The third domain

Description

"The scientific community sometimes warms slowly to a revolutionary idea. So it was in 1977 when University of Illinois microbiologist Carl Woese proposed that the very trunk of the tree of life that depicted the genealogy of all living things on Earth was in need of some serious rethinking. This shocking suggestion was entirely incompatible with the long-standing classification of life as we know it. But as it turned out, the fascinating microbes that Woese discovered - dubbed archaea - were something brand new." "This whole new class of creatures, many of which thrive in environments so extreme that their very existence has prompted scientists to reconsider the likelihood of life on other planets, comprise life's "third domain." Archaea are now being hailed as one of the most important scientific revelations of the 20th century. The Third Domain tells the story of their strange potential and investigates their incredible history to provide a riveting account of an astonishing discovery." "Tim Friend gives us a front-row seat to this adventure of modern science. Accounts of swashbuckling scientific exploration mix with compelling and clear explanations of the underlying science to yield a story of discovery you won't soon forget. Travel with him as he leads readers from the Costa Rica rainforest to the rusting hulk of the Titanic in the cold, black depths of the North Atlantic in quest of new clues to fill out a still fast-developing science story that has implications for all of us."--Jacket.

Subjects