Impossible Extinction: Natural Catastrophes and the Supremacy of the Microbial World [Hardcover]

Charles S. Cockell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521817366 | ISBN-13: 978-0521817363 | Publication Date: March 3, 2003

Every 225 million years the Earth, and all the life on it, completes one revolution around the Milky Way Galaxy. During this remarkable journey, life is influenced by calamitous changes. Comets and asteroids strike the surface of the Earth, stars explode, enormous volcanoes erupt, and, more recently, humans litter the planet with waste. Many animals and plants become extinct during the voyage, but humble microbes, simple creatures made of a single cell, survive this journey. This book takes a tour of the microbial world, from the coldest and deepest places on Earth to the hottest and highest, and witnesses some of the most catastrophic events that life can face. Impossible Extinction tells this remarkable story to the general reader by explaining how microbes have survived on Earth for over three billion years. Charles Cockell received his doctorate from the University of Oxford, and is currently a microbiologist with rhe Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI), based at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, UK. His research focusses on astrobiology, life in the extremes and the human exploration of Mars. Cockell has been on expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctic, Mongolia, and in 1993 he piloted a modified insect-collecting ultra-light aircraft over the Indonesian rainforests. He is Chair of the Twenty-one Eleven Foundation for Exploration, a charity that supports expeditions that forge links between space exploration and environmentalism.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Written for the general reader, Impossible Extinction is a remarkable first publication by Dr. Cockell, covering the history of our planet and its hardiest occupants, the humble microbes." Stardust

"Fascinating" Paper Clips/Forecast

"This is a stimulating think-piece--not too long, generally well-informed and written in a reader-friendly style. It will appeal to general readers as well as to scientists who like to reflect outside their own specializations." Nature Medicine

"Cockell offers an interesting, general-readership book that juxtaposes two normally unlinked topics.... Recommended." Choice

"Worth reading..." Nature

Book Description

During the Earth's journey around the Milky Way Galaxy, life is influenced by calamitous changes. Comets and asteroids strike the surface of the Earth, stars explode near by, and enormous volcanoes erupt. Many animals and plants become extinct during this voyage, but microbes, simple creatures made of a single cell, survive this journey. This fascinating book takes a tour of the microbial world, from the coldest and deepest places to the hottest and highest, to explain how microbes have survived on Earth for over three billion years.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (March 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521817366
• ISBN-13: 978-0521817363
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,496,314 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Life" Seen Against A Cosmic Backdrop, July 1, 2003

By 

Keith Cowing (Reston, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Impossible Extinction: Natural Catastrophes and the Supremacy of the Microbial World (Hardcover)

In recent years, a new, broad scientific discipline has come into being: Astrobiology. As with anything new, its scope is still undergoing formulation. Some see Astrobiology as simply "exobiology-plus" (exobiology being a term used to describe the search for life's origins on earth -and elsewhere). Others (as a somewhat generic space biologist I include myself) see Astrobiology as something much more expansive - something not at all distant from "Life, the universe, and everything" to lift a line from Douglas Adams.

In his book "Impossible Extinction" author Charles Cockell embraces the larger definition of the term. His task is daunting: describe the Earth's voyage through the cosmos as a backdrop for the origin and evolution of life across the planet's surface - and subsurface. Add in regular catastrophes - of both terrestrial and extraterrestrial origin, stand back, and watch what life does.

Throughout the book (written in engaging style for both an educated layperson or a seasoned professional) it becomes clear that the true survivors as each disaster besets our planet are microbes. Not only do microbes barely hang on, but they thrive.

Over the course of life's tenure on our planet microbes have come to inhabit some of the most improbable and extreme (from a human perspective that is) ecological niches on - and within our planet. Such flexibility and tenacity affords the chance for survival even if the surface of the planet is laid waste and partially molten.

Of course, Earth is but one planet amongst an unimaginable number thought to exist in the universe. Cockell addresses this as well, placing our world and the life it carries, against a truly cosmic perspective. The reader of this well-presented book is left with a clear, concise understanding of what life is capable of enduring on Earth. And if it happened on this planet ...

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars To Live and Let Live, June 18, 2003

By 

William L. Fox (Burbank, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Impossible Extinction: Natural Catastrophes and the Supremacy of the Microbial World (Hardcover)

It is only within the last decade that most scientists have accepted that the Earth's geology and biology are both shaped by celestial events, as well as tectonic ones. Cockell has worked in both the Arctic and the Antarctic to study microscopic life under extreme conditions, and he gives us a splendid account of how microbes, which make up to 80% of our planet's biomass, have survived on our planet for three and a half billion years. He uses the 225 million year cycle it takes the Earth to circle the galaxy as a timeframe within which to describe their ability to survive everything from catastrophic volcanism to the impacts of asteroids. Along the way, he also examines chances for life elsewhere in the solar system. Needless to say, he demonstrates conclusively why microbes stand a better chance of survival on Earth than we do. Cockell's writing is authoritative, humorous, and accessible to a lay audience.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An oustanding book, June 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Impossible Extinction: Natural Catastrophes and the Supremacy of the Microbial World (Hardcover)

"IMPOSSIBLE EXTINCTION" by Charles S. Cockell is a fascinating book reflecting on the extraordinary hardiness and resilience of microbial life compared to that of more evolved and narrowly adapted forms of life in the face of global ecological catastrophes as can occur in planetary evolution. In addition to providing a comprehensive overview on the wonderful role and importance of microbes in evolution, Cockell's book presents bold new ideas about the possibilities of microbial life throughout the universe and of future life on Earth, and is at the same time an extremely entertaining read. I recommend this beautifully written book wholeheartedly to the scientist and the lay person alike. It has the feel of an instant classic.