地球与生命的微妙共舞

We owe much of our existence to our planet’s rare features Rasoul Sorkhabi As we contemplate colonizing other planets, we would do well to remember that life on Earth has shaped and been shaped by geochemical processes. P eople usually think of life as an entity drastically distinct from inanimate materials such as minerals, rocks, water, and air. However, this thinking is not rooted in the reality of the natural world. All Earth systems are in constant interaction; one cannot exist without the others. Earth and life thus constitute an integrated complex system on a planetary scale, a key relationship emphasized by geobiologist Andrew Knoll in his new book, Earth and Life. Life—through photosynthesis—is responsible for Earth’s anomalous atmosphere. …