Simon Conway Morris's Books

Life's Solution

Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe

By: Simon Conway Morris

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Life's Solution

Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe

By: Simon Conway Morris

The assassin's bullet misses, the Archduke's carriage moves forward, and a catastrophic war is avoided. So too with the history of life. Re-run the tape of life, as Stephen J. Gould claimed, and the outcome must be entirely different: an alien world, without humans and maybe not even intelligence. The history of life is littered with accidents: any twist or turn may lead to a completely different world. Now this view is being challenged. Simon Conway Morris explores the evidence demonstrating life's almost eerie ability to navigate to a single solution, repeatedly. Eyes, brains, tools, even culture: all are very much on the cards. So if these are all evolutionary inevitabilities, where are our counterparts across the galaxy? The tape of life can only run on a suitable planet, and it seems that such Earth-like planets may be much rarer than hoped. Inevitable humans, yes, but in a lonely Universe.

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488

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Cambridge University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1139440802

ISBN 13

9781139440806

The Great Fossil Enigma

The Search for the Conodont Animal

By: Simon J. Knell

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The Great Fossil Enigma

The Search for the Conodont Animal

By: Simon J. Knell

Stephen Jay Gould borrowed from Winston Churchill when he described the conodont animal as a "riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." This animal confounded science for more than a century. Some thought it a slug, others a fish, a worm, a plant, even a primitive ancestor of ourselves. The list of possibilities grew and yet an answer to the riddle never seemed any nearer. Would the animal that left behind these miniscule fossils known as conodonts ever be identified? Three times the animal was "found," but each was quite a different animal. Were any of them really the one? Simon J. Knell takes the reader on a journey through 150 years of scientific thinking, imagining, and arguing. Slowly the animal begins to reveal traces of itself: its lifestyle, its remarkable evolution, its witnessing of great catastrophes, its movements over the surface of the planet, and finally its anatomy. Today the conodont animal remains perhaps the most disputed creature in the zoological world.

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Page Count

439

Publisher

Indiana University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

025300604X

ISBN 13

9780253006042

Reframing Providence

New Perspectives from Aquinas on the Divine Action Debate

By: Simon Maria Kopf

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Reframing Providence

New Perspectives from Aquinas on the Divine Action Debate

By: Simon Maria Kopf

The doctrine of providence, which states that God guides his creation, has been widely conceived in action terms in recent theological scholarship. A telling example is the so-called Divine Action Debate, which is largely based on two principles: (i) providence is best conceptualised in terms of divine action; and (ii) divine action is best modelled on human action. By examining this debate, and especially the Divine Action Project (1988-2003), which led to the 'scientific turn' of the debate, this study argues that theo-physical incompatibilism, as a corollary of this 'framing' of providence, can be identified as a main reason for the current deadlock in divine action theories - namely, the assumption that just as human (libertarian) free action presupposes causal indeterminism, so, too, does divine action in the world presuppose causal indeterminism. Instead of recalibrating the much-discussed non-interventionist objective divine action (NIODA) approaches, Simon Maria Kopf advocates a 'reframing' of providence in terms of the virtue of prudence. To this end, this book examines the 'prudential-ordinative' theory of Thomas Aquinas and contrasts it with the prevalent 'actionistic', or action-based, model of providence. In this process, Kopf discusses, among other topics, the doctrine of divine transcendence, primary and secondary causation, natural necessity and contingency, and teleology as essential features of this 'prudential-ordinative' theory. How these two approaches fare when applied to the question of biological evolution is the subject of the final part of this book, which revisits the controversy between Stephen Jay Gould and Simon Conway Morris over what would happen if one were to rerun the tape of life.

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321

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0192874985

ISBN 13

9780192874986

Fossils of the Burgess Shale

A National Treasure in Yoho National Park, British Columbia

By: Simon Conway Morris,Harry Blackmore Whittington

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Fossils of the Burgess Shale

A National Treasure in Yoho National Park, British Columbia

By: Simon Conway Morris,Harry Blackmore Whittington

This publication, designed for the public, describes the discovery of the Burgess shale, recent work on its formation, and the flora and fauna found in it. The major animal groups are described and illustrated. The scientific significance of the shale is explained.

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Natural Resources Canada

Published Date

ISBN 10

0660119013

ISBN 13

9780660119014

The Runes of Evolution

How the Universe became Self-Aware

By: Simon Conway Morris

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The Runes of Evolution

How the Universe became Self-Aware

By: Simon Conway Morris

How did human beings acquire imaginations that can conjure up untrue possibilities? How did the Universe become self-aware? In The Runes of Evolution, Simon Conway Morris revitalizes the study of evolution from the perspective of convergence, providing us with compelling new evidence to support the mounting scientific view that the history of life is far more predictable than once thought. A leading evolutionary biologist at the University of Cambridge, Conway Morris came into international prominence for his work on the Cambrian explosion (especially fossils of the Burgess Shale) and evolutionary convergence, which is the process whereby organisms not closely related (not monophyletic), independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches. In The Runes of Evolution, he illustrates how the ubiquity of convergence hints at an underlying framework whereby many outcomes, not least brains and intelligence, are virtually guaranteed on any Earth-like planet. Conway Morris also emphasizes how much of the complexity of advanced biological systems is inherent in microbial forms. By casting a wider net, The Runes of Evolution explores many neglected evolutionary questions. Some are remarkably general. Why, for example, are convergences such as parasitism, carnivory, and nitrogen fixation in plants concentrated in particular taxonomic hot spots? Why do certain groups have a particular propensity to evolve toward particular states? Some questions lead to unexpected evolutionary insights: If bees sleep (as they do), do they dream? Why is that insect copulating with an orchid? Why have sponges evolved a system of fiber optics? What do mantis shrimps and submarines have in common? If dinosaurs had not gone extinct what would have happened next? Will a saber-toothed cat ever re-evolve? Cona Morris observes: “Even amongst the mammals, let alone the entire tree of life, humans represent one minute twig of a vast (and largely fossilized) arborescence. Every living species is a linear descendant of an immense string of now-vanished ancestors, but evolution itself is the very reverse of linear. Rather it is endlessly exploratory, probing the vast spaces of biological hyperspace. Indeed this book is a celebration of how our world is (and was) populated by a riot of forms, a coruscating tapestry of life.” The Runes of Evolution is the most definitive synthesis of evolutionary convergence to be published to date.

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525

Publisher

Templeton Foundation Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1599474654

ISBN 13

9781599474656

Here Be Dragons

The Scientific Quest for Extraterrestrial Life

By: David W. Koerner,Simon LeVay

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Here Be Dragons

The Scientific Quest for Extraterrestrial Life

By: David W. Koerner,Simon LeVay

The discovery of life on other planets would be perhaps the most momentous revelation in human history, more disorienting and more profound than either the Copernican or Darwinian revolutions, which knocked the earth from the center of the universe and humankind from its position of lofty self-regard. In Here Be Dragons, astronomer David Koerner and neurobiologist Simon LeVay offer a scientifically compelling and colorful account of the search for life beyond Earth. The authors survey the work of biologists, cosmologists, computer theorists, NASA engineers, SETI researchers, roboticists, and UFO enthusiasts and debunkers as they attempt to answer the greatest remaining question facing humankind: Are we alone? From their "safe haven of skepticism" the authors venture into the "rough seas of speculation," where theory and evidence run the gamut from hard science to hocus pocus. Arguing that the universe is spectacularly suited for the evolution of living creatures, Koerner and LeVay give us ringside seats at the great debates of Big Science. The contenitous arguments about what really happens in evolution, the acrimonious UFO controversy, and the debate over intelligence versus artificial intelligence shed new light on the wildly divergent claims about the universe and life's place in it. The authors argue that while no direct evidence of extraterrestrial life yet exists, habitats and chemical building blocks for life abound in the universe. A wealth of new astronomical techniques and space missions may provide this evidence early in the next century. Lucidly written and scientifically rigorous, Here Be Dragons presents everything we know thus far about the emergence of intelligent life here on earth and, perhaps, beyond.

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281

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0198033370

ISBN 13

9780198033370

From Extraterrestrials to Animal Minds

Six Myths of Evolution

By: Simon Conway Morris

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From Extraterrestrials to Animal Minds

Six Myths of Evolution

By: Simon Conway Morris

In this learned romp of science writing, Cambridge professor Simon Conway Morris cheerfully challenges six assumptions—what he calls ‘myths’—that too often pass as unquestioned truths amongst the evolutionary orthodox. His convivial tour begins with the idea that evolution is boundless in the kinds of biological systems it can produce. Not true, he says. The process is highly circumscribed and delimited. Nor is it random. This popular notion holds that evolution proceeds blindly, with no endgame. But Conway Morris suggests otherwise, pointing to evidence that the processes of evolution are “seeded with inevitabilities.” If that is so, then what about mass extinctions? Don’t they steer the development of life in radically new directions? Rather the reverse, claims Conway Morris. Such cataclysms accelerate evolutionary developments that were going to happen anyway. And what about that other evolutionary canard: the “missing link”? There is plenty to choose from in the fossil record, but persistently overlooked is that in any group, there is not one but a phalanx of “missing links.” Once again, we under-score the near-inevitability of evolutionary outcomes. Turning from fossils to minds, Conway Morris critically examines the popular tenet that the intelligence of humans and animals are the same thing, a difference of degree, not kind. A closer scrutiny of our minds shows that, in reality, an unbridgeable gulf separates us from even the chimpanzees, so begging questions of consciousness and Mind. Finally, Conway Morris tackles the question of extraterrestrials. Undoubtedly, the size and scale of the universe suggest that alien life must exist somewhere beyond Earth and our tiny siloed solar system? After all, evolutionary convergence more than hints that human-like forms are universal. But Dr. Conway Morris has serious doubts. The famous Fermi Paradox (“Where are they?”) appears to hold: Alone in the cosmos—and unique, but not quite in the way one might expect.

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Page Count

425

Publisher

Templeton Foundation Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1599475294

ISBN 13

9781599475295

A Natural History of Seeing

The Art and Science of Vision

By: Simon Ings

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A Natural History of Seeing

The Art and Science of Vision

By: Simon Ings

Ings' work delves into both the evolution of sight and the evolution of the human understanding of sight. The book presents the natural science, while also addressing the history, philosophy, and mythology of how and why people see the way they do. Illustrations throughout.

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Page Count

362

Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company

Published Date

ISBN 10

039306719X

ISBN 13

9780393067194

Creating Community Health

Interventions for Sustainable Healthcare

By: Simon Lennane

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Creating Community Health

Interventions for Sustainable Healthcare

By: Simon Lennane

This important book explores how community-based interventions can bridge the gap between health services and the voluntary sector to create more sustainable, healthy communities. Moving beyond a technologically driven, medicalised approach to healthcare, the book shows how social prescribing can provide a direct pathway to improving community health, embracing connection and challenging inequality. Written by a practicing GP, and illustrated through practical guidance, it demonstrates how this can offer a cost-effective, preventative means to improving health outcomes, enabling communities to be more resilient when confronting major issues such as climate change or pandemics. Building to a case study of how these methods were used in one town, Ross-on-Wye, the book will be invaluable reading for those working in healthcare, public health, local authorities, and the voluntary sector, as well as students and researchers interested in these areas.

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Page Count

223

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

1000880834

ISBN 13

9781000880830

Ten Million Aliens

A Journey Through the Entire Animal Kingdom

By: Simon Barnes

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Ten Million Aliens

A Journey Through the Entire Animal Kingdom

By: Simon Barnes

Originally published in 2014 in Great Britain by Short Books."--Title page verso.

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Page Count

480

Publisher

Simon and Schuster

Published Date

ISBN 10

1476730350

ISBN 13

9781476730356

Life's Solution

Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe

By: Simon Conway Morris

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Life's Solution

Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe

By: Simon Conway Morris

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488

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1139440802

ISBN 13

9781139440806

Bird Atlas 2007-11: The Breeding and Wintering Birds of Britain and Ireland

By: Dawn Balmer,Simon Gillings,Brian Caffrey,Bob Swann,Iain Downie,Rob Fuller

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Bird Atlas 2007-11: The Breeding and Wintering Birds of Britain and Ireland

By: Dawn Balmer,Simon Gillings,Brian Caffrey,Bob Swann,Iain Downie,Rob Fuller

Recommended for viewing on a colour tablet. The Bird Atlas 2007–2011 is the definitive statement on breeding and winter bird distributions in Britain and Ireland.

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4348

Publisher

HarperCollins UK

Published Date

ISBN 10

0007593015

ISBN 13

9780007593019

Here Be Dragons

The Scientific Quest for Extraterrestrial Life

By: David W. Koerner,Simon LeVay

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Here Be Dragons

The Scientific Quest for Extraterrestrial Life

By: David W. Koerner,Simon LeVay

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Page Count

281

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0198033370

ISBN 13

9780198033370

Fossils of the Burgess Shale

A National Treasure in Yoho National Park, British Columbia

By: Simon Conway Morris,Harry Blackmore Whittington

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Fossils of the Burgess Shale

A National Treasure in Yoho National Park, British Columbia

By: Simon Conway Morris,Harry Blackmore Whittington

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Publisher

Natural Resources Canada

Published Date

ISBN 10

0660119013

ISBN 13

9780660119014

Book's by Simon Conway Morris

Life's Solution

Life's Solution

The Great Fossil Enigma

The Great Fossil Enigma

Reframing Providence

Reframing Providence

Fossils of the Burgess Shale

Fossils of the Burgess Shale

The Runes of Evolution

The Runes of Evolution

Here Be Dragons

Here Be Dragons

From Extraterrestrials to Animal Minds

From Extraterrestrials to Animal Minds

A Natural History of Seeing

A Natural History of Seeing

Creating Community Health

Creating Community Health

Ten Million Aliens

Ten Million Aliens

Life's Solution

Life's Solution

Bird Atlas 2007-11: The Breeding and Wintering Birds of Britain and Ireland

Bird Atlas 2007-11: The Breeding and Wintering Birds of Britain and Ireland

Here Be Dragons

Here Be Dragons

Fossils of the Burgess Shale

Fossils of the Burgess Shale

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