The quest -- The emergence and evolution of matter. Origin myths ; The emergence of matter : science's orthodox theory ; What science's orthodox theory fails to explain ; Other cosmological conjectures ; Problems facing cosmology as an explanatory means ; Reasonableness of cosmological conjectures ; Evolution of matter on a large scale ; Evolution of matter of small scale ; Pattern to the evolution of matter ; Reflections and conclusions on the emergence and evolution of matter -- The emergence and evolution of life. A planet fit for life ; Life ; The emergence of life 1 : evidence ; The emergence of life 2 : hypotheses ; Development of scientific ideas about biological evolution ; Evidence of biological evolution 1 : fossils ; Evidence of biological evolution 2 : analyses of living species -- Evidence of biological evolution 3 : behaviour of living species ; The human lineage ; Causes of biological evolution : the current orthodox account ; Complementary and competing hypotheses 1 : complexification ; Complementary and competing hypotheses 2 : collaboration ; The evolution of consciousness ; Reflections and conclusions of the emergence and evolution of life -- The emergence and evolution of humans. Human evolution 1 : primeval thinking ; Human evolution 2 : philosophical thinking ; Human evolution 3 : scientific thinking ; Uniqueness of humans ; Conclusions and reflections of the emergence and evolution -- A cosmic process. Limitations of science ; Reflections and conclusions on human evolution as a cosmic process.
Summary:
Who are we, and how did we get here? These are two of the most fundamental and far-reaching questions facing scientists and cosmologists alike, and have rested at the center of human intellectual endeavor since its beginning. They are questions that stretch across numerous disciplines: philosophy, theology, evolutionary biology, and mathematics are just some of the fields looking to explain the emergence of human life. But with so many groups seeking answers using so many different methods, it can be nearly impossible to tell what sort of progress has been made without stepping back and looking at the whole interdisciplinary picture. In Cosmosapiens, John Hands presents readers with exactly such a synthesis, ten years in the making and incorporating the ideas of world-renowned experts from wide array of fields. The book sifts the speculative from the firmly established, examining claims of all sorts, challenging the orthodox consensus in those branches of cosmology, biology, and neuroscience that have ossified into dogma. His striking analysis reveals underlying patterns of cooperation, complexification, and convergence that will transform our understanding of what we are and how we evolved from the origin of the universe.. In the end, his striking analysis reveals underlying patterns of cooperation, complexity, and convergence that begin to tell the story of human emergence and consciousness.
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