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- Intraterrestrials : discovering the strangest life on earth / by Lloyd, Karen G.,1978-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.What lives inside Earth and how do we get to it? Is there a "habitat" inside Earth's crust? ; Cracking into solid earth ; The two DNA revolutions -- How do intraterrestrials change our basic notions of what life is like on Earth? Humans and other plants ; How to live inside a volcano ; Breathing rocks ; Living on the edge -- How do intraterrestrials affect our conceptions of ourselves? Immortal microbes ; Rethinking our beginnings ; Equilibrium is death ; What can intraterrestrials do for us? -- Conclusion: The future, maybe.Life thrives in the deepest, darkest recesses of Earth's crust -- from methane seeps in the ocean floor to the highest reaches of Arctic permafrost -- and it is unlike anything seen on the surface. Intraterrestrials shares what scientists are learning about these strange types of microbial life -- and how research expeditions to some of the most extreme locales on the planet are broadening our understanding of what life is and how its earliest forms may have evolved. Drawing on her experiences and those of her fellow scientists working in challenging and often dangerous conditions, Karen Lloyd takes readers on an adventure from the bottom of the ocean through the jungles of Central America to the high-altitude volcanoes of the Andes. Only discovered in recent decades, "intraterrestrials" -- subsurface beings that are truly alien -- are demonstrating how life can exist in boiling water, pure acid, and bleach. They enable us to peer back to the very dawn of life on Earth, disclosing deep branches on the tree of life that push the limits of what we thought possible. Some can "breathe" rocks or even electrons. Others may live for hundreds of thousands of years or longer. All of them are living in ways that are totally foreign to us surface dwellers. Blending captivating storytelling with the latest science, Intraterrestrials reveals what microbes in Earth's deep subsurface biosphere can tell us about the prospects for finding life on other planets -- and the future of life on our own. --- Subjects: Informational works.; Extreme environments; Subsurface bacteria; Microorganisms.; Underground areas.;
- Available copies: 4 / Total copies: 5
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- Oceans / by Day, Trevor,1955-(CARDINAL)378679; Garratt, Richard,illustrator.(CARDINAL)687303;
Includes bibliographical references and index.- Subjects: Marine ecology; Ocean;
- Available copies: 4 / Total copies: 4
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- Becoming Earth : how our planet came to life / by Jabr, Ferris,1987-author.(CARDINAL)879643;
Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-254) and index.Introduction -- Rock. Intraterrestrials : how subsurface microbes alter the planet's crust ; The mammoth steppe and the elephant's footprint : how animals shape Earth's landmasses ; A garden in the void : how to bring the planet's soils back to life -- Water. Sea cells : how plankton define the modern oceans ; These great aquatic forests : how marine vegetation makes the planet more habitable ; Plastic planet : how best to manage the plastic waste warping the ocean ecosystem -- Air. A bubble of breath : how microbes influence weather and helped create a breathable atmosphere ; The roots of fire : how the coevolution of fire and life transformed the planet ; Winds of change : how to cut greenhouse gas emissions and preserve a livable world -- Epilogue."Welcome to the living Earth. You'll never see it the same way again. One of humanity's oldest beliefs is that our world is alive. Though once ridiculed by some scientists, the idea of Earth as a vast interconnected living system has gained acceptance in recent decades. We, and all living things, are more than inhabitants of Earth--we are Earth, an outgrowth of its structure and an engine of its evolution. Life and its environment have coevolved for billions of years, transforming a lump of orbiting rock into a cosmic oasis--a planet that breathes, metabolizes, and regulates its climate. Acclaimed science writer Ferris Jabr reveals a radical new vision of Earth, emerging from the latest research, in which lush forests spew water, pollen, and bacteria to summon rain; giant animals engineer the very landscapes they roam; microbes chew rock to shape continents; and microscopic plankton, some as glittering as carved jewels, remake the air and sea. Humans are one of the most extreme examples of life transforming Earth. Through fossil fuel consumption, agriculture, and pollution, we have altered more layers of the planet in less time than any other species, pushing Earth into a crisis. But we are also uniquely able to understand and protect the planet's wondrous ecology and self-stabolizing processes. Jabr introduces us to a diverse cast of fascinating people who have devoted themselves to this vital work. Becoming Earth is an awe-inspiring journey through the hidden workings of our planetary symphony--its players, its instruments, and the music of life that emerges--and an invitation to reexamine our place in it. How well we play our part will determine what kind of Earth our descendants inherit for millenia to come."--- Subjects: Informational works.; Climatic changes.; Life (Biology); Evolution (Biology); Life;
- Available copies: 24 / Total copies: 31
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Results 1 to 3 of 3