Description
An exploration of how acceptance of panspermia will soon change history
Mainstream consensus is that life arose on Earth spontaneously out of "primordial soup." Yet this theory, as well as the Darwinian "survival of the fittest" concept as it relates to major steps in evolution, has no scientific basis or proof. Where, then, did life come from? As the authors show, with conclusive scientific evidence, life came from space--a concept known as "panspermia." We humans, and all other life on Earth, evolved over millennia in response to viruses that arrived via comets, and we continue to do so.
Exploring the philosophical, psychological, cultural, and environmental ramifications of the acceptance of panspermia, the authors show how the shift will be on par with the Copernican Revolution--when it was finally accepted that the Earth was not the center of the Universe. Explaining the origins of the panspermia theory in the work of the late Sir Fred Hoyle, the authors reveal the vast body of evidence that has accumulated over the past 4 decades in favor of the cosmic origins of life, including viral inserts found in DNA that have shaped our human genome over millions of years. They show how the tiniest of viruses, microscopic animals (tardigrades), and even seeds have been found to be natural cosmonauts. The authors also show how space-borne viruses play a crucial role in the positive evolution of life and that our entire existence on this planet is contingent on the continuing ingress of cosmic viruses.
Revealing how panspermia offers answers to some of humanity's longstanding questions about the origins of life, the authors discuss the impact this shift in understanding will have on our relationship with the Earth and on culture, history, and religion. And perhaps the most dramatic ramification of all is that acceptance of panspermia means acceptance that Earth is not unique--that other life-filled planets exist and intelligent life is common in the Universe. Not only did we come from space, but we are not alone.
About the Author
Chandra Wickramasinghe, Ph.D., is the director of the Centre for Astrobiology at the University of Buckingham. A professor of applied mathematics and astronomy, he is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Astrobiology and Outreach and coauthor of Cosmic Womb. He lives in Cardiff, Wales. Kamala Wickramasinghe, MA, is a freelance writer and editor with a master's degree in English from the University of Cambridge. The managing editor of the Institute for the Study of Panspermia and Astroeconomics (ISPA), she lives in Cardiff, Wales. Gensuke Tokoro is an honorary professor at Ruhuna University, president and CEO of Kyoto Biopharma, Inc., and executive director of ISPA. He lives in Japan.
Reviews
"Above all what this book embraces with passion and scientific rigor is the magic and the mystery of life. An enchanting, thought-provoking, and important read. Don't miss it!" * Graham Hancock, author of America Before: The Key to Earth's Civilization and Fingerprints of *
"Our Cosmic Ancestry in the Stars is an excellent read! Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe, a pioneer of the theory of panspermia and cosmic biology, writes of the accumulating evidence that life populates all capable hosting places throughout the galaxy and the universe. The authors of the book conclude that our salvation as a species lies in the recognition and acknowledgment of our inalienable cosmic origins." * Rudy Schild, Ph.D., emeritus astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics *
"This is a beautifully written book about our cosmic origins and will be understood by everyone wanting to learn more about the origins and further evolution of life on Earth. All the authors have been actively involved in assembling the hard scientific evidence for panspermia and communicating these important proofs to a wider audience. For the past 50 years Sir Fred Hoyle, Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe, and their many contemporary collaborators, such as Gensuke Tokoro, director of the Institute for the Study of Panspermia and Astrobiology (Gifu, Japan), are causing, through their untiring efforts, the second Copernican revolution. Thus 500 years after Copernicus, Galileo, Tycho Brahe, Kepler, then Newton displaced the Earth from the center of the universe, which heralded the birth of the Renaissance in medieval Europe, we are now witnessing an extraordinary rebirth in scientific thinking. We therefore live in revolutionary times. Life did not originate from nonliving elements on the early Earth as is commonly believed--as promulgated by the traditional neo-Darwinian theory of terrestrial evolution. It originated at some unknowable time in deep cosmic antiquity and has spread by panspermic infections and further evolution to all life-compatible habits--comets, moons, planets--throughout the universe." * Edward J. Steele, Ph.D., coauthor of Lamarck's Signature *
"Chandra Wickramasinghe's central belief that basic microbial life in the universe could be very common and that it naturally spread across the galaxy is extended in this book to take on the topics of evolution itself and the future progress of humanity. Half a century after Neil Armstrong's 'one small step' on the moon, this book is timely, as the authors ponder key 'cosmic' questions about where we may have come from and what our future holds." * Nick Spall, space and science writer *
"Everybody should read this brilliant book! It tells you the answers to many of the things that keep you awake at night. Ultimately, this is a book of hope, the hope of the universal prevalence of life and that we are all part of a cosmic community which has no ending. Read this book and see everything you thought you knew in a new and vital perspective." * Robert Temple, author of The Sphinx Mystery *
"This book is a fascinating insight into how we, as a race, came into being on this planet. We may never know the true origins of our species beyond Earth, but Our Cosmic Ancestry in the Stars offers a very readable and entertaining yet fact-based alternative to the status quo." * Bruce Stringer, New Dawn Magazine *
Book Information
ISBN 9781591433286
Author Chandra Wickramasinghe, Ph.D.
Format Paperback
Page Count 144
Imprint Bear & Company
Publisher Inner Traditions Bear and Company
Weight(grams) 249g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 10mm
Mainstream consensus is that life arose on Earth spontaneously out of "primordial soup." Yet this theory, as well as the Darwinian "survival of the fittest" concept as it relates to major steps in evolution, has no scientific basis or proof. Where, then, did life come from? As the authors show, with conclusive scientific evidence, life came from space--a concept known as "panspermia." We humans, and all other life on Earth, evolved over millennia in response to viruses that arrived via comets, and we continue to do so.
Exploring the philosophical, psychological, cultural, and environmental ramifications of the acceptance of panspermia, the authors show how the shift will be on par with the Copernican Revolution--when it was finally accepted that the Earth was not the center of the Universe. Explaining the origins of the panspermia theory in the work of the late Sir Fred Hoyle, the authors reveal the vast body of evidence that has accumulated over the past 4 decades in favor of the cosmic origins of life, including viral inserts found in DNA that have shaped our human genome over millions of years. They show how the tiniest of viruses, microscopic animals (tardigrades), and even seeds have been found to be natural cosmonauts. The authors also show how space-borne viruses play a crucial role in the positive evolution of life and that our entire existence on this planet is contingent on the continuing ingress of cosmic viruses.
Revealing how panspermia offers answers to some of humanity's longstanding questions about the origins of life, the authors discuss the impact this shift in understanding will have on our relationship with the Earth and on culture, history, and religion. And perhaps the most dramatic ramification of all is that acceptance of panspermia means acceptance that Earth is not unique--that other life-filled planets exist and intelligent life is common in the Universe. Not only did we come from space, but we are not alone.
About the Author
Chandra Wickramasinghe, Ph.D., is the director of the Centre for Astrobiology at the University of Buckingham. A professor of applied mathematics and astronomy, he is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Astrobiology and Outreach and coauthor of Cosmic Womb. He lives in Cardiff, Wales. Kamala Wickramasinghe, MA, is a freelance writer and editor with a master's degree in English from the University of Cambridge. The managing editor of the Institute for the Study of Panspermia and Astroeconomics (ISPA), she lives in Cardiff, Wales. Gensuke Tokoro is an honorary professor at Ruhuna University, president and CEO of Kyoto Biopharma, Inc., and executive director of ISPA. He lives in Japan.
Reviews
"Above all what this book embraces with passion and scientific rigor is the magic and the mystery of life. An enchanting, thought-provoking, and important read. Don't miss it!" * Graham Hancock, author of America Before: The Key to Earth's Civilization and Fingerprints of *
"Our Cosmic Ancestry in the Stars is an excellent read! Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe, a pioneer of the theory of panspermia and cosmic biology, writes of the accumulating evidence that life populates all capable hosting places throughout the galaxy and the universe. The authors of the book conclude that our salvation as a species lies in the recognition and acknowledgment of our inalienable cosmic origins." * Rudy Schild, Ph.D., emeritus astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics *
"This is a beautifully written book about our cosmic origins and will be understood by everyone wanting to learn more about the origins and further evolution of life on Earth. All the authors have been actively involved in assembling the hard scientific evidence for panspermia and communicating these important proofs to a wider audience. For the past 50 years Sir Fred Hoyle, Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe, and their many contemporary collaborators, such as Gensuke Tokoro, director of the Institute for the Study of Panspermia and Astrobiology (Gifu, Japan), are causing, through their untiring efforts, the second Copernican revolution. Thus 500 years after Copernicus, Galileo, Tycho Brahe, Kepler, then Newton displaced the Earth from the center of the universe, which heralded the birth of the Renaissance in medieval Europe, we are now witnessing an extraordinary rebirth in scientific thinking. We therefore live in revolutionary times. Life did not originate from nonliving elements on the early Earth as is commonly believed--as promulgated by the traditional neo-Darwinian theory of terrestrial evolution. It originated at some unknowable time in deep cosmic antiquity and has spread by panspermic infections and further evolution to all life-compatible habits--comets, moons, planets--throughout the universe." * Edward J. Steele, Ph.D., coauthor of Lamarck's Signature *
"Chandra Wickramasinghe's central belief that basic microbial life in the universe could be very common and that it naturally spread across the galaxy is extended in this book to take on the topics of evolution itself and the future progress of humanity. Half a century after Neil Armstrong's 'one small step' on the moon, this book is timely, as the authors ponder key 'cosmic' questions about where we may have come from and what our future holds." * Nick Spall, space and science writer *
"Everybody should read this brilliant book! It tells you the answers to many of the things that keep you awake at night. Ultimately, this is a book of hope, the hope of the universal prevalence of life and that we are all part of a cosmic community which has no ending. Read this book and see everything you thought you knew in a new and vital perspective." * Robert Temple, author of The Sphinx Mystery *
"This book is a fascinating insight into how we, as a race, came into being on this planet. We may never know the true origins of our species beyond Earth, but Our Cosmic Ancestry in the Stars offers a very readable and entertaining yet fact-based alternative to the status quo." * Bruce Stringer, New Dawn Magazine *
Book Information
ISBN 9781591433286
Author Chandra Wickramasinghe, Ph.D.
Format Paperback
Page Count 144
Imprint Bear & Company
Publisher Inner Traditions Bear and Company
Weight(grams) 249g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 10mm
