"Andrew Knoll’s latest book, Earth and Life, reviewed by Rasoul Sorkhabi in Science. “All Earth systems are in constant interaction; one cannot exist without the others,” the review he titles “The delicate dance of earth and life,” begins. “Earth and life thus constitute an integrated complex system on a planetary scale,” he continues, launching into the many coincidences that make our planet habitable.
The last two chapters of the book extend the geobiological conversation to Mars, Venus, and the icy moons of Europa (Jupiter) and Enceladus and Titan (Saturn). Here, Knoll notes that there is currently no evidence of microbial life on any of these Solar System family members. “Only on Earth,” writes Knoll, “has the conversation between life and its physical home transformed both through time.”
Sound familiar? Michael Denton has written extensively on this very
Ironically, both author and reviewer appreciate that we live on a Privileged Planet! Discussing the book’s significance, Sorkhabi ends the review,
"…the book highlights Earth’s precious and privileged place as a living planet and debunks the notion that we can easily colonize Mars — a planet devoid not only of life-supporting plate tectonics, water, and other geochemical cycles but also a protective magnetic field and a strong gravitational field. By focusing on the geological evolution of biogeochemical cycles, Earth and Life presents a geoscience that is both vivid and vital for today’s conversations about humanity’s relationship with Earth."
Would the editors of Science have allowed Sorkhabi or Knoll to mention Denton, Gonzalez, or Richards as sources? Unlikely. Insiders, if they want to stay insiders, must not draw attention to intelligent design. But what’s the harm? If non-materialists have worthwhile knowledge that might contribute to Knoll’s theme, they should not be considered taboo."
Science&Culture
