in the united states： ian tattersall of the american museum of natural history in newyork； john thorstensen； mary k。 hudson； and david blanchflower of dartmouth college inhanover； new hampshire； dr。 william abdu and dr。 bryan marsh of dartmouth…hitchcockmedical center in lebanon； new hampshire； ray anderson and brian witzke of the iowadepartment of natural resources； iowa city； mike voorhies of the university of nebraskaand ashfall fossil beds state park near orchard； nebraska； chuck offenburger of buenavista university； storm lake； iowa； ken rancourt； director of research； mount washingtonobservatory； gorham； new hampshire； paul doss； geologist of yellowstone national park；and his wife； heidi； also of the national park； frank asara of the university of california atberkeley； oliver payne and lynn addison of the national geographic society； james o。
farlow； indianapurdue university； roger l。 larson； professor of marine geophysics；university of rhode island； jeff guinn of the fort worth star…telegram newspaper； jerry kasten of dallas； texas； and the staff of the iowa historical society in desmoines。
in england： david caplin of imperial college； london； richard fortey； les ellis； and kathyway of the natural history museum； martin raff of university college； london； rosalindharding of the institute of biological anthropology in oxford； dr。 laurence smaje； formerlyof the welle institute； and keith blackmore of the times。
in australia： the reverend robert evans of hazelbrook； new south wales； alan thorneand victoria bennett of the australian national university in canberra； louise burke andjohn hawley of canberra； anne milne of the sydney morning herald； ian nowak； formerlyof the geological society of western australia； thomas h。 rich of museum victoria； timflannery； director of the south australian museum in adelaide； and the very helpful staff ofthe state library of new south wales in sydney。
and elsewhere： sue superville； information center manager at the museum of new zealandin wellington； and dr。 emma mbua； dr。 koen maes； and jillani ngalla of the kenya nationalmuseum in nairobi。
i am also deeply and variously indebted to patrick janson…smith； gerald howard； mariannevelmans； alison tulett； larry finlay； steve rubin； jed mattes； carol heaton； charles elliott； david bryson； felicity bryson； dan mclean； nick southern； patrick gallagher； larryashmead； and the staff of the peerless and ever…cheery howe library in hanover； newhampshire。
above all； and as always； my profoundest thanks to my dear wife； cynthia。
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CONTENTS
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acknowledgments
introduction
part i lost in the cosmos
1 how to build a universe
2 wele to the solar system
3 the reverend evanss universe
part ii the size of the earth
4 the measure of things
5 the stone…breakers
6 science red in tooth and claw
7 elemental matters
part iii anew age dawns
8 einsteins universe
9 the mighty atom
10 getting the lead out
11 muster marks quarks
12 the earth moves
part iv dangerous planet
13 bang！
14 the fire below
15 dangerous beauty
part v life itself
16 lonely planet
17 into the troposphere
18 the bounding main
19 the rise of life
20 small world
21 life goes on
22 good…bye to all that
23 the richness of being
24 cells
25 darwins singular notion
26 the stuff of life
part vi the road to us
27 ice time
28 the mysterious biped
29 the restless ape
30 good…bye
notes
bibliography
index
the physicist leo szilard once announced to his friend hans bethe that he was thinking of keeping a diary： 〃i dont intend to publish。 iam merely going to record the facts for the information of god。〃〃dont you think god knows the facts？〃 bethe asked。
〃yes；〃 said szilard。
〃he knows the facts； but he does not know this version of the facts。〃
…hans christian von baeyer；taming the atom
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INTRODUCTION
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wele。 and congratulations。 i am delighted that you could make it。 getting here wasnteasy； i know。 in fact； i suspect it was a little tougher than you realize。
to begin with； for you to be here now trillions of drifting atoms had somehow to assemblein an intricate and intriguingly obliging manner to create you。 its an arrangement sospecialized and particular that it has never been tried before and will only exist this once。 forthe next many years （we hope） these tiny particles will unplainingly engage in all thebillions of deft； cooperative efforts necessary to keep you intact and let you experience thesupremely agreeable but generally underappreciated state known as existence。
why atoms take this trouble is a bit of a puzzle。 being you is not a gratifying experience atthe atomic level。 for all their devoted attention； your atoms dont actually care about you…indeed； dont even know that you are there。 they dont even know that they are there。 they aremindless particles； after all； and not even themselves alive。 （it is a slightly arresting notionthat if you were to pick yourself apart with tweezers； one atom at a time； you would produce amound of fine atomic dust； none of which had ever been alive but all of which had once beenyou。） yet somehow for the period of your existence they will answer to a single overarchingimpulse： to keep you you。
the bad news is that atoms are fickle and their time of devotion is fleeting…fleeting indeed。
even a long human life adds up to only about 650；000 hours。 and when that modestmilestone flashes past； or at some other point thereabouts； for reasons unknown your atomswill shut you down； silently disassemble； and go off to be other things。 and thats it for you。
still； you may rejoice that it happens at all。 generally speaking in the universe it doesnt； sofar as we can tell。 this is decidedly odd because the atoms that so liberally and congeniallyflock together to form living things on earth are exactly the same atoms that decline to do itelsewhere。 whatever else it may be； at the level of chemistry life is curiously mundane：
carbon； hydrogen； oxygen； and nitrogen； a little calcium； a dash of sulfur； a light dusting ofother very ordinary elements…nothing you wouldnt find in any ordinary drugstore…and thatsall you need。 the only thing special about the atoms that make you is that they make you。
that is of course the miracle of life。
whether or not atoms make life in other corners of the universe； they make plenty else；indeed； they make everything else。 without them there would be no water or air or rocks； nostars and planets； no distant gassy clouds or swirling nebulae or any of the other things thatmake the universe so usefully material。 atoms are so numerous and necessary that we easilyoverlook that they neednt actually exist at all。 there is no law that requires the universe to fillitself with small particles of matter or to produce light and gravity and the other physicalproperties on which our existence hinges。 there neednt actually be a universe at all。 for thelongest time there wasnt。 there were no atoms and no universe for them to float about in。
there was nothing…nothing at all anywhere。
so thank goodness for atoms。 but the fact that you have atoms and that they assemble insuch a willing manner is only part of what got you here。 to be here now； alive in the twenty…first century and smart enough to know it； you also had to be the beneficiary of anextraordinary string of biological good fortune。 survival on earth is a surprisingly trickybusiness。 of the billions and billions of species of living thing that have existed since thedawn of time； most…99。99 percent…are no longer around。 life on earth； you see； is not only brief but dismayingly tenuous。 it is a curi